Expect Delays: Travel Disruptions During the Holiday Season
Data from travel technology company IBS Software reveals that despite more than two-thirds (68%) of passengers being inconvenienced by disrupted journeys since COVID travel restrictions were lifted and 66% expecting more of the same during upcoming trips, most (83%) still plan on flying for a break in the next six months. travel disruption
The research, which polled 2000 recent travellers in the UK and US*, warns that holiday providers have one more chance to get it right: if holidaymakers experience disruptions again during their upcoming trips, over half (55%) will avoid booking with the airline in the future. When asked who they blamed for their poor experiences, 50% said it was the fault of the airlines when flights were delayed, with just 13% blaming the airport. However, when it comes to lost luggage, the jury is out – 42% say it’s the airport’s responsibility, and 40% are looking at the airline.
Delayed flights or missed connections were the most common holiday hurdle, affecting over a third of all passengers (35%), followed closely by waiting in longer than normal queues (31%) and cancelled flights (15%). Lost luggage, which dominated the news headlines in the summer, is confirmed by the research as a major annoyance, blighting nearly 1 in 7 passengers’ holidays over the last 18 months.
Despite a clear desire to travel, passengers won’t accept more disruption without protest. If passengers find out their journey is going to be disrupted, 53% will complain to the airline, and 38% will use social media to broadcast their annoyance. And if an airline doesn’t have a reputation for punctuality, they’re likely to lose out, with 93% of travellers saying this is an important factor when deciding which airline to buy from.
However, there is still an opportunity for airlines to win back the loyalty of their passengers. When terminal turmoil occurs, passengers can be placated by automatic refunds when eligible; proactive customer support to suggest alternative routes; and automatic alerts on their phone when something goes wrong. As one passenger who took the survey commented, “Just actually organise yourselves properly, there’s no excuse for all the disruption.”
Philip Hinton, SVP, IBS Software, comments: “The pent-up desire to travel was always going to put airlines and airports under extreme pressure—and so it proved, with widespread disruption plaguing many long-anticipated journeys. Airlines know this is a major issue, and we are seeing them prioritize on-time performance and customer satisfaction because the widespread issues have directly impacted business performance.”
About the research
The survey was conducted online by Censuswide between Monday, November 28th, and Wednesday, November 30th. 1000 consumers who have travelled by air for leisure in the last 18 months in both the US and UK responded.
About IBS Software
IBS Software is a leading SaaS solutions provider to the travel industry globally, managing mission-critical operations for customers in the aviation, tour & cruise, and hospitality industries. IBS Software’s solutions for the aviation industry cover fleet & crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programs, staff travel, and air cargo management. IBS Software also runs a real-time B2B and B2C distribution platform providing hotel room inventory, rates, and availability to a global network of hospitality companies and channels. For the tour and cruise industry, IBS provides a comprehensive, customer-centric, digital platform that covers onshore, online, and on-board solutions. IBS Software is a Blackstone portfolio company and operates from 15 offices across the world. travel disruption
