Airlines & Airports Face Increased Pressure to Adopt Innovative Travel Technologies

A new survey of more than 600 business travelers conducted by FlightView sends an important message to airport and airline executives: it’s time to get on board with advanced travel technology.

FlightView’s new survey found that:

• Mobile, day-of-travel notifications are critical for business travelers. More than 94 percent want the status of their flights pushed to their phones, 63 percent want to be notified about seat upgrade availability, and more than 70 percent want to receive an alert when their flight is boarding.
• Airport and in-flight WiFi is unreliable, limited and frustrating. Only 28 percent of business travelers are satisfied with in-flight WiFi offered by airlines, and 32 percent are satisfied with WiFi availability in airports.
• More business travelers want mobile boarding capabilities. More than 80 percent of business travelers surveyed who haven’t yet had access to mobile boarding passes would have used them, had they been available.

“Business travelers, pressed for time, want access to new tools and technologies that make traveling easier and more efficient,” said Mike Benjamin, CEO of FlightView, the number one day-of-travel information and mobile content company for airports, airlines and travel companies. “Every time an airport or airline rolls out a new offering, it raises travelers’ expectations, which, in turn, puts pressure on others in the industry to quickly adopt and integrate new technologies.”

Mobile Functionality & Self-Service Top Business Travelers’ Wish Lists

As the market for mobile tools and information matures, it’s no longer enough for airlines and airports to simply have mobile websites and native apps. Today’s business travelers demand certain functionalities, information and self-service options in mobile solutions that simplify the travel experience. For example:

• Nearly 70 percent (68.8) of business travelers want the power to rebook on another flight using mobile apps.
• More than 57 percent want to view standby status and terminal maps on their mobile phones.
• About 36 percent want to use mobile phones to purchase ticket upgrades and book ground transportation.
• When on the first leg of a connecting flight, 93 percent of business travelers want the status and gate location of their next flight pushed to their phones.
• Nearly 50 percent said walking directions to their next gate would be helpful when trying to make the second leg of a connecting flight.

“Airlines have a tremendous opportunity to generate more ancillary revenue and traveler loyalty from their highest-spending customers through mobile devices,” said Benjamin. “Our survey found that only 25 percent of business travelers regularly fly first or business class, which makes finding new ways to generate revenue and keep customers – like selling seat upgrades through mobile devices – even more critical.”

Flight Delays & Inaccurate Information Continue to Frustrate Business Travelers

When flights are significantly delayed or cancelled, conflicting flight information is the number one source of frustration for business travelers (37.3 percent), followed by inaccurate or unavailable updates on new departure times (35.7 percent), and having no insight into where the plane currently is and when it will arrive at the gate (27 percent).

FlightView asked business travelers how their airport experience could be improved when flights are delayed significantly: 46 percent said free WiFi, 21 percent said access to airline lounges and 17 percent said displays that show where their plane is located when it’s not at the gate.

“Flight information is one thing that airlines and airports need to get right,” said Benjamin. “Delays and cancellations are inevitable, but airports and airlines have a responsibility to provide customers with real-time, accurate updates.”

This business travel survey was conducted in part of a larger research report on travelers’ technology expectations from airports and airlines. The full results – which include responses from more than 2,600 travelers – will be published by FlightView in August.

With over 30-years of experience providing airports and airlines with real-time flight information, FlightView is in a unique position to help airports, airlines and travel companies quickly drive more customer loyalty and improve customer service. FlightView's own mobile website and travel apps, available on the Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Palm, are the leading and most highly trusted smart phone apps for more than one million users nationwide.

About FlightView

FlightView is the leading provider of accurate, real-time flight information solutions for the aviation and travel industries. FlightView was started in 2008 when CEO Mike Benjamin brought a new management and technology team to RLM Software, the first recipient of the ASDI (FAA radar) data feed and long-time consultant to the FAA. With a new focus on delivering actionable flight information across the full range of media platforms, FlightView was born. Since then, FlightView’s customer list has grown to include over 120 Airports, several major and mid-sized airlines and other travel related customers who employ FlightView information in digital displays, Web and mobile sites, native apps, and other uses. FlightView mobile products were launched starting in 2009 and our native apps for the iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Palm platforms have logged over 1M downloads. FlightView is located in Boston Massachusetts. To learn more, please visit FlightView.com.