An annual global survey conducted by air transport IT provider SITA reveals that Australian passengers are an interesting mix of Careful Planners and Open-minded Adventurers who believes that technology can improve their travel experiences.

Passengers travelling through seven major international airports across Australia were surveyed and four different personas were identified: Independent and Hyper-connected, Pampered, Careful Planner, and Open-minded Adventurer. Among these four personas, two in particular stood out – 60 percent of passengers identified themselves as Careful Planners, who appreciates the control and convenience provided by self-service technologies; while 20 percent see themselves as open-minded adventurers, who tend to be tech-savvy, keen to use technology for travel-related tasks, and are early adopters of new mobile services.

“Our survey shows that 80 percent of Australians had a positive experience throughout their last trip and technology is helping,” says SITA president, Asia Pacific Ilya Gutlin. “Airlines and airports can be assured that passengers are happy to use self-service. Mobile check-in is an outstanding example, 100 percent of passengers who used their mobile for check-in had a positive experience in contrast to 82 percent who checked in at a counter. At SITA, we are working with the industry in Australia and encouraging airlines and airports to implement strategies that accelerate adoption of technology in travel. Our survey shows that passengers are happy to use these services. Offering Australian passengers efficient self-service is an essential element of overall efforts to improve customer satisfaction.”

Self-service technology and adoption of mobile services are expected to increase in the near future. When asked about their next flight, more Australians expect to use their mobile devices for travel-related services, in fact, 11 percent intend to use mobile check-in for their next flight, nearly three times the current usage rate of four percent. www.sita.aero