Ditch movies and free grub, give us lower fares and wifi say passengers
British holidaymakers would forgo complimentary onboard food and inflight entertainment for cheaper fares, according to a survey by online travel agency On the Beach.
Of 1,000 people quizzed, 43% said they would prefer lower fares to free food and drink and 40% said airlines should ditch onboard entertainment altogether for cheaper flights. Where food is served, 27% said they would pay more for better quality than the current offerings.
More than a quarter (27%) would accept non-reclining seats and 5% would be happy to sit in smaller seats if it meant fares came down, although when asked what they would pay more for, 35% said they would splash out a little extra for more comfortable, softer seats and 13% said they were pay more for more recline.
However, only 3% said they would sit on a plastic seat for a cheaper flight and just 2% felt they could do without an onboard loo.
The biggest waste of money, according to passengers, is the complimentary inflight magazine, with 57% suggesting these should be ditched in favour of lower fares. Conversely, the main item passengers would pay more for was wifi, which was a favourite of 22% while complimentary iPads was the choice of 11% of travellers.
On the Beach chief marketing officer Alistair Daly said: "Our report suggests that cost really is king as many British travellers would happily forgo complimentary services such as on-board entertainment if it meant cheaper flight prices. Whilst free magazines and food and drink are not high on the priority list for Brits, our survey shows that for many people, comfort during the flight is the most important element."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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