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With millions of Australians and New Zealanders getting ready for their summer holidays, Qualtrics today launched new research revealing our nations’ biggest frustrations when flying, and how these impact the likelihood for repeat custom.

The Qualtrics 2019 Airline Pain Index asked 350 travellers about their common frustrations and issues when engaging with commercial airlines. Findings suggest airlines have control over most of the issues annoying their customers.

Top of the list was lost luggage, with 87 per cent of respondents stating it bothered them a lot or made them not want to fly with that airline again. This is followed closely by hidden fees when booking and cancelled flights (both 86%). Rounding out the top 5 is unclean airplane bathrooms (80%) and uncomfortable seats (76%).

Almost half (46%) of travellers said they’ve had experiences so bad they decided to never fly with that airline again. Similarly, 38 per cent said the airline experience ruined their holiday.

“The Qualtrics 2019 Airline Pain Index reveals that not only is a negative experience enough to drive your customers into the arms of a competitor, but that airlines are in control of most of the issues that frustrate passengers. In the competitive airline industry, where passengers have a range of options – from low-cost offers through to national carriers – the findings illustrate the critical importance of identifying what’s important for customers and then directing investments towards delivering those things,” said Vicky Katsabaris, CX Solutions Strategist for Qualtrics in APJ.

Australians and New Zealanders top frustrations when flying

Rank
Issue
Percentage bothered a lot / 
made not want to fly with the airline again
1
Lost luggage
87%
2
Hidden fees or lack of pricing transparency
86%
3
Cancelled flights
86%
4
Unclean bathrooms
80%
5
Uncomfortable seat
77%
6
Poor inflight service
73%
7
Extra fees for checking bags
73%
8
Unfriendly flight crew
72%
9
Not enough legroom
65%
10
Delayed flights
63%
11
Bad inflight food
61%
12
Poor or no inflight entertainment
50%
13
Cabin temperature
48%
14
Lack of free entertainment
47%
15
No free meal
44%

The secret to a good flying experience

For airlines looking to stand apart from the competition, the Qualtrics Airline Pain Index revealed the top 3 factors customers consider beyond price when choosing are time of the flight, number of connections, and length of any layovers.

When it comes to services offered customers want to be able to select their seat, have access to inflight meals and refreshments, and be able to bring a free checked bag. In contrast, the least valued services are mobile boarding passes, no additional charges for oversized bags, and free flight cancellation for airline credit.

The status benefits of frequent flyer programs are also put under the spotlight in the 2019 Qualtrics Airline Pain Index. The study found the three most important benefits to loyal customers are being able to select your seat (54%), lounge access (45%), and free checked bags (42%). Airlines looking to tempt passengers to join their loyalty program should focus on offering free checked bags (45%) and lounge access (37%).

When it came to the most important factors for having a good experience at the airport, 17 per cent of passengers said a short time through security and screening. This is followed by plenty of space and seating around terminals (14%), friendly and helpful airport staff, and free Wi-Fi (both 12%).

Australians and New Zealanders gave the airline industry an average grade of B+. Specifically, more than one-third (37%) of respondents gave a grade of A- or higher and only 12 per cent gave it a C or worse.

The power of a good experience

With online reviews and word of mouth marketing critical to business success, passengers were asked what actions they were most likely to take after a good experience. Almost two-thirds (63%) said they would either leave an online review, post on social media, or share feedback, while 52% said they would tell friends and family.

“In most areas the returns on investing in the areas passengers want improvements would far outweigh the costs involved. For instance, a free inflight snack or making sure all fees are visible when booking, could be the difference between winning or losing a customer. However, knowing where to direct investment in CX is challenging without the right data and analytics to guide decisions. To ensure airlines find the sweet spot of what people want, they need a single platform enabling them to capture, analyse, and act on their customer experience data,” added Katsabaris.