This is according to Kenan Ince, Cape Town general manager for Turkish Airlines, who indicates that airline safety is the most primary concern for all travellers as again demonstrated in a recent survey conducted in a wide range of countries. “Due to the fact that air travel has become an integral part of holiday planning for many leisure travellers, it is essential for airlines to understand the preferences and key trends among leisure air travellers to remain competitive.”
The index was conducted in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Nigeria. “We commissioned the survey in several of the prominent destinations in our network to gauge comparative trends on a global scale and to gain key insights into specific trends for the various destinations.”
Additional insights with regards to pre-flight behaviour in South Africa included a 76% preference for all-inclusive travel packages as well as a below average participation in frequent flyer loyalty programs at 32%.
The index further indicated that 91% of SA travellers opted to book their flights through online platforms rather than using travel agencies and 58% of people make use of online comparative sites when booking flights, he says.
Ince adds that results relating to in-flight preferences indicated that 96% of South African air travellers rate cleanliness of the cabin and friendly attentive staff as paramount, while 92% of SA travellers reiterated the importance of sufficient seating space in all cabins.
The survey also questioned passenger’s post flight preferences and revealed 76% of passengers welcome the idea of a pre-booked pick-up service by a taxi or transport service, linked and accredited by their airline of choice, says Ince.
“Turkish Airlines has been active for over eight years in the South African Market and this was the first time a study of this magnitude was conducted. This index has provided invaluable insights into customer preferences and we will incorporate these findings into our future strategies.”
Ince says that in order to provide a more comfortable experience for travellers, the airline has partnered up with Turkish Seat Industries to create a more ergonomic seat. “The design is the result of three years of intricate, meticulous study and the seats that are currently being installed are the world’s most efficiently produced aircraft seats. Our goal is to have these seats installed in all of our aircrafts by the year 2023,” concludes Ince.
