Airline customers are more satisfied with service levels than they were before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic despite the flight delays and cancellations that plagued carriers during summer due to staff shortages, a survey has found.
Passengers were more content in 2022, with 80 per cent declaring they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, compared with 75 per cent in 2019, according to a Global Passenger Survey by the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Contentment levels dipped only slightly from the 82 per cent recorded in 2021, when governments were still imposing pandemic-related travel restrictions.
Still, the 2022 figure remains high when compared with satisfaction levels of about 75 per cent from 2017 through to 2019, the survey showed.
Travellers said they were most satisfied with bookings, the search for travel options and airport arrivals. Their biggest travel stress factors were flight transfers, border control delays, airport security and baggage collection, Iata said.
The global aviation industry is facing a shortage of employees, many of whom were laid off during the pandemic and have moved into other occupations or embraced more flexible work options, making it more difficult to rehire staff.
Airlines and airports are racing to find recruits to meet the rise in travel demand. However, the labour crunch has led to major disruptions over the busy summer travel season.
Two in five passengers have been discouraged from travelling due to immigration requirements, the survey said.
Process complexity was highlighted as the main deterrent by 65 per cent of travellers, with 12 per cent citing costs and 8 per cent citing the long time needed to complete visas.
Where visas are required, 66 per cent of travellers said they hoped to obtain a visa online before travelling, 20 per cent said they preferred to visit the consulate or embassy and 14 per cent hoped to get one at the airport.
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The majority of passengers (83 per cent) said they would share their immigration information to speed up the airport arrival process. While this is high, it is slightly down from the 88 per cent recorded in 2021.
Other traveller concerns were queuing times at airports during security, border controls and the process of boarding flights, the survey showed.
As for areas of improvement, 93 per cent of the polled passengers said they were interested in a trusted programme to expedite security screening.
Another 25 per cent said they would rather not queue up at the so-called air bridges before entering the plane while 20 per cent said they were interested in automated solutions designed to speed up control process.
In terms of baggage reclaim, two in five passengers reported having had their bags mishandled while one in five expressed dissatisfaction with the service provided.
“Travel during Covid-19 was complex, cumbersome and time-consuming due to government-imposed travel requirements. Post-pandemic, passengers want improved convenience throughout their trip,” said Nick Careen, Iata's senior vice president for Operations, Safety and Security.
“Digitalisation and use of biometrics to speed up the travel journey is the key.”
About 75 per cent of passengers expressed a keenness to use biometrics instead of passports or boarding passes, the survey showed.
In terms of greener travel, the survey found that there is a need to raise awareness on carbon offsetting as more than eight in 10 passengers do not offset their flight carbon emissions, Iata said.
The main reason was a lack of awareness, with 30 per cent saying they did not know about such an option, while 24 per cent said they did not like to use offsets and 18 per cent said they didn't have the option to do so.
Airlines are also facing pressure from environmental groups to lower their carbon footprint and to build back greener operations after the pandemic.
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Match info
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
EPL's youngest
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
