It takes a flight delay of just 64 minutes for British holidaymakers to see red, research finds

 With millions of Brits travelling to the sun this weekend, delays won’t be well received, say researchers 

UK holidaymakers admit that it takes a delay of just 64 minutes to make them see red, according to research commissioned by travel technology specialist IBS Software. As many as 71 per cent of Brits who have travelled abroad in the last year had a flight either delayed or cancelled, with a further 45 per cent admitting they worry future travel plans will be disrupted.

Researchers revealed that:

• 71% of UK adults have experienced a flight delay or cancellation in the last 12 months
• Over half (58%) have struggled to find out why their plans have been thrown into turmoil
• Passengers want clearer communications on flight disruption – 84% would be more understanding if the airline was transparent about the issue

Passengers want clearer communication from airlines

The research indicates that transparent and timely communications from airlines is vital in minimising the impact of flight disruption for passengers. Nearly six in ten (58 per cent) of those affected by delays have struggled to find out why their plans have been thrown into turmoil, while 16 per cent head straight to social media to bemoan the airlines.

Of the respondents, 61 per cent don’t always feel flight delays or cancellations are explained properly to passengers – with 45 per cent becoming frustrated because they haven’t been informed about how the issues the airlines are experiencing will be resolved.

However, 84 per cent of holidaymakers would be more understanding when it comes to delays or cancellations if the airlines were transparent about the issues they are encountering.

The sting of a disrupted journey

The knock-on impact of flight delays is also now causing holidaymakers to reconsider their travel plans. UK travellers said that if their flights were badly disrupted again this summer, they would reconsider the airline they use (26%), be more likely to opt for a staycation that didn’t require air travel (18%) and they’d consider alternative modes of transport (16%).

The research also indicated 31 per cent of passengers who have experienced flight delays or cancellations have received compensation for the problems they incurred. However, of  those who have, more than half (53 per cent) said it didn’t make up for missing out on the precious holiday time lost.

Philip Hinton, SVP at IBS Software, added: “Adverse weather, secondary delays and other operational issues are a daily challenge for airlines, but the industry can help regain confidence with passengers by using advanced technology to reduce the impact of disruptions in a faster and more effective way and to communicate clearly with the passengers.

The research shows a significant number of passengers would be more understanding with a delay if they were just kept in the loop. Too often the legacy IT systems that many airlines use can exacerbate delays.” Hinton added.

Click here for more information on IBS Software’s approach to optimising airline operations.