With Spring Break causing droves of student travelers in and out of airports this month, and impending family holidays such as Easter and Passover causing hectic traffic on the road and at the airport, delays and long lines are inevitable.  Airlines and airports have an opportunity to drive incremental revenue and loyalty by helping younger travelers – many of whom place higher value on mobile shopping and loyalty programs – make the most of this downtime.  According to our 2014 NCR Traveler Experience Survey, millennial travelers (ages 18-24) are the most willing of all age groups to spend their money before or during their flights if targeted incentives are offered through convenient methods (e.g., mobile phone or kiosk).

According to the survey, U.S. travelers ages 18-24:

• 68% of millennial travelers would prefer an airline that offered the ability to purchase items such as seat upgrades, checked baggage fees, inflight meals, inflight entertainment, Wi-Fi and duty free goods on their mobile devices or self-service kiosks over an airline that does not.
• 77% of millennial travelers would make an airport-related purchase (e.g. parking, meals, souvenirs, reading materials or spa service) on their mobile device or self-service kiosk.
• 51% of millennial travelers are willing to provide personal information in order to receive more relevant offers tailored to their location and preferences (such as a discount at their favorite airport restaurants or retailer) while traveling, as opposed to only 19% of travelers ages 65+ that are willing to share this information.
• 77% of millennial travelers would like to be able to use frequent flyer or loyalty points for airport purchases.
• 70% of millennial travelers would like to view and purchase items from airport retailers through a self-service kiosk or mobile device and have them delivered directly to their destination.

Airlines and airports have a significant opportunity to connect with their millennial customers throughout the journey, from when they first book their flight to when they reach their final destination.  With solutions like Travel Marketplace, airlines and airports can now meet these traveler requirements and extend access to products and services through any channel, at any point throughout the journey.

To view our complete 2014 NCR Traveler Experience survey results, please click here.