Bangkok--1 Jun--PRpedia
Thailand-based travellers value comfort, sleep and staying hydrated when flying
Expedia.co.th®, one of the world's largest full service online travel sites , released the results of the Expedia Sky Conduct Report, a worldwide study that examines the preferences and behaviours of flyers on a country-by-country basis. The study was conducted on behalf of Expedia by Northstar and asked 11,026 travellers across 22 countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in Southeast Asia a broad range of questions.
In Southeast Asia, the study showed a contrast between the preferences of flyers from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Given Thailand's central location within Southeast Asia, the study found that Thai-based flyers (79%) have flown up to five times over the past two years – for both business and leisure - compared to 65% of their peers from Singapore
Mr. Simon Fiquet, General Manager for South East Asia and India, Expedia said: "The study reflects that many Thai travellers are taking advantage of their country's central location and rich choice of destinations, both domestic and international, to travel. They also appear to be as technology fans in planes as they are in life: they cannot live without their mobile phones or their headphones, both items ranking above water! Those are important insights for Expedia, as we are continuously improving our Mobile web and app experiences and bringing more great deals on the site to allow Thai travellers to travel as much as possible during the year within their budget."
Thai flyers prioritise rest and recreation when flying
Thai study respondents were given a variety of activities and asked to select those they would be most likely to do. Of the top five choices, sleep came in tops with listening to music the second choice.
The top five activities selected by Thai fliers are:
• Sleep (57.1%)
• Listen to music (41.9%)
• Snack/eat (36.0%)
• Read a book/magazine/newspaper (31.7%)
• Surf Internet when WiFi is available (26.5%)
Specifically for a flight of 10+ hours, Thai respondents shared that they largely pass the time by sleeping (77%). 56% would use the in-flight entertainment system and 52% would eat.
Thai (16%) and Japan (12%) flyers are the least likely to wander around and stroll about the cabin versus flyers from the UK (45%) and US (39%).
Mobile devices are the most important in-flight item; beating water and alcohol
Expedia Sky Conduct Report respondents were offered a long list of items and asked to select five items that they felt they "could not live without" on a flight. Worldwide, the top five items are water, a meal, a phone/mobile device, headphones and magazines or newspapers.
However, Thai travellers shared that their mobile device and headphones were more important than water, with the items being selected by 54% and 37.9% respectively by respondents. Water came in as a third choice with only 37.2% of respondents selecting it as an important item.
Only 3% of respondents from Thailand say they could "not live without" an alcoholic beverage on board. Worldwide, Australians topped the list of in-flight alcohol fans at 14%.
Being comfortable and eating a full meal is more important than alcohol
The top amenity Thai travellers are willing to pay for - across all flight durations – is a wider seat. For extra-long haul flights, nearly 53% will pay for this amenity, versus 43% of their global peers. This seems to be the case regardless of flight duration, whether it's less than three hours (short haul) to more than 12 hours (extra-long haul).
"A full meal" was the most commonly chosen paid amenity among all flight types across all countries queried. 53% of Thai respondents would pay for that privilege especially for flights exceeding 12 hours, versus 54% of their global peers. As it relates to food, Thai travellers bring their passion to eat onto flights as well.
Thai flyers also largely abstain from drinking alcohol during their travel. Only 14% of respondents would pay for an alcoholic beverage versus 35% of their Mexican peers.
Baggage Fees, Carousels Avoided
69% of Thai travellers say they "avoid baggage fees at all costs," on par with the global average of 70%. 59% say they specifically pack lighter to avoid them. 63% of respondents avoid checking a bag so they will not have to wait at the baggage carousel. 51% do not check a bag out of fear it will be lost.