heathrow

A new mobile travel report by technology company Kayak has revealed that 32% of UK citizens prefer using a smart device to check-in at airports.

Kayak asked 1,000 people who made more than two return flights a year and 62% of surveyed passengers that would prefer mobile check-ins were among the 18yr – 24yr age group.

The findings show that passengers have moved towards smart check-in options owing to difficulties and negative experiences when checking-in with paper tickets, which might soon render traditional travel documents obsolete.

"Consumers rely on their smart devices in every area of their lives and travelling is no different."

Travellers cited reliability, convenience and environmental concerns as the key reasons for the shift.

Approximately 44% of people said that forgetting a printed boarding pass was a concern, while 35% said they had higher chances of losing a printed copy of a boarding pass than their smart device.

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38% of travellers preferred digital check-in as it frees them from printing, while 36% cited environmental concerns for the shift.

However, only 36% of passengers said that they had a desire to entirely move away from traditional printed airport check-in methods.

The report found that the most common issue was losing a boarding pass, affecting 14% of travellers, whereas12% feared forgetting to print their boarding passes and 11% don’t have the opportunity or means to print.

The print quality of their self-printed boarding pass hindered the journey of 6% people.

These difficulties have led to two out of five travellers (42%) to be fined an average of £51 a person.

Kayak said that several budget airlines currently charge passengers for replacing documents, with Ryanair demanding £15 if a passenger arrives at the airport without the printed check-in documents and £70 for checking-in at the airport.

The survey found that 57% of travellers believed that fines over forgotten or lost boarding passes are unfair.

Kayak regional managing director for UK, Ireland and the Nordics Loella Pehrsson said: "In today’s fast-paced world remembering to print and keep track of boarding passes and reservations can be an inconvenience to travellers, especially when they have a device in their pocket which can do the job for them.

Consumers rely on their smart devices in every area of their lives and travelling is no different."


Image: Terminal 2 check-in at Heathrow International Airport. Photo: courtesy of Heathrow Airports Limited.