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.
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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.
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.
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.
