Extensive new research has identified the key behavioural patterns that will shape passenger spending trends on major airlines in 2025 and beyond. Feeling valued, moments of pleasure and novelty were the most important overarching motivations influencing passenger’s airline choice.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – A new in-depth study, conducted by London-based brand experience studio NewTerritory, has uncovered key passenger behavioural patterns that will shape airline spending trends in 2025 and beyond, with feeling valued, moments of pleasure, and novelty emerging as top factors influencing passengers’ choice of airline. The research, grounded in behavioural science, surveyed over 250 passengers who travelled in the past 12 months across five major international airlines. During over 400 hours of quantitative research the NewTerritory team engaged with participants, analysing 16* defined attributes across four groups, to identify how airline brands can establish repeat purchasing behaviour amongst their customer base.
Feeling valued was found to have one of the strongest links to passenger spending behaviour, with 73 per cent of respondents believing empathy to be the most meaningful way for brands to achieve this – specifically, airlines understanding and addressing the negative impacts of the journey, such as fatigue, jet lag and the emotional toll of travel on passenger wellbeing.
Furthermore, 49 per cent of passengers felt that personalised moments were also influential in their decision making, citing examples like a personal greeting from the pilot, a customised note from the crew, or a tailored menu catering to dietary preferences as important in influencing who they choose to fly with.
Brands finding ways to make the journey more pleasurable for passengers has also emerged as another key driver behind passenger choice, with 66 per cent of respondents finding that this can be achieved through unexpected moments of delight during a monotonous flight. While 55 per cent linked how differentiated the overall experience feels, as having an influence on their decision making.
The study’s most striking discovery is the diminishing impact of traditional trust and reliability factors on spending behaviour. Contrary to long-standing industry assumptions, trust and reliability are much less likely to influence repeat purchase when it comes to the major airlines.
NewTerritory founder, Luke Miles.
Former head of design for Virgin and NewTerritory founder, Luke Miles, is calling for airlines to embrace a new era in air travel design and customer experience, warning that this is essential if they are to survive and prosper in 2025 and beyond.
“Airline carriers must adapt their in-flight experience to keep pace with what customers are now demanding – a differentiated, human-centred journey that makes them feel like a valued customer. Carriers that want to win in the future need to put their passengers’ emotions and feelings at the heart of their business model. The ability to make passengers feel genuinely valued, will make or break major airlines in the future.
“We need to think of air travel as a hospitality experience – much like we think of high-end hotels. Just as we dine and sleep in a hotel, passengers expect a similar level of care and comfort in the sky. To survive and thrive, airlines must re-prioritise a hospitality-first approach, where human emotions and feelings form the foundation of the experience.”
NewTerritory is the brand experience partner for Delta Air Lines and has just completed a five-year project for its cabin redesign which will be initially rolled out this month and then across its fleet from early 2025. It features a new lighting system that has been designed to suit each phase of the flight, meaning customers will feel well-grounded and better adjusted to their time zone, as well as new soft and breathable fabrics to better regulate temperature and help passengers feel at home.
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