OAG: Nearly 70% of travellers plan to fly internationally within next 6 months

Travel data company OAG said Tuesday (6 October) that recent data it collected showed 69 percent intend to fly internationally within the next six months, while 79 percent have plans for domestic air travel. The eagerness to travel is more apparent among millennials and Gen-Z, OAG said, with both generations less apt to make travel adjustments and more eager to travel domestically compared to their worldwide counterparts. Nearly one-third have not and do not intend to change their travel habits. A very quiet Changi Airport in Singapore on 12 August. (PHOTO: Matt Driskill) Seventy-six percent of travellers agreed mask mandates are the most effective safety measure airlines and airports can implement, followed by improved cleaning procedures. “Most consumers, especially younger travellers, are prepared to fly under the right circumstances,” said John Grant, chief analyst at OAG. “The lack of fear is certainly surprising and bodes well for the market recovery. Of course, full recovery will be driven by how well we fight the pandemic globally and when travel restrictions are safely lifted.” Some airlines like Emirates are already testing passengers before departure. (PHOTO: Emirates) On a 10-point scale, more than half of consumers rate concerns over catching COVID-19 while travelling less than five, with 21 percent indicating no fear. Still, OAG found that sharing real-time information remains critical for building traveller confidence, even before the airport. For example, during the search and booking process, most consumers would value real-time updates and predictions around flight and hotel capacity (61 percent), and COVID-19 transmission rates at intended destinations (53 percent). For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]