88% of passengers at São Paulo Airport want self-boarding

Nearly 90% of passengers using São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport would like to use self-boarding, according to a recently published survey of passengers at airports around the world. This interest, along with a high demand for new self-service baggage services, was among the key findings of the annual SITA/ATW Passenger Self-Service Survey undertaken at the airport, which handles around 30 million passengers each year. The desire for self-boarding has risen by 66% since the 2011 survey.

Transferring to another flight is the main cause of stress among São Paulo passengers and 86% are interested in using self-service kiosks to transfer flights, a jump from 65% last year. The results of this year’s survey indicate that passengers welcome self-services that will ease their journey.

Interestingly, passengers at São Paulo have a higher level of interest in new baggage services than the global averages from the six leading airports surveyed. Some 88% would like to receive real-time baggage information on their mobile phones; 79% would print their own bag tags in contrast to a global average of 68%; and 69% would use self-service bag drop. In the unfortunate case of their bag being mishandled, a remarkable 92% would like to file a report at a kiosk and 83% would be interested to do so using their mobile phone. The demand is there, but only 17% currently use a staffed bag-drop and a mere 1% use self bag-drop, showing huge scope for growth in this area.

Elbson Quadros, Account Director, SITA, speaking at the Airport Infrastructure Investors Forum in São Paulo, said: “In the year since our last survey, the use of self-service check-in has more than doubled at São Paulo Guarulhos; 35% of passengers now use it, up from just 13% last year. Passengers want to use self-service across multiple channels – kiosk, web and mobile – meaning airlines and airports can use self-service to enhance the airport experience, particularly when facing capacity and infrastructure constraints. Of the six airports in the survey, the highest self-service check-in rate recorded was 85%, which shows that there is the potential for increased adoption in São Paulo.”

It is no surprise that mobile services are popular at this airport; 99% of passengers surveyed were carrying a mobile phone and just over half of these passengers had smartphones. More than 80% of passengers surveyed are interested in using their phone to search for flights and receiving flight updates, while 82% would like to use their phones to help navigate the airport.

Quadros, added: “SITA works with airports and airlines to help improve the passenger experience and this survey gives a unique insight into passenger needs. We have learned from our work around the world, that once self-service is widely available and well-promoted, the public respond with enthusiasm. We expect the rise in the use of self-service to continue over the coming years as São Paulo Guarulhos grows and more services are made available.”

These findings are from the seventh annual SITA/ATW Passenger Self-Service Survey, carried out among a sample of the 280 million passengers who pass through six of the world’s leading airport hubs: Abu Dhabi International; Beijing Capital International; Frankfurt International; Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta; Chhatrapati Shivaji International, Mumbai; and Guarulhos International, São Paulo. The survey included 2,526 passengers from more than 70 countries.

More information on this and other SITA surveys can be found at www.sita.aero/surveys-reports.