Released on: July 31, 2008, 8:54 pm

Press Release Author: Nay Phu Tran

Industry: Transportation & Logistics

Press Release Summary: Safety, affordable fares and a ban on mobile phone calls have topped the wish list for airline passengers in a survey by Australian online discount travel agent, Direct Flights International.

Press Release Body: Safety, affordable fares and a ban on mobile phone calls have topped the wish list for airline passengers in a survey by Australian online discount travel agent, Direct Flights International.

The online poll, conducted in June and July, 2008, found Australian travellers most wanted safe and cheap flights ahead of inflight frills when it came to booking overseas flights. But when onboard, they preferred watching movies, reading and eating ahead of working, talking and drinking.

Key findings of the website survey by Direct Flights:

Choosing an airline: 39 per cent of respondents said price was the most important factor in choosing an airline while a high 27 per cent nominated safety. Fifteen per cent were swayed by direct routes and six per cent selected frequent flyer programs. Only five per cent were influenced by service, three per cent by the aircraft type, just two per cent by food and a low one per cent said seat pitch was important.

Mobiles: Fifty eight per cent of respondents said they were opposed to mobile phone calls inflight while 42 per cent were for them. But 65 per cent of people were happy for mobile owners to use SMS inflight.

Inflight activity: Movies (37%), reading (21%) and eating (20%) topped the list of favourite inflight pastimes while listening to music was favoured by eight per cent of respondents, looking out the window by six per cent and drinking by five per cent. Talking, working and meditating were preferred by one per cent of respondents each.

Booking flights: Asked what was the most frustrating challenge in booking overseas travel, 31 per cent nominated the availability of affordable deals and 23 per cent said complicated online booking sites frustrated them the most. Waiting on the phone was hated most by 11 per cent of people, followed by travel agent service fees (9 %), lack of information (9%), insistence on credit card payments (7%) and too much information (4%).

Top Destinations: Asia (21% of respondents) topped the list of destinations Direct Flights website visitors most wanted to visit, followed by Europe (19%), North America (13%), NZ (10%), South Pacific (7%), South America and Africa (both 6%), Antarctica (5%) and the Middle East (3%).

Direct Flights is offering a new, discounted five-night holiday package in Phuket with Thai Airways from only $1443 per person from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and $1395 per person from Perth, including flight taxes. Visit www.directflights.com.au. Conditions apply.

Established in 1991, Direct Flights International is a leading Australian online travel agent offering a fast and easy-to-use method of booking low-cost flights and holiday packages in Australia and around the world. Travellers can pair flights with more than 45,000 hotels, 3000 car rental locations, hundreds of rail trips and tours and attractions in more than 300 destinations across the globe. And seven convenient online and offline methods of payment are provided, with credit cards just one option.

Web Site: http://www.directflights.com.au

Contact Details: Billing address:
G1, 37 Bligh Street,
Sydney, NSW, 2000. Australia

Email: nay@directflights.com.au

Phone: 612 8222 1212