What you need to know

After a strong 2013, the UK airline market saw further growth in 2014. Passengers uplifted from UK airports reached 220.3 million in 2014, up 4.6% from the previous year. The market has finally outperformed pre-recession levels; 2014 figures are up by 2.9% on 2008, as favourable economic conditions encourage both consumers and business travellers to venture overseas. In addition, low oil prices, fuel-efficient aircraft and competition between full-service carriers (FSCs) and low-cost carriers (LCCs) have driven an increase in passenger uplift.

Half of consumers (51%) purchase seats directly via airline websites; however, there is still significant competition in the form of online travel agents. Mintel’s research also finds that passengers are most willing to share their hyper-sensitive data (eg social media activity, income, online search activity) for personalised discounted travel offers, loyalty points towards free services and products and rapid tailored in-flight services (eg serving them their favourite food or drink). Once a passenger’s sensitive data is secured, airlines can segment individual consumers and tailor offers based on their social class and income, delivering a more personalised in-flight experience.

Scope of the report

This report analyses market trends, leading airline brands and innovations and features detailed consumer analysis, including: types of flight taken, flight destinations, booking procedures, attitudes towards data sharing and attitudes towards flight services. Please see Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information section for detailed definitions of the different types of airline and holiday.

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