Almost two thirds of South African travellers expect to find free Wi-Fi in the airports they pass through.
In a survey of 6,000 people, online flight-booking specialist Travelstart asked respondents what they thought airports should introduce to improve their services. It found that 65 per cent think wireless connectivity should be mandatory, compared to just 47 per cent who would like to see more sleeping areas, techcentral.co.za reports.
Completing the top five were free gate transport services, which were mentioned by 39 per cent of respondents, shower facilities (27 per cent) and kids’ playrooms (23 per cent).
In its report, Travelstart says that all facilities operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) currently offer wireless connectivity, but added that most users were unhappy with the complimentary allowance of 30 minutes.
The top ten suggestions also included a health spa (12 per cent), cinema (11 per cent) and games room (nine per cent). According to a company spokesperson, these ideas aren’t too farfetched: “While these aspirations might seem outlandish, they become less bizarre when you consider some of the weirdest airport features around the world, such as Munich Airport, which houses a wave pool much like the one at Durban’s Gateway Theatre of Shopping.”
The survey also asked travellers about their biggest annoyances, for which 72 per cent cited parking fees and 51 per cent mentioned poor luggage handling, businesstech.co.za reports.
