Cheapflights boss says type of aircraft as important as price and destination in search

The boss of flight comparison website Cheapflights.co.uk says travellers now value the type of aircraft they fly on as much as the destination, convenience and price of their flight. Andrew Shelton said the introduction of Boeing’s Dreamliner 787 on Qantas’ … Continue reading →

The boss of flight comparison website Cheapflights.co.uk says travellers now value the type of aircraft they fly on as much as the destination, convenience and price of their flight.

Andrew Shelton said the introduction of Boeing’s Dreamliner 787 on Qantas’ direct flights from London Heathrow to Perth had highlighted the “benefits” of modern aircraft.

Cheapflights’ managing director added: “The Dreamliner has opened up a whole new skyborne experience with a host of attractive benefits offered as standard such as up to three inches more legroom in economy class, depending on the configuration; personal device holders; USB ports and high-definition entertainment touch screens at each seat.

“When All Nippon Airways (ANA) introduced the first Dreamliners in 2010, the new jet rapidly gained a global reputation for offering a far superior in-flight experience.

Now, over a dozen airlines, including British Airways, Thomson Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer Dreamliners to and from the UK and more and more Brits will experience a Dreamliner flight in 2017 as airlines’ orders are delivered.

“At the same time that travellers are turning more to mobile devices to search and book flight, they are increasingly clued up as to the benefits of which type of aircraft they are flying on.

So while destination, convenience and price remain the most important factors when searching for flights, they’ll now also consider the aircraft type they expect to be travelling on, especially on long-haul flights when a more pleasant cabin – and reduction in jetlag – can be make or break for a happy holiday.”