Unily, the world’s first AI-native employee experience platform, recently conducted a study to find out passengers’ biggest frustrations when it comes to air travel. And, as the FAA continues to hire more employees to reduce airport delays, this new data reveals this may not even be passengers’ biggest headache.

Unily found 65 percent of travelers say communication is their top expectation when it comes to air travel, taking priority over everything else. Only about 26 percent of passengers receive timely updates during major disruptions, while about 39 percent receive no proactive notice at all. While 43 percent of passengers have already booked travel this year, only 16 percent say travel has improved from previous trips.

Additionally, the survey found nearly two-thirds of travelers reported feeling disconnected from travel information during their journey, and 38 percent said they have encountered conflicting information from different sources.

These findings, according to Unily, reflect a direct relation to how staff is treated and how passengers are treated. The study found around 88 percent of passengers believe how staff is treated directly affects how passengers are treated.

According to the study, “This means passengers aren’t noticing any improvements to their experience, which means there’s no clear reason for hesitant travelers to change their minds and no strong reason for existing customers to feel loyal…Focusing on employee experience is what’s going to give airlines the customer experience that sets them apart.”

Only about 18 percent of staff are seen as fully equipped with the real-time information they need to help passengers in the moment. In fact, about 65 percent of passengers say frontline staff need more training, while just 15 percent believe current training is fully adequate. The study also noted flight attendants have the biggest impact according to 58 percent of passengers, followed closely by airport staff (at 53 percent).

These findings reveal passengers desire consistent information, whether it’s looking at an app, listening to a gate announcement or asking a member of staff.

“Growth in aviation won’t come from adding another channel or rolling out another app,” Unily said in the study. “It’ll come from better connecting people, information, and the moments that matter most to passengers. The airlines that figure that out first will be the ones that pull ahead.”

Data comes from Unily’s survey of 1,000 Americans ages 18 and up. See the full study here.

What are your thoughts on these findings? What is the most important expectation to you when flying? What do you think airlines and airports could do better to improve communication with passengers? Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.