According to a survey from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passengers are relying on their smartphones to manage every stage of their journey, and travelers like the use of biometrics and digital identity processing.
In its 2025 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), IATA said those two trends are redefining the passenger travel experience.
“Passengers want to manage their travel the same way they manage many other aspects of their lives—on their smartphones and using digital ID,” Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Operations, Safety and Security, said. “As experience grows with digital processes from booking to baggage claim, the message that travelers are sending in this year’s GPS is clear: they like it, and they want more of it. There is an important caveat which is the need to continue building trust, so cybersecurity remains a priority. Cybersecurity must be core to the end-to-end digital transformation of how we book, pay, and experience air travel.”
The survey found that not only are booking and payment habits shifting to mobile channels. More than half (54 percent) of those surveyed said they want to deal directly with airlines, and that they are increasingly doing it through their mobile apps. Airline websites continue to be the most popular booking preference at 31 percent), but that option is down from 37 percent in 2024. Web apps are the preferred choice for 19 percent of travelers, up from 16 percent in 2024.
Payment options are also changing with digital wallet use increase from 20 percent in 2024 to 28 percent in 2025, and instant payment methods, like IATA Pay up from 6 percent in 2024 to 8 percent in 2025. Seventy-eight percent of travelers also want their smartphone to be a combination of digital wallet, digital passport, and loyalty cards for booking, pay and navigating airport processes.
The survey also found that half of those surveyed (50 percent) have used biometrics at some point in their airport journey, and 85 percent of those who have used it said they were happy with the experience. Seventy-five percent of travelers said they would be willing to share their biometric information if it meant not having to show a passport or boarding pass at checkpoints.
“Passengers are already using biometrics for different stages of their journey, from check-in to boarding,” Careen said. “But to make the international travel experience fully digital, governments need to start issuing digital passports and enable their secure recognition across borders. When that becomes common practice, travelers, governments, and airlines will all see the benefits of digital identity with an experience that is even more convenient, efficient, and secure.”