Travellers would swap in-flight perks for cheaper plane tickets: survey

Given the choice, airline passengers would give up free food and in-flight entertainment for cheaper fares, according to a new survey.

Travelmole reports that the online travel agency On the Beach quizzed 1,000 people about what they would and would not be willing to pay for.

They found that 43% would prefer lower fares to free food and drink and 40% said they'd be willing to ditch the onboard entertainment for cheaper flights.

More than a quarter (27%) said they would endure non-reclining seats and 5% would be happy to sit in smaller seats for lower fares.

However, only 3% said they would sit on a plastic seat for a cheaper flight and just 2% felt they could do without an onboard loo.

The biggest waste of money, according to passengers, is the complimentary in-flight magazine, with 57% suggesting these should be ditched in favour of lower fares.

Conversely, the main item people would be willing to pay more for is wifi - a top pick of 22%; whereas 11% said they'd pay to use complimentary iPads on board.