Flight Amenity Data: 5 Booking Boosters for 2025

In 2025, competing on price alone no longer cuts it for Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) in Europe and beyond. Today’s air travelers—especially business passengers and long-haul flyers—are seeking comfort, reliability, and seamless travel experiences.

This blog shares five key strategies for OTAs. These strategies can help boost conversion rates and increase profits. They focus on using enriched flight amenity data and the Flight Happiness Index.

Key Takeaways
· Traveler Priorities Have Shifted: Price and schedule are no longer the only drivers. The modern passenger values comfort, well-being, and reliability—elements that directly affect their overall travel experience.

· Granular amenity data is important. Details such as seat space, entertainment options, Wi-Fi speed, and meal choices assist travelers. This information helps them book the right flight.

· Data Builds Trust and Loyalty: Transparency with enriched information earns long-term loyalty and justifies premium pricing.

· Reliability still matters: We must integrate on-time performance, a foundational metric, with comfort data.

· Commercial ROI: Adding advanced data to travel platforms improves the passenger experience. It also helps increase revenue each year.

1. Rethinking Value: Travel Experiences Over Transactions

Traditional OTA models focus heavily on price and schedule. But in today’s aviation industry, this minimal information fails to address what truly matters: the passenger experience. A growing segment of flyers—especially in the United States and Europe—wants to feel well during the flight. That means asking questions like:

· Will I have space to stretch?
· Can I stay productive or entertained?
· Will my child have access to meals they’ll eat?

Adding flight amenity data to the booking process helps answer these questions. This change turns your platform from a simple marketplace into a travel experience advisor.

2. Introducing the Flight Happiness Index (FHI)

The Flight Happiness Index quantifies in-flight comfort. This composite score draws on seat pitch, entertainment systems, aircraft type, Wi-Fi availability, and flight on-time performance. For OTAs and travel platforms, offering the FHI alongside price and schedule provides a more complete view.

By simplifying complex data into a clear rating, the FHI empowers travelers to make smarter choices. It also signals that your platform focuses on user well-being, an important trust factor in the travel industry.

3. Amenity Data That Drives Decision-Making

Not all flights or seats are equal. A basic listing that says "Economy" doesn’t help a traveler understand what they’re getting. Here’s what enriched flight amenity data looks like:

Enriched Amenity Data

Seat 
Economy: 31" pitch, 17.5" width, 5" recline. 
(In addition, organize flight amenity data by cabin class: Economy, Business, and First. This will show the different needs and comfort levels of each passenger group.)

Layout
Not listed. 3-4-3 seat map with lavatories and galley marked. 

Wi-Fi
Yes. Satellite-based, no streaming, from €8.99. 

Power 
Not specified. Shared AC and personal USB-A port. 

Meal
Included. Chicken or pasta hot meal, vegan pre-order option. 

Entertainment 
Personal screen: 9" HD touchscreen with 150+ movies.

This level of detail helps air travelers weigh what matters most to them—whether it’s working in-flight or watching movies. That clarity improves passenger satisfaction and supports upsells.

4. The Moral Case for Seat Maps

A detailed seat map isn’t just a planning tool—it’s part of the booking experience. When your map includes real data (like noisy seats near galleys or bulkhead seats with extra legroom), it builds trust.

Example:

· Seat 12C: Aisle, extra legroom, non-reclining.
· Seat 24A: Window, near galley, limited recline.

When air travelers know exactly what to expect, they’re more likely to complete bookings and return to platforms they trust.

5. Balancing Comfort and Reliability

Great seating and flight entertainment don’t mean much if the plane is constantly delayed. That’s why it’s essential to integrate flight on-time performance (OTP) data.

OTP helps:

· Business travelers pick flights that align with meetings.
· Families reduce travel stress.
· OTAs deliver reliable travel options.
Together, OTP and comfort metrics offer a complete booking experience, where performance and passenger comfort align.

How to Integrate This Data

Modern APIs, such as those from VariFlight DataWorks, provide:
· Real-time amenity data
· Flight Happiness Index scores
· Seat map overlays
· On-time performance history

These APIs are easy to integrate into your current platforms. They help you stand out in the busy online travel agency market.

Conclusion: Travel Platforms Must Evolve

For OTAs and TMCs, flight amenity data is no longer optional. It's the new baseline for delivering personalized, meaningful travel experiences. When integrated thoughtfully, this information:

· Builds trust
· Enhances booking value
· Drives user retention
· Grows year-over-year revenue

In a market that demands more than just cheap flights, your data strategy is your brand strategy.

Learn more about DataWorks Flight Happiness Index

FAQs

Q: What is the Flight Happiness Index?
A: A composite score evaluating in-flight comfort based on factors like seat pitch, entertainment, aircraft age, and punctuality.

Q: Why should I care about enriched amenity data?
A: It empowers your users to choose flights that align with their needs—improving satisfaction and driving bookings.

Q: Is the seat map really that important?
A: Yes. A detailed map engages users, supports ancillary revenue, and shows that your platform is transparent.

Q: Is on-time performance still relevant?
A: Absolutely. A great seat is meaningless if the plane is consistently late.

Q: How hard is it to integrate this data?
A: APIs like VariFlight’s are built for seamless integration, making it simple to add to your system.

References
EUROCONTROL. (2025). *Performance Review Report 2024*. Retrieved from [Link]

- UK Civil Aviation Authority. (2023). *Aviation Consumer Survey* & *Punctuality Statistics*. Retrieved from [Link]

- VariFlight DataWorks. (2025). *Flight Happiness Index & Amenities API*. Retrieved from [Link]  

- Skytrax. (2024/2025). *World Airline Awards Rankings*. Retrieved from [Link]