According to a recent TripAdvisor(TM) survey of more than 2,300 travelers worldwide, 35 percent of respondents cited a clean and roomy bathroom as the most important comfort feature on board a flight, while 27 percent selected a clean blanket or pillow as their top priority. When asked what luxury they would be most likely to pay for, comfort was crucial as 54 percent of respondents picked larger seats and better legroom, and the second choice was a bed.

It seems travelers are also health conscious. Bottled water was the most valued complimentary food or beverage, and fruits and vegetables was the second favorite option. When it comes to entertainment on board, a video screen at every seat was the most important feature, according to 47 percent of travelers.

British Airways serves the best food, according to the worldwide panel, while Singapore Airlines was second for in-flight cuisine. American Airlines was chosen for serving the worst food. If travelers could select a restaurant chain to cater their next flight, the top choice (19 percent) was the Panera Bread Company. Travelers chose Starbucks (29 percent) as their favorite in-flight coffee brand.

When asked which airline offers the best amenities overall, British Airways finished number one worldwide, followed by Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines. Ryanair, Southwest and easyJet were named worst for in-flight amenities.

"Travelers aren't asking for much. According to this survey, airlines should forget about the latest bells and whistles and get back to the basics, like clean bathrooms and comfortable seating," said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor(TM).

  Top Five Comfort Features:
  1. Clean and roomy bathroom
  2. Clean blanket/pillow
  3. Noise-canceling headphones
  4. Toiletry kits
  5. Anti-germ products

  Top Five Entertainment Features:
  1. Video screen at every seat
  2. On-demand movies
  3. Internet access
  4. Magazines
  5. Real-time satellite TV

  Top Five Complimentary Food/Beverage Choices:
  1. Bottled water
  2. Fruits and vegetables
  3. Wine
  4. Cheese and crackers
  5. Soda

  Top Five Luxuries Travelers Would Be Willing to Pay For:
  1. Larger seats and better legroom
  2. A bed
  3. Gourmet cuisine
  4. Massages
  5. Gourmet coffee

  Top Five Airlines for Best Amenities Overall:
  1. British Airways
  2. Virgin Atlantic
  3. Singapore Airlines
  4. Cathay Pacific
  5. Emirates

  Five Worst Airlines for Amenities Overall:
  1. Ryanair
  2. Southwest
  3. easyJet
  4. American
  5. Delta

  About TripAdvisor LLC

TripAdvisor.com(TM) is the largest global travel information and advice destination on the web, with more than 4 million unbiased reviews and opinions and covering 200,000+ hotels and attractions. With nearly 19 million unique monthly visitors worldwide (source: comScore Media Metrix, January 2006), TripAdvisor(TM) features real advice from real travelers and easy access to major online travel sites, including Expedia.com(R), Orbitz, Hotels.com(R) and American Airlines, for great deals. TripAdvisor(TM), which operates sites in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/) and in the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/) provides travel suppliers a graphical advertising and cost-per-click marketing platform. Winner of dozens of awards, including PC Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites and Forbes Best of the Web, TripAdvisor(TM) is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. .

"TripAdvisor" and "TripAdvisor.com" are trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: TripAdvisor