Air passengers call for more retail opportunities and slicker online checkout
New survey data from travel tech company IBS Software, reveals 93 per cent of UK and US consumers would book more services with airlines given the chance – representing a…
New survey data from travel tech company IBS Software, reveals 93 per cent of UK and US consumers would book more services with airlines given the chance – representing a huge opportunity for airlines.
The study, which looked into UK and US airline passengers’ expectations of airlines, shows that following a challenging period of travel uncertainty, passenger confidence is recovering with 83 per cent of respondents planning to purchase tickets in the next six months.
However, the research also points to airlines’ failings to maximise this opportunity with over a third (36 per cent) of those asked stating that booking a flight online is more time consuming and complicated than other online retail experiences.
Shopping experience
As many as 56 per cent of recent flyers would buy additional services from an airline if the booking and checkout online shopping experience was closer to that of fashion retailers and online food shops. One in 10 said they would book all elements of a holiday with their airline if they could.
Nearly a quarter of people (24 per cent) surveyed think the main benefit of booking multiple elements of their trip in one transaction would be having all confirmation details in one place, closely followed by saving money (22 per cent), and having one provider to deal with if something goes wrong (19 per cent).
Paul Byrne, VP iFly Retail at IBS Software: “As more and more industries invest in Amazon-esque tactics to compete for consumer spend, it’s important airlines don’t pass up the opportunity on the table.
“It’s always challenging transforming back-end technology but now is the time to build more personalised relationships with your customers – in a difficult economic climate, can you afford not to?”
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