Thanks to social media and dozens of online review sites, it takes merely a few seconds to tell several hundred people across the globe how their trip was. And, these opinions tend to influence other users while booking a flight or hotel.
image resource: pmmtravelconsulting.com
Affordable rates and arriving at the destination on time are no longer the only criteria that set an airline or B2B travel company apart from their competitors. Global travel companies need to find newer ways to delight customers and make their trip a memorable one.
- Air travelers look for actionable data
Users understand that travel does come with a level of uncertainty, but are no longer blindly accepting the industry’s laid back status quo lack of proper communication. Travelers get frustrated when they are kept in dark about problems than the problem itself.
Frequent fliers expect transparent, robust and real-time updates that improve their travel experience. According to the IATA, 81 per cent travelers want to be able to track their bags even during the flight and 93 per cent of them expect real-time flight status updates to be available. Several airlines provide location as well as context aware interactions that are useful to flyer’s.
- Online travel industry are using data to provide customized travel experiences
Today, consumers assume and expect that every single trip will be personalized to Amazon levels. Millennial s expect that their preferences are not just stored, but also applied to their future interactions. Itineraries, GPS locations, travel history, weather, and social media profiles can help online travel industry get insights into their customers travel habits and offer them customized bundles. For example, an airline can use the data from loyalty programs to determine whether a frequent traveler is traveling alone or with family and offer them appropriate services.
These are just two of the many trends that are changing the way a B2B travel company is marketing their services.
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