Travellers are overwhelmed by too many choices: study

A new study suggests that travellers are overwhelmed when booking trips due to a newfound proliferation of offers.

Travelport, a global technology company, released its 2024 State of Modern Retailing Report on Monday (July 22), saying that 58 per cent of travellers feel overwhelmed by too many choices.

Meanwhile, 56 per cent of travellers say airline offers are more difficult to understand now than they were 10 years ago; 71 per cent of travellers feel anxious about whether they got the best deal after they’ve booked their trip; and 88 per cent of travellers would prefer to see all flight options and fares on one screen.

The study, it should be noted, did not involve Canadian respondents.

The research sample consisted of 1,659 consumers from Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States that have taken at least one or more flights for business or leisure within the last 12 months.

At any rate, the report asserts that searching and booking travel directly from travel providers has become more time-consuming and complicated than ever.

“Despite travel providers favouring direct-to-consumer connections, the sheer volume of options is overwhelming to travelers, making them less confident in their booking choices,” said Jen Catto, chief marketing officer at Travelport, in a press release.

“Our research found that instead of feeling excited after booking a trip, most travelers are left feeling anxious, wondering if they got the best deal. For the travel industry, this signals a growing need and opportunity for travel agencies. Their expertise in comparison shopping aids travelers in confidently booking the best option, based on their personal preferences.”

More choice leaves travellers feeling overwhelmed

Travelport estimates that air travel options have gone from about 500 economy/ business options available in 2010 to over 10,000 options in 2024 (economy, economy plus, flexi-family, business, first, etc.). That’s a 1,900 per cent increase.

The majority of travellers (58 per cent) feel that the volume of choice is overwhelming while 56 per cent say that airline offers are more difficult to understand now than they were10 years ago.

61 per cent of travellers also believe there are more penalties now when changing a flight than there were 10 years ago, with 66 per cent citing that there are too many hidden fees.

Most (71 per cent) sometimes feel anxious about whether they got the best deal after they’ve booked their trip, with 42 per cent feeling like airline offers have become ‘less suitable’ over time in meeting their personal preferences.

According to the study, most travellers (80 per cent) agree that comparing fares from different airlines is very time-consuming, with more than two-thirds (69 per cent) feeling that information is often restricted on some airline booking sites.

When it comes to shopping for all components of their trip, 60 per cent said they spend an average of one to four hours planning, while more than one-third (36 per cent) spend more than five hours searching and comparing options before booking.

Most respondents (88 per cent) agree they would prefer to see all flight options and fares on one screen, which is likely the reason that more than half (54 per cent) said they frequently use a comparison site to search for information before purchasing their ticket.

The majority of Millennial (70 per cent) and Gen X (64 per cent) travellers often use online travel agencies (OTAs) to book, citing choice and price transparency as the primary reasons.

Travellers are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) to provide more than just a chatbot, and agencies will increasingly rely on their technology partners to implement AI and ML (machine learning) in creative ways, such as Travelport’s Content Curation Layer.

The amenities that matter

When booking flights, respondents said that luggage allowance (63 per cent), cancellation and change policies (50 per cent) and seat selection (50 per cent) are the most important factors to compare, the study shows.

Most travellers (63 per cent) also stated that they feel airlines do not put the customer first when it comes to customer servicing matters (flight cancellations, exchanges, etc.)

The hotel features that were cited as most important to travelers were Wi-Fi availability (48 per cent), complimentary breakfast options (47 per cent), and hotel facilities (45 per cent).

International insights

Dynamic pricing and offers among U.S.-based airlines could be complicating the retailing experience for American travellers, as more U.S. respondents (49 per cent) feel shopping for flights takes more time than comparing hotels (40 per cent), car rentals (8 per cent) and restaurants (3 per cent).

Additionally, more U.S. travellers (47 per cent) feel like airline offers are not customized to their needs, compared to travelers from Germany (34 per cent), South Africa (35 per cent) and the U.K. (45 per cent).

Unlike American respondents, hotel shopping is the more time-consuming experience for travelers from Germany (52 per cent), South Africa (54 per cent) and the UK (59 per cent).

“Travel providers are continually refining and expanding their offerings to fit their customers unique needs and preferences,” Catto stated. “Prioritizing partnerships with agencies will ensure a truly personalized service to their travellers. That will make the shopping experience seamless for all.”

To read the 2024 State of Modern Retailing report, click here.

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