Mobile and Technology

A survey has indicated that smart phones are becoming a traveller’s preferred tool for managing post-booking activities and getting relevant information.

Published: 11 Nov 2009

A survey has indicated that smart phones are becoming a traveller’s preferred tool for managing post-booking activities and getting relevant information.

As per the findings a global mobile survey of travellers, conducted by Sabre Travel Network, this trend has seemingly penetrated all ages across all continents, highlighting the tremendous opportunity for travel agencies and suppliers to leverage mobile solutions to demonstrate value to their customers and creatively reach target audiences.

The majority of travellers surveyed had a smart phone (69 percent), with North American travellers most likely to own one (78 percent) and APAC travellers least likely (46 percent).

Daily usage is highest for email at 63 percent with Internet not far behind at 49 percent. The study also found that nearly half of all travellers (47 percent) are 40 years old or older, demonstrating that the exploding use of mobile services is not strictly the domain of younger travellers.

Corporate and leisure travellers both showed strong adoption for using their mobile phone to gain timely and relevant information, in particular for: Flight notification (72 percent), weather forecasts (68 percent), viewing of hotel locations via map (67 percent), flight performance (65 percent) and destination information/city guides (64 percent).

Regional trends

Europeans are ranked ahead of North Americans and travellers in APAC in potential adoption of select features:

• • 71 percent of Europeans are interested in using their mobile device to check in for flights, compared to 64 percent of North Americans.
  • 64 percent of Europeans would like to select/change seats via their smart phone, higher than the 59 percent of North Americans.
  • 55 percent of Europeans would use their mobile device to track their baggage, against 45 percent of North Americans.
  • 54 percent of Europeans would like to use their smart phones to book flight upgrades, compared to 44 percent of North Americans.
• • 71 percent of Europeans are interested in using their mobile device to check in for flights, compared to 64 percent of North Americans.
  • 64 percent of Europeans would like to select/change seats via their smart phone, higher than the 59 percent of North Americans.
  • 55 percent of Europeans would use their mobile device to track their baggage, against 45 percent of North Americans.
  • 54 percent of Europeans would like to use their smart phones to book flight upgrades, compared to 44 percent of North Americans.

• • 71 percent of Europeans are interested in using their mobile device to check in for flights, compared to 64 percent of North Americans.
  • 64 percent of Europeans would like to select/change seats via their smart phone, higher than the 59 percent of North Americans.
  • 55 percent of Europeans would use their mobile device to track their baggage, against 45 percent of North Americans.
  • 54 percent of Europeans would like to use their smart phones to book flight upgrades, compared to 44 percent of North Americans.
• • 71 percent of Europeans are interested in using their mobile device to check in for flights, compared to 64 percent of North Americans.
  • 64 percent of Europeans would like to select/change seats via their smart phone, higher than the 59 percent of North Americans.
  • 55 percent of Europeans would use their mobile device to track their baggage, against 45 percent of North Americans.
  • 54 percent of Europeans would like to use their smart phones to book flight upgrades, compared to 44 percent of North Americans.

Open to advertising

All travellers surveyed are willing to accept advertising with free use of travel applications. For example, 28 percent of Road Warriors said they preferred free applications with advertising, versus eight percent who preferred to pay for the application. Leisure travellers had a similar spread, with 22 percent preferring free with advertising versus five percent preferring to pay. In Europe, 14 percent of respondents preferred free with advertising versus five who prefer to pay.

“There’s been a lot of experimentation with pay-for-services in the past. With advertising emerging as a more palatable choice for travelers, application providers and retailers now have a way of monetising their offering and driving more value out of a potentially lucrative marketing channel,” said Greg Webb, chief marketing officer of Sabre Holdings.