A study in the US has indicated that 43 percent of consumers would feel comfortable spending $200 or less when booking travel on a mobile device.

Published: 01 Aug 2011

A study in the US has indicated that 43 percent of consumers would feel comfortable spending $200 or less when booking travel on a mobile device.

According to mobile ad network Mojiva’s study, 64 percent consumers would be most comfortable spending $500 or less than when booking travel on their mobile device.

The two-month (May-June 2011) study was conducted by InsightExpress, a digital marketing research firm, and it polled more than 180 random users on the Mojiva network who completed the survey.

As per the study, summer season is the most popular one for mobile users to travel, with more than 79 percent of respondents saying that they travel during that period. Spring (36 percent), fall (32 percent) and winter (27 percent) followed behind.

For advertisers looking to capitalise on the summer plans of consumers, the study showed that 73 percent of mobile consumers tend to book their travel plans one month or less in advance of a trip. In fact, 30 percent book travel at the spur of the moment, within a week of taking off.

The research also proves that mobile users are not only comfortable with spending significant dollars within the mobile ecosystem, but also rely on their devices more and more for ecommerce as it relates to other segments in the lucrative travel category.

“Mobile advertisers are never too late in getting in front of consumers ready to make a travel-related purchase. This data reinforces the notion that users are fully-engaged on their mobile devices, and it benefits marketers who are agile in their campaigns,” said Tony Nethercutt, general manager of Mojiva.

“Travel-related interests on mobile devices present marketers with the opportunity to utilise the creative capabilities of mobile devices to immerse their ideal audience with their brand, wherever they may be in the world. If you want to show a luxury resort, or a car rental, a simple text ad on a smartphone may not be enough to drive consumer interest.”

Other findings:

• Sixty-one percent of respondents would consider booking specific types of travel components using their wireless device.

• Among them, mobile purchase consideration is highest for hotels (42 percent), followed by flights (31 percent), vacation packages (28 percent) and transportation/car rentals (27 percent).

• More than four in 10 of those surveyed are the decision-makers in their household when it comes to traveling.