Yes, says Tom Bacon, and now is no time to enhancing a soon to be obsolete product

In my view, Kayak and Hipmunk and other meta-search travel sites have improved the travel search experience relative to the established online travel companies (‘OTA’s) like Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity. Congratulations to these meta-search innovators.

However, the next innovation in search must do more than ‘meta-search’ [see EyeforTravel.com interview with momondo earlier today].

If market research firms had asked customers what they wanted to improve transportation early in the twentieth century, they may well have responded, ‘faster horses’. Had innovators responded to that perceived need, they would have truly ‘missed the boat’ when the automobile industry took off.

            Mobile is a growing outlet for travellers. To build a new search capability however innovative - and to launch it on desktops rather than mobile is like creating a ‘faster horse’ – it is, in my view, timed for spectacular failure.

            The opportunity now is to anticipate further growth in mobile and to design a system (search, planning and so on) that is fundamentally built on mobile (not just mobile-compatible, not just mobile-friendly). Everyone recognises the need to have a mobile-compatible product but a new product needs to be mobile-enhancing. The next travel search innovator needs to be designed for small screens, ultra-simple navigation, social media sharing and efficient mobile payment processing. 

            Certainly, to be successful, a new search innovator needs to offer capability beyond what the existing OTA’s and meta-search companies offer, but also to be laser-focused on mobile.

Virtually all of the successful search sites produce a wonderful choice in response to travel requests. Based on fairly broad search criteria - where and when are you going? - each site often responds with 20-50 alternatives. The response includes all the key information necessary to decide: cost, departure time, direct or indirect and the airline brand. Unfortunately, displaying this multitude of choices - along with all of the associated information needed to choose among the alternatives - is not suited to the small screen. Furthermore, with the growth in new ancillary fees, the options for travellers multiplies and comparison between airlines becomes multi-dimensional – even a fairly large screen has trouble offering a simple display. Presumably, this is one reason why most travel searches remain on a device other than mobile – despite the fact that mobile penetration is huge and engagement is deep. Currently, search is missing the mobile boat.

On mobile, engagement is enhanced by sending text messages, by tweeting and by using Instagram - all new capabilities that truly exploit this unique channel. Mobile customers are interacting with their devices literally 24/7. But today those same customers often go home to their desktop or laptop to do travel search and booking.

In a sense, the likes of Kayak and Hipmunk benefited from pre-mobile customer behaviour. They could build a ‘faster horse’, utilising the same platform as the OTA’s. The next search company can’t do that, however, as the old platform (desktops, laptops) is declining in importance. And, in fact, the next search company, if positioned properly, can ride the growth in mobile.

Here are a few things to consider: 

·         Personalisation will certainly be part of the new mobile-oriented travel search capability – personalisation is one possible answer to moving from the overwhelming data response of current travel sites to travel search requests. If your preferences are known, then perhaps the search can respond with fewer, more desirable, options.

·         Ancillary and ‘branded fare’ options need to be similarly condensed through increased personalisation.

·         Easy navigation between alternatives – and among attributes – will be necessary. Navigation on the small screen is very different from navigation on the laptop.

·         Bookmarking and sharing. Saving a flight alternative from a search for discussion or booking later is even more important in the 24/7 mobile space.

·         Purchase is already common via mobile – for many items except travel. Airlines, of course, have some unique challenges, including customers’ use of intermediaries (eg. corporate travel agencies) to process their payments for business travel. Agencies, of course, are individually solving the ‘mobile payment’ problem.

I cannot predict the next travel search innovation or what could possibly trump Kayak or Hipmunk’s offering? However, I can predict that, whatever it is, to be successful now, it needs to be built for mobile – or it will likely not excite a customer base that is quickly moving in that direction.

And so my advice is this: don’t work on a ‘faster horse’, embrace mobile full-bore!

Ed’s note: Is Tom Bacon wrong? Is search missing the mobile boat? If you have a truly innovative mobile search product, why not enter one of EyeforTravel’s upcoming innovation awards in Europe or Asia.

Tom Bacon, a 25-year airline veteran and industry consultant in revenue optimisation wrote this guest post for EyeforTravel.com. Questions? Contact Tom at tom.bacon@yahoo.com or visit his website http://makeairlineprofitssoar.wordpress.com/