Indian OTA Cleartrip has outlined a sharp growth in mobile bookings and expects its relaunched mobile web site to drive even bigger numbers in the future.
In the first three months of last year, mobile accounted for 42% of air volumes and 22% of hotel. Consecutive quarterly increases followed, and in the final three months of 2014 the figures had shot up to 54% and 38% respectively.
Tablets remained constant throughout the year with 5% of hotel and air bookings.
Nonetheless, desktop is still a massively important part of Cleartrip's business, although the last three months of 2014 were the first time that mobile traffic overtook desktop accounting for 53% of visits. The tipping point has been reached in terms of traffic for Cleartrip, although mobile still accounts for only 40% of transaction revenues.
Cleartrip has recently relaunched its mobile web offering at a time when many online businesses are considering becoming app-only. Indian clothes retailer Myntra, owned by Flipkart, made the decision to shut its web site last month and become an app-only business.
The OTA came out in support of mobile web at the time and admitted that its mobile web site had been overlooked and was starting to "feel aged and long in the tooth."
Despite this criticism, the old mobile web site was holding its own compared to the apps, at least in terms of visits. Of the 53% of traffic in the fourth quarter attributed to mobile, apps accounted for just over half (53%) with the balance from the mobile web. And while the transaction breakdown is also weighted towards its apps, mobile web still generated 30% of revenues.
As Cleartrip grows both its mobile web and app business, it will be interesting to observe whether a revamped mobile website will persuade desktop users to come onto the mobile site, or whether a better mobile site might see a drop in app usage.
Elsewhere, Cleartrip shared some data into the booking window patterns around desktop and mobile. For air, around one-third of mobile bookings are for departures 29 days or more ahead, suggesting that mobile is not just for spontaneous travel.
Last minute mobile bookings is an industry in itself, and Cleartrip stats reflect this with 39% of hotel mobile bookings for stays on the same day or the day before.
But Cleartrip users are also using mobile for trips planned in advance, with one-in-four bookings for a stay 29 days or more ahead.