Over half of travellers would be happy for an airline or hotel to share their personal travel information if it improved a trip.
That's one of the findings from a new report from Boxever that examines the role of suppliers and how they should consider personalisation and other data-driven elements behind a trip.
The Ireland-based company says it has come up with a number of elements to consider following its survey of travellers:
1. Relevant experiences and offers drive purchases
Sounds kind of obvious, but when a supplier (hotel or airline) has the ability to be extremely targeted with its marketing or merchandising, then the ability to cut through the clutter becomes both more important, and harder.
For example, Boxever found that 85% of travellers would allow a brand to remember their personal preferences and pre-populate the most relevant travel options first to the user.
Furthermore, cost is always considered to be the driving factor behind any purchase, but less than half (47%) prefer airlines and online travel agencies, for example, to present the cheapest fares in search results.
2. Comprehensive information and personalized marketing is a must
It's not earth-shattering to learn that the majority of travellers will spend weeks researching and weighing up their options before making a booking.
But the ability to inspire a decision with an offer or ancillary product is a different task entirely.
The study found that 43% of travellers will only buy ancillary services from an airline when they make the booking, with only 15% doing so at the airport, 19% at the gate, 17% a few days before travel.
In other words, the window for opportunity is small, thus the importance of getting the messaging and relevancy spot-on with the customer.
Just to make it a little bit harder, well over a third of travellers admitted to almost never checking the promotions or advertisement tab of their email (the place where the vast majority of email marketing messages reside on arrival).
3. Travellers pick convenience over creepiness
This is where the apparent trustworthiness of a brand comes to the fore.
In other words, gain the trust of a consumer are they willing to give away all sorts of information.
For example, 75% of travellers would "find value" in a supplier auto-synching relevant trip details with their calendar and mobile devices.
In addition, those surveyed say they would appreciate it if an airline had obtained and they used some of their existing behaviour to help the search and booking process, such as seat preferences, connection schedules, dietary needs, etc.
What else?
Boxever found that the rise of low cost carriers has triggered a change in mindset in the modern traveller, with many happy to give up long-standing ideas of what a flight should entail in return for a cheap ticket.
Almost three-quarters (73%) would do away with an in-flight movie, magazine or music for a cheaper fare - with drinks, boarding priority, seat size, carry-on luggage also featuring in the list.
Some 8% even say they would happily stand on a flight in return for a cheap ticket (readers will recall the Ryanair PR wheeze of a few years ago).
NB:Travel love image via Shutterstock.