Travel brands are racing to automate customer service. Travelers aren’t asking for it, at least not when it comes to booking confidence. That’s the finding from Phocuswright’s Global Booking Anxiety: The U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific research commissioned by The Protect Group.
The study asked travelers in 10 markets what would most increase their confidence to book an international trip or event ticket. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered instant claims processing finished last in nine of them.
What travelers want instead
A guaranteed full refund wins nearly everywhere. Flexible cancellation built into the booking comes next in most markets. Past experience with the same provider and a recommendation from someone they know also outrank AI.
So does a person. Access to human support beats instant AI claims in every market surveyed. In Japan, it ranks as the second-strongest confidence driver.
Outcome beats speed
The same pattern shows up in what makes travelers buy refund protection. Getting all their money back matters far more than how fast the refund arrives. A simple claims process also ranks ahead of speed in most markets. Travelers care whether they’ll be made whole, not whether an algorithm handles it in seconds.
China is the outlier
Chinese travelers rate AI claims processing higher than anyone else, though it still trails every other option there. China also has the highest refund protection usage of any market surveyed. Familiarity with protection products may be what opens the door to automation, not the other way around.
What it means for travel brands
AI can still earn a place in claims handling. It just can’t be the pitch. Brands that lead with the guarantee and keep a human within reach will build more confidence at checkout than those that lead with the technology.
Phocuswright's Global Booking Anxiety: The U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific
Phocuswright's full report covers confidence drivers, refund protection purchase triggers and barriers across all 10 markets, with country-level detail on who is most and least anxious.