As vaccinations continue to role out and some markets begin to reopen,
Skyscanner has identified several trends it says are defining consumer behavior
as it relates to travel planning and purchasing.
Skyscanner Horizons: The Return of Travel is based on
the global marketplace's own search and redirect data, comparing March 2021 to March 2019 for travel
between June and October of those years. It also includes results of a survey
of 5,000 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and
South Korea conducted between April 21 and 23.
Airfares for travel between June and October are down in many
markets compared to 2019 – most sharply in Europe (down 15%), India (down 11%)
and Brazil (down 9%).
But the company says while price has long been the most important
factor in picking a flight, now the decision-making process is more complex. During
the first two and half months of 2020, travelers globally selected prices 25%
more expensive than the cheapest price available, while for the same period in
2021 that rose to 28%, rising in all markets across EMEA, Asia-Pacific and North
and South America.
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In its survey, Skyscanner says respondents indicate they are
willing to pay more based on things such as convenient flight times, fewer stops
or direct routes, airline safety ratings and flying with a specific airline.
The report says trip planning is also changing. While booking
windows shrunk in 2020 due to consumer uncertainty about the virus and
destination conditions, now travelers are showing a willingness to commit to
travel further in advance.
Skyscanner says travelers in the United Kingdom are booking about three
and a half months in advance, “buoyed by their vaccination progress and the
high chance of summer holidays in Europe and beyond.” Booking windows are now
80 days in advance in EMEA, 70 days in North and South America and 54 days in
Asia Pacific. That’s compared to a low globally of about 55 days in September
2020.
Trip duration is also up. Skyscanner says globally average trip
length for this year is 16 days, up from 14 days in 2020 and 2019. Travelers in
Singapore, Japan and South Korea are the biggest drivers of this trend, with
APAC trip duration at 18 days, up from 13 in 2019. And in 2019 and 2020,
average trip length fell after early July, but for 2021 Skyscanner says it is
seeing trip length climb again in September, averaging nearly two weeks by the
month’s end.
According to the survey, 55%
of consumers are planning a holiday within the next six months, and 39% are
planning trips longer than 14 days. When asked about international travel, the
biggest deterrent for booking is quarantine (40%), followed by testing (28%)
and there being too many restrictions (27%).
Says Skyscanner’s vice president of
flights, Hugh Aitken: "There are still many pieces of the puzzle needed
to fully restore traveler confidence and truly unlock underlying
demand. As we have seen in the past, travelers are adept at adjusting to
new measures, however we are entering a period where the importance of clear,
straightforward and timely information is vital, especially relating
to restrictions, quarantines and testing requirements.”