CWT: Do people prefer humans or machines when booking travel?

CWT research shows that travelers prefer to manage their travel transactions digitally, through apps or browsers.

69% of business travelers prefer digital methods to human services when booking flights, and the proportion is higher for other aspects, such as hotel reservations (78%), ground transportation (71%), and check-in (68%). However, when checking in and checking out of hotels, tourists prefer to talk to staff face to face, with the proportion of using technology services being 46% and 51% respectively.

“Technology is starting to take over the travel ecosystem,” said Andrew Jordan, CWT’s chief product officer and chief technology officer. “Digital interactions are slowly evolving, so the travel industry must continue to innovate to provide companies and employees with the experiences they need to work.”

In general, Asia-Pacific travelers prefer technology services compared to Americas and Europe, with 73%, 71%, and 61% of travelers from the three regions booking flights digitally, respectively. In addition, Asia-Pacific travelers (84%) prefer to book hotels digitally, while the proportions of Americas and Europe are 77% and 70%, respectively.

When it comes to check-in, travelers from the Americas (73%) prefer technology-enabled services, compared to 66% for European travelers and 65% for Asia-Pacific travelers.

Smartphone usage surpasses computer usage

CWT's research also found that a large part of travel bookings are still completed through computers, with the proportion of computer bookings in the past three years being 45% in 2019, 53% in 2018, and 52% in 2017. However, the proportion of bookings on smartphones has been rising, 41% in 2019, 34% in 2018, and 32% in 2017. Tablet bookings ranked third, accounting for only 11%, and only 2% of business travelers would seek manual help.

The data shows that European travelers are more likely to book on a desktop or laptop (55%), while Americans are more likely to book on a desktop or laptop (49%) and Asia-Pacific travelers are more likely to book on a desktop or laptop (36%).

In contrast, 53% of Asia-Pacific travelers prefer to book their travel via mobile, compared to 40% of American travelers and 26% of European travelers. European travelers (16%) are most likely to use tablets (16%) or in-person bookings (3%), while the percentage of American and Asia-Pacific travelers using tablets is 9% and 2%, respectively.

When it comes to dealing with travel disruptions or changes, 33% of all respondents believe that mobile apps are the most effective way, with 37%, 31% and 30% of travelers in the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas using apps, respectively.

The study also found that 80% of business travelers chose technology over human services when traveling last year, and 25% used technology five or more times during their trips. 29% of American travelers used technology five or more times, surpassing European travelers (26%) and Asia-Pacific travelers (22%).

“The modern business traveler wants to be able to make decisions instantly and at their convenience,” Jordan said. “Companies need to empower employees with this control and provide them with tools, such as mobile apps, to better prepare for their trips.”

About the Study

The study was initiated by CWT and conducted by Artemis Strategy Group between January 29 and February 9, 2019, with a total of 2,700 business travelers who traveled more than four times in the past year. The respondents in the Americas were from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States; the respondents in Europe were from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom; and the respondents in Asia-Pacific were from Australia, China, India, Japan and Singapore.

Compiled by: Rose of Pincheng Travel