Behavioural marketing company SaleCycle have tracked more than 280 million online bookings and abandonments from their airline and travel clients which covers more than 90 of the world’s biggest and best-known travel companies.
The latest data report published by them shows the trends and tips to increase online conversion.
As per their research, booking abandonment occurs when visitors select flights or hotels but leave the site before completing checkout. The average cart abandonment rate across all the sectors tracked by SaleCycle is 76.9%, but travel is higher than this, at 81.31%, while airline abandonment rates even higher at 87.87%.
One of the big factors behind the higher abandonment rates is that travel bookings are more complicated that an average online purchase. Because the former require more effort and information from customers than the latter. For example, Flight bookings require more details like passport numbers, the names and ages of travelers, and to choose options like extra baggage and in-flight meals, all of which add to the time and effort required.
Reasons behind the abandonment of travel bookings
The most common reason for abandoning travel bookings is the amount of research that goes into making a travel booking. travel research process will vary according to the type of travel product, as well as factors like price and the amount of time before people travel. Also, people will begin bookings and abandon a few as they check out prices and options.
How to minimize booking abandonment?
There’ll always be a certain level of abandonment due to the research process, but sites can do a lot to address it. And those who address these issues can have abandonment rates lower than the average.
If a travel site can provide a combination of great user experience, helpful content and timely and effective messaging can help to reduce abandonment and recover bookings which may have been lost.
Author: Manoj .S
Manoj works as Team Lead in Teknokraaft and looks into the Flights vertical primarily.