*WhereWeFly CEO Duncan Jackson*
By DUNCAN JACKSON
Consumer technology trends drive traveler expectations. We now expect eye-popping, immersive content that’s personal and easy to grasp. Airports and airlines that embrace these trends will stay relevant, increase demand and reduce leakage.
Leveraging technology to allow passengers to visualize destinations, routes and flights will keep them wanting to fly in and out of your airports. Understanding the three major trends that are driving expectations is essential to guiding your passengers through their travel journey.
Social platforms have defined the way we consume travel content: The largest travel influencers are now social platforms with #TikTokTravel and its 36.8 billion views and Instagram’s #travel with 607 million posts. Defining the new standard of rich, visual content with bite-sized videos and hashtags is what keeps users engaged and swiping.
The travel experience must be personalized: Consumers want to plan and manage their travel based on their interests. Fifty-seven percent of tourists believe that brands should personalize their shopping experience based on their personal preferences and behaviors, according to Think with Google. Airports and airlines need to offer information and services individualized for each customer group, including destination suggestions and flight search.
Make it easy to grasp: Consumers need to have information simplified. Routes, destinations and flight schedules are complex and challenging to present on a mobile device. Travelers are confused about which routes are open right now, making it essential to enable them to grasp this in seconds.
To help airports stay relevant, increase demand and reduce leakage, these simple steps can make a real difference:
● Use an interactive map to instantly show travelers where you fly, allowing passengers to search routes and view flight schedules.
● Personalize the whole experience, letting users browse your destinations based on their interests—show them how they can access beaches or view routes by favorite airline.
● Promote new routes on social media, sending users to a map view with flight time, distance and calendar.
● Collect unique insights into where your customers want to fly and why, including popular destinations and most searched routes.
Duncan Jackson is the co-founder and CEO of WhereWeFly, an interactive 3D route map with video destination guide that integrates flight data, destinations and passenger interests. Photo: WhereWeFly
