Most consumers ultimately buy airline tickets at carriers website, according to a new study.
That is the case despite travelers using other websites for information, says the study by Frost & Sullivan.
The study found:
“According to the survey, most air travelers start their commercial airline ticket purchase process on travel websites or commercial airline websites. Even though travel websites are a good source of information, the largest proportion of air travelers actually switches purchase channels and purchases directly from commercial airline websites.”
The Frost survey evaluates airline preferences among 1,000 US consumers who have traveled at least once within the past six months. The survey measures various aspects of ticket purchases.
While network carriers garner better brand awareness and market share of air travelers, overall non-network and regional carriers are rated higher for their check-in processes, customer service contact, and in-flight experiences, the study found.
"Interestingly, the top purchase drivers are the same among those who purchase using a travel website versus those using a commercial airline website," comments Tonya Fowler, Global Director with Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Research Team. She added:
"Thus, I think deeper investigation in a follow-up study may reveal more emotional aspects (i.e., trust, loyalty, etc.) that lead more airline travelers to purchase via commercial airline websites versus travel websites."
By David Wilkening
