Prospect conducted in-depth research to understand how digital technologies, especially mobile phones, might help travelers.

Travellers’ expectations are changing every day, with more and more being demanded of airlines from their customers at every stage of their journey. Whether it is online, at the airport, in the air or any of the points in between, customers are becoming harder to please.  In this highly competitive environment, it is simply not enough to strike a balance between price and quality. Airlines need to understand, anticipate and provide for the needs of their existing customers and the future customers they wish to attract.

 

Some of the strongest (but also most under-used or misused) tools to successfully engage customers are digital. From online booking to providing entertainment in the air, digital technologies provide a wide range of opportunities for improving the customer experience. It is, however, essential that these technologies be used judiciously. Many times, the intention is well meaning but the execution poor, leaving a black mark in the minds of customers. (Think Twitter feeds that really don’t deliver the content that you, as a customer, need.) Other times, technology is used simply for the sake of it, with a “build it and they will come” attitude. (Think Google Wave). Neither provides satisfactory outcomes, besides putting a dent in both the good will of the brand and the resources of the organisation.

 

The best way to provide meaningful digital experiences is to work with people, not just for them. By engaging customers on a fundamental level at the beginning of the innovation process, the insights generated help to produce valuable solutions.

 

On behalf of bmi Airlines, Prospect conducted an in-depth piece of research to plumb the needs of consumers during the travel experience, especially when it comes to digital products and services from airlines. We worked to understand how customers view the entire journey, from seeking inspiration, to searching, booking, travelling and returning home. The research helped Prospect uncover opportunities to provide a more empathic, intuitive and ultimately more attractive digital proposition for bmi.

 

Using demographically-based, quantitative customer profiles, Prospect carefully selected 12 individuals who had the requisite range of experiences, ages and backgrounds that would best represent bmi’s segmentation. These individuals were all invited to a work session where they were asked to outline their own personal journeys from start to completion, along seven key stages:

 

1.     Research and Inspire

2.     Browse and Search

3.     Filter and Compare

4.     Decide and Book

5.     Research and Prepare

6.     Plan and Travel

7.     Inform and Help

 

The subjects were asked a series of questions that probed their feelings and actions along each step of their journey. Many questions provoked animated discussions about the best way to do things, which are the most informative travel websites, etc. But the “hottest” topic was trust. Who do they trust for:

 

·       travel recommendations

·       branded travel experiences

·       reliable booking information

·       reliable destination information

·       secure online payments

 

There was a wide range of opinions, some of which neatly sorted themselves into alignment with the segmentation. The Retired Roamers segment (retirees who like to travel) were much more inclined to purchase travel from someone they had dealt with personally (even a travel agent) than they were from a website. They were disinclined to trust brands that they had not had previous experience with or that that had not come recommended by trusted sources.  The Northern Package Lover segment (families who usually book packages) were more comfortable exploring all of the printed literature available on a particular destination (in addition to searching via the internet), but would go into deep online research when finding the best price, going to great lengths to make sure that their trust was not compromised through the fine print of terms and conditions.

 

Young Explorers (frequent travellers in the 25-35 YO age bracket) were much more likely to trust in online reviews, especially through sites such as Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet. Although they did consult their friends for input, this was often done in an online forum (such as Facebook) rather than in face-to-face meetings.

 

The research also yielded valuable insights into how travellers deal with financial issues. Many stated that they would like to have help in managing the budgeting of holidays, making it possible to enjoy them while still feeling at ease that they were not “breaking the bank”. Many suggestions for crowd-sourced/financed holidays were sparked. This avenue may provide some interesting new products for travel companies in the future.

 

The next step in this process will be to filter, prioritise and amplify these findings so that they are in line with bmi’s business plans and technical road map. Combined with more quantitative data on travel, this rich palette of opportunities will help to define a truly customer centric vision of what travel will be like in the future.