88% of Online Consumers Use the Internet to Purchase or Plan This
Summer's Vacations
Overwhelmingly, consumers are turning to the Internet for their
summer travel planning and purchasing needs, according to
independent research conducted by Feedback Research, a division of
the Claria Corporation, a leader in online behavioral marketing.
By analyzing the actual online traffic and conducting a survey among
a sample of Claria's tens of millions of software users, Feedback
Research was able to gain insight into online travel research and
purchasing habits. Data was analyzed from April 1 through July 1,
2005, in the months leading up to summer vacation travel. A survey
was also conducted among users who viewed travel category sites in
the prior 30 days and also had purchased travel in the prior 12
months.
Results indicated that consumers are still taking a trip to the
Internet for their travel planning and purchasing needs, with 88% of
survey respondents who went or are planning to go on summer vacation
using or planning to use the Internet to research and/or purchase
their summer vacation arrangements this year. 61% of respondents who
went or were planning to go on summer vacation this year purchased
or planned to purchase airline tickets online, +11 pts vs. those who
went on a summer vacation last year. 52% purchased or planned to
purchase hotel accommodations online, a +12 pt increase from last
year.
Further results indicate:
Consumers Travel Online to Compare Prices
Low prices seem to be the key driver for consumers researching and
buying travel for their summer vacations this year:
- When purchasing travel arrangements, 53% of respondents indicated
that they would travel with the brand/company that offered the
lowest price.
- Among respondents who purchased travel online: - 78% chose the
site(s) they typically purchase from because of good prices/rates; -
56% because the site was easy to use; and - 28% because of loyalty
or frequent flyer programs.
- 73% of respondents who purchased travel online have researched
travel at a general site, but then went to a specific company's site
to purchase their travel arrangements. - 52% of those respondents
did so because they found that company sites offered the lowest
prices. - 47% cited special deals and 43% cited better prices at
company sites while 22% wanted to receive frequent flyer credit.
- Consumers, perhaps looking for a low-cost travel deal, seemed to
site- hop between general travel sites and major airline sites: -
Over half of those who viewed Delta.com, United.com or Southwest.com
during research period, also viewed Orbitz.com.
- Site-hopping also seemed to be popular among general travel sites;
Of those who viewed Hotwire.com during the research period, 71% also
viewed Orbitz.com, 67% also viewed Expedia.com and 62% also viewed
Travelocity.com.
- Of all travel category sites, airline only sites seemed to have to
most repeat viewers per month during the research period:
Southwest.com had the most repeat viewers with the average viewer
coming back 9.31 times, this followed by AlaskaAir.com with 9.29
times and NorthwestAirlines.com with 9.19 times.
Internet Eases Procrastination for Travel Planners
- Among respondents who went or were planning to go on summer
vacation this year, 73% started planning 1 week to 3 months before
leaving.
- Travel sites saw their biggest increases in traffic in mid-June.
Hotels.com saw the biggest jump, closely followed by Marriott.com,
Cheaptickets.com and Orbitz.com.
- 50% of respondents typically purchase travel arrangements online 1
to 2 times a year while 27% purchased travel arrangements online 3
to 5 times a year.
Summer's Vacations
Overwhelmingly, consumers are turning to the Internet for their
summer travel planning and purchasing needs, according to
independent research conducted by Feedback Research, a division of
the Claria Corporation, a leader in online behavioral marketing.
By analyzing the actual online traffic and conducting a survey among
a sample of Claria's tens of millions of software users, Feedback
Research was able to gain insight into online travel research and
purchasing habits. Data was analyzed from April 1 through July 1,
2005, in the months leading up to summer vacation travel. A survey
was also conducted among users who viewed travel category sites in
the prior 30 days and also had purchased travel in the prior 12
months.
Results indicated that consumers are still taking a trip to the
Internet for their travel planning and purchasing needs, with 88% of
survey respondents who went or are planning to go on summer vacation
using or planning to use the Internet to research and/or purchase
their summer vacation arrangements this year. 61% of respondents who
went or were planning to go on summer vacation this year purchased
or planned to purchase airline tickets online, +11 pts vs. those who
went on a summer vacation last year. 52% purchased or planned to
purchase hotel accommodations online, a +12 pt increase from last
year.
Further results indicate:
Consumers Travel Online to Compare Prices
Low prices seem to be the key driver for consumers researching and
buying travel for their summer vacations this year:
- When purchasing travel arrangements, 53% of respondents indicated
that they would travel with the brand/company that offered the
lowest price.
- Among respondents who purchased travel online: - 78% chose the
site(s) they typically purchase from because of good prices/rates; -
56% because the site was easy to use; and - 28% because of loyalty
or frequent flyer programs.
- 73% of respondents who purchased travel online have researched
travel at a general site, but then went to a specific company's site
to purchase their travel arrangements. - 52% of those respondents
did so because they found that company sites offered the lowest
prices. - 47% cited special deals and 43% cited better prices at
company sites while 22% wanted to receive frequent flyer credit.
- Consumers, perhaps looking for a low-cost travel deal, seemed to
site- hop between general travel sites and major airline sites: -
Over half of those who viewed Delta.com, United.com or Southwest.com
during research period, also viewed Orbitz.com.
- Site-hopping also seemed to be popular among general travel sites;
Of those who viewed Hotwire.com during the research period, 71% also
viewed Orbitz.com, 67% also viewed Expedia.com and 62% also viewed
Travelocity.com.
- Of all travel category sites, airline only sites seemed to have to
most repeat viewers per month during the research period:
Southwest.com had the most repeat viewers with the average viewer
coming back 9.31 times, this followed by AlaskaAir.com with 9.29
times and NorthwestAirlines.com with 9.19 times.
Internet Eases Procrastination for Travel Planners
- Among respondents who went or were planning to go on summer
vacation this year, 73% started planning 1 week to 3 months before
leaving.
- Travel sites saw their biggest increases in traffic in mid-June.
Hotels.com saw the biggest jump, closely followed by Marriott.com,
Cheaptickets.com and Orbitz.com.
- 50% of respondents typically purchase travel arrangements online 1
to 2 times a year while 27% purchased travel arrangements online 3
to 5 times a year.
