The travel industry has grown rapidly, with more people traveling than before. Global travel and tourism revenue hit $916 billion in 2024 — and it’s only going up from here. The market is projected to grow by 4% annually, reaching $1.11 trillion by 2029. As travel surges and competition heats up, the customer experience (CX) has emerged as the most effective way for travel businesses to acquire and keep guests.
While consumers are eager to travel, new pain points can easily get in the way of their excitement. Delays in flights, for instance, increased for most major U.S. airlines in the first half of 2024, with over 20% of flights delayed in August for 9 out of 10 carriers. Issues like these are becoming increasingly common in this current era of travel, and they can ruin brands’ chances to win and secure consumers — especially considering the rise of “JOMO” travel.
Unlike the “fear of missing out” era that encouraged an all-in attitude, JOMO, or “joy of missing out” is the shift to prioritizing relaxation and stress-free experiences. In other words, people want trips that let them unwind, free of any hassles. Travel brands will need to deliver on that with frictionless experiences.
Customer expectations are high. A report from PWC shows that 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand after just one poor brand experience. To retain consumers, then, travel marketers must make sure they provide an exceptional customer experience — one that drives long-term loyalty.
What do today’s travelers want from their CX? How can it help brands stand out from their competitors? From anticipating your customers’ desires even before they arrive to a seamless check-in and more, we’ll cover 4 ways to delight travelers at every touchpoint with your CX.
1. Streamline Your Digital Check-In
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The check-in process is a pivotal part of your customer’s journey, setting the tone as they embark on their trip. Your brand should offer a check-in process that takes the stress out of travel rather than add to it.
A seamless check-in process can immediately build trust, showing that your brand understands and prioritizes its customers’ needs. On the flip side, a frustrating check-in experience can create negative perceptions before the trip even begins.
To start your customer’s travels on a high note, streamline the check-in process by making it as smooth and user-friendly as possible with the following tips.
Explain Everything Customers Need To Know in a Video
Research shows consumers are 3.5x more likely to prefer a video from a business if that business has something complicated to explain, like details about a program or service. This can be particularly helpful for check-in, which now often involves more steps and touchpoints than ever before.
To prepare customers for arrival, then, put everything they need to know in an explainer video. For instance, American Airlines sent passengers this video giving them helpful information prior to their flight.
These kinds of travel videos are a great way to condense critical information, like places to scan boarding passes and drop off bags, in just under a minute. Plus, it reduces points of friction that can frustrate passengers and negatively impact the user experience. By anticipating travel needs and addressing them through easy-to-understand content, brands can improve the check-in process and enhance customer satisfaction.
Meet Your Customers Where They Are: In-App
In-app communications are another digital channel that brands can leverage for a smooth check-in process. Today’s travelers are digital-first, and apps are a huge part of their online experience.
Given how complex the booking process can be — from trying to find the best flight deal to understanding changing travel restrictions — it makes sense that, once they’re ready to take off, travelers want a digital-first check-in option that reduces stress. Meet them where they are by letting them check in straight from your app.
Customers love this: 60% of consumers prefer to check in and out via an app, rather than in person.
Most airlines have responded to these demands, letting customers check in for their flights 24 hours prior to their departure from their app. Not only can travelers access their itinerary, boarding pass and seat selection through the app, but they can also make updates as needed.
The upshot? Customers don’t have to dig around their bags to find their paperwork. They can upgrade their seats straight from their phone rather than wait for a customer support agent. It makes the check-in process easy, fast and enjoyable.
Brands can also use in-app channels to share real-time updates and reminders. Helpful explainer videos, like the one we shared from American Airlines, can be posted to your app, which is a great way to share your video content and boost its reach. Plus, by meeting customers where they are, travel brands simplify the journey and provide the kind of frictionless CX that builds loyalty.
2. Offer Personalized Recommendations
Every consumer has different needs when it comes to their travels — and personalizing your digital communications using customer data creates a CX that speaks to their preferences. Here are some custom offers you can upsell to every individual:
- If you know your guests travel as a family, share recommendations for kid-friendly activities.
- Are your travelers from out of town? Suggest a car rental service near the airport where they’ll be arriving from.
- Remind loyalty program members of their available upgrades and when they expire.
To help customers make the most of their trip, why not send an exclusive offer just for them? A personalized offer is a great way to grab attention and, when shared in a video, it’s even more engaging.
Celebrity Cruises sent past customers the video above, which included personal touches such as their name and their loyalty tier. The video even reminded customers of their last trip — making the offer even more relevant. These personal elements made the offer feel exclusive to the viewer, increasing its relevance and appeal.
Better yet, these kinds of campaigns drive real results. Our clients in the travel industry have reported 5x-10x greater conversions with Personalized Video campaigns versus text or image-based marketing.
But today’s video technology can be more than just personalized — Next Generation Video is dynamic, personalized and interactive, going beyond the traditional boundaries of static video.
Take this video campaign by American Airlines, which was designed to re-engage its Advantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard members and remind them of their benefits. Not only was the video customized with CRM data, including the number of flights taken, miles flown and points earned by the customer, but it was also interactive. Viewers could select topics they wanted to explore further, such as travel benefits or how to maximize their miles and points.
The Interactive Video also included CTA buttons at the end, encouraging users to explore their benefits or redeem their miles. These interactive options reduce friction by making it easy for customers to take that next step. The results? An impressive 5x increase in retention and 15x greater ROI.
By pairing personalized content with interactivity, travel brands can create Next Generation Videos that go beyond passive viewing. Instead, they engage users in ways that feel intuitive, helpful and engaging, driving not only higher conversions but also greater customer loyalty.
3. Make Loyalty Programs Memorable
These days, it seems like every travel brand has some kind of loyalty program. So how can you make yours stand out? By delivering a personalized and memorable experience that’s more than just points and rewards.
A great example of this strategy in action comes from Delta Air Lines and its year-in-review campaign. Using the data from its SkyMiles Medallion loyalty program, Delta created Personalized Videos that celebrated each member’s unique travel journey throughout the year, including personal milestones like number of miles flown, trips taken and cities visited.
By turning a typical loyalty update into an engaging experience, Delta created an emotional connection with its customers — a connection that spurred them to show off their stats with others. Fun and shareable, the videos led to organic buzz and excitement around the brand. As a result, Delta saw a 60% improvement in customer acquisition and a 6x increase in click-through rates as users shared their videos online.
The success of this campaign shows how brands can turn passive customers into active advocates. Travel companies looking to stand out must do more than offer the same points and rewards as the competition. They need to strategically craft the customer experience, creating moments that customers want to relive — and share.
So go beyond static emails and generic updates. With an elevated CX, you not only make your customers happy but you inspire them to share their standout positive experiences, turning them into ambassadors for your brand.
4. Strengthen Customer Service With Self-Serve Tools
Traveling can be full of surprises, and guests often have questions about their bookings, especially when unexpected issues like cancellations arise.
But labor shortages pose a problem for agents responsible for answering these questions. Reports have found that for every 10 job openings in the leisure and hospitality industry, there are only 7.5 available workers. The result? Customers may be left hanging with little support — and in one case, on hold for an unbelievable 11 hours.
Self-serve tools can help. Customers can answer more basic questions with the click of a button, giving agents the bandwidth to attend to higher-priority calls. Expedia, for instance, offers a chatbot that users can access straight from the Messenger app.
This kind of automation means customers have access to customer service 24/7 — critical for resolving issues like last-minute delays, lost passports and more. And if customers have questions too complex for automated answers, the chatbot can connect the user with a live agent.
Hospitality brands can also use self-serve tools to gather valuable customer feedback. Have the tools ask users for ratings or comments after resolving issues. This feedback loop allows companies to improve their offerings, stay ahead of customer expectations and create a frictionless customer journey.
A Better CX for Your Travel Company
Today’s consumers are looking to take a well-deserved break, but long lines at airports, delays, cancellations and more can quickly turn a relaxing trip into a stressful situation. It’s essential for travel companies to prioritize their CX and give customers the travel experiences they’re eager for.
There are tons of opportunities to surprise and delight consumers throughout their journey. Create a personalized guest experience that speaks to their interests. And if you’re ready to take your CX even further, tap into the power of our Next Generation Video Platform. Schedule a 15-minute call when you’re ready to start.
