Back
To News/PR Index
|
|
Switchfly
Trend Report: Consumer Travel Predictions for 2020
|
5% of Americans
Expect to Have Space Traveled in the Next Six Years
|
San
Francisco, CA – October 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / Switchfly,
Inc., the technology company powering travel search/booking and loyalty
point redemption solutions for the world’s most celebrated brands, today
announced the results of its quarterly trend report that examined consumer
expectations of how travel experiences and booking processes will change
by the year 2020. The report includes research developed by Switchfly and
fielded by Harris to 2,017 US adults. Among the national trends discovered,
72% of Americans expect travel to be personalized in the year 2020, with
consumers indicating they expect tailored offerings such as:
-
Computers
will book on default your favorite place to sit in planes, and your car
and hotel preferences – 39%
-
Travelers
will use facial recognition software during check in – 37%
-
Making
travel plans will require only one-click of your smart device (e.g., smartphone,
smart watch, smart glasses) – 37%
-
Computers
will know who you want to travel with – 20%
Expectations
for Travel Booking Technology
The
study discovered that most (80%) Americans plan to book travel in the year
2020, while more than half (63%) intend to do so on a computer and 1 in
5 (22%) will use a smartphone. 1 in 10 (14%) Americans plan on booking
travel in 2020 using technology that has not been invented yet. An additional
1 in 10 (14%) plan to book trips through a travel agent.
When
it comes to age, the expectation of how people think they will book travel
in 2020 varies across generations. Millennials (ages 18-34 years), for
example, are the most likely to rely on a smartphone to book travel in
the future. Conversely, Generation X (ages 35-44 years) will turn to a
computer and Baby Boomers (ages 65+ years) intend to use a travel agent
in 2020. Wearable technology like smart watches and smart glasses fall
within a budding category that both Millennials and Generation X are at
equal pace to expect using in the next five years to book travel.
|
|
“Technology
is the through line in the evolution of travel. Our trend report demonstrates
that consumers recognize that as fact, with younger generations like Millennials
and Generation X—who are more immersed in tech-oriented lifestyles than
their elders—naturally taking the lead in that outlook,” said Daniel Farrar,
CEO, Switchfly. “Right now mobile is primarily being used for research
and inspiration, but the ability to plan a trip while on the go is streamlining
the entire travel experience. With the growth in mobile into booking over
the next five years, brands will have a huge opportunity for customer re-engagement
throughout the travel lifecycle.”
Outlook
Good for Domestic & International Travel
When
it comes to the ways that consumers think their travel experience will
have improved by 2020, half (51%) of Americans think they will visit more
domestic destinations while nearly 4 in 10 (38%) say they will visit international
destinations. For global travelers, this is a huge leap when you consider
that in the month of May 2014 the US Department of Commerce’s Office of
Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) reports[1] 5.9 million Americans
traveled internationally—equating to roughly only 2% of the nation’s current
population[2] of 318 million.
The
nation is not only thinking about traveling between countries, Switchfly
discovered. A small but ambitious portion of the US (5%) admits to anticipating
having traveled into space around low Earth Orbit by 2020. Another 3% of
Americans expect to have visited either the international space station
or Mars. Examining age groups and gender among this particular audience
reveals Millennial men specifically lead more than any other generation
in expecting to experience space travel within the next five years.
Direct
Communication to Stand Test of Time
Two-thirds
(66%) of Americans today also expect to call hotels or airlines directly
in the year 2020, and 4 in 10 (41%) expect to talk to a real person when
they do so. Conversely, 18% say they expect to talk to a robot that will
be more helpful than a person. An additional 16% believe when they call
a hotel or airline direct they will encounter personalized offerings such
as talking to someone who sounds like your best friend, family member or
someone you find attractive.
Methodology
This
survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on
behalf of Switchfly from September 2-4, 2014 among 2,017 adults ages 18
and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and
therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please
contact Dan Jackson.
About
Switchfly
Switchfly,
Inc. is a global technology company that powers travel shopping and loyalty
redemption solutions for some of the world’s most recognizable brands across
airlines, hotels, financial services and ecommerce. World-class products
delivered via a flexible software-as-a-service platform let clients easily
launch and maintain a complete omnichannel travel and loyalty experience
superior to any online travel agency. Tailored to their customer needs
while maintaining a full brand match, Switchfly solutions drive customer
engagement, enhance brand loyalty and increase profit. Founded in 2003
and headquartered in San Francisco, the Company generates more than $1.25
billion USD in revenue for its clients annually and facilitates the redemption
of more than 35 billion reward points and miles annually. The company’s
global client roster includes American Airlines, Emirates, JetBlue and
LAN Airlines; IAG Avios, Lufthansa Miles & More and United MileagePlus;
InterContinental Hotels Group and Starwood Hotels; Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline
and Groupon. For more information, visit www.switchfly.com.
[1]
Source: US Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel & Tourism Industries,
“US Citizen Traffic to Overseas Region, Canada & Mexico 2014”: travel.trade.gov/view/m-2014-O-001/index.html
[2]
Source: United States Census Bureau, “Population Clock,” September 19,
2014: www.census.gov/popclock
Contacts:
Grayling
for Switchfly
Dan
Jackson, 415-442-4032
or
Jessica
Nelson, 415-442-4024 |