I’ve had platinum and gold status for years, and have had the pleasure to meet people from all walks of life, all over the world. I’ve seen so many beautiful landscapes, cities, and countries that I don’t even try and count them anymore. In spite of all the travel, I was reading some research done by The Advantage Traveler Partnership and it led me to wonder to myself…what makes a good trip for us as travelers?
I mean travel is a huge, it’s the 10th largest industry according to a Deloitte survey. So we must like traveling, but what makes the experience good for travelers? Is it the weather? The landscape? The warmth of the water, the cost, the journey to get there, or is it about the people we’re with?
Examining that question from a different angle, what does a good traveler experience look like to providers of travel? Do all these new initiatives I read about like IATA’s New Distribution Capability or One Order make a difference to that experience for me or for the providers of travel services?
To answer my own questions, I started thinking about three points of the customer journey that must be considered in order for my travel experience to become a good one. These include the trip run-up, the trip itself, and what happens after I return.
Travel CX: Make the customer journey shine
Journey Point #1: The pre-trip experience
When my wife and I begin thinking about places we want to go, we start with places we’ve heard or read about that sound interesting to visit. A good reference from a trusted friend always helps, as does sound information and pictures from the web. From there, we narrow it down to a few places, check in with the kids, and start checking on pricing and availability.
Now for a perfect trip to occur at this point, I’d find a reasonable price at the times I’m interested in going. Heck, as an extra kicker, if my preferred travel provider/s would reach out with a promotion – whether price-based or something more all-inclusive (like all of the things I’d want to do on my trip bundled into one). If I’m still kicking the tires on the idea this can help to sway me one way or another. This is also an opportunity for lesser preferred travel providers to sway me to use them. I’m usually loyal to my preferred brands, but with the right offer, I could reconsider.
Journey Point #2: The trip itself
There’s a lot that goes into making the trip itself outstanding. Obviously getting there and returning again should be safe, easy, on time, and include a little fun. In contrast, a colleague of mine posted an experience that would make my blood boil right from the start.
Once there, any number of things could make the trip good or bad. The things we do, the things we see, the service we receive, the food we eat, the accommodations, the people we meet etc., are all factors that either improve or destroy my perception of this trip.
There are a lot of variables at this stage, many of which are hard to control. For the adventurous, like me, a few bumps in the road are okay, and even make the experience that much more memorable, but I realize I don’t represent everyone here.
Journey Point #3: Post trip
While memories are usually made in the first two phases of the trip, it’s in the post-trip phase that we sit back and analyze the trip. It’s when decisions are made about whether to return again, or whether to choose different providers next time. It’s a time to reflect on whether the original goals of the trip were met – did we get the relaxation or adventure we were hoping for? Was it a good experience for our family overall?
So in coming back to my original question – what does a good travel CX look like to a traveler, and how does that impact travel providers? While the specific answer to that question differs among travelers, my belief is all three phases of the journey impact the experience in a significant way, and ultimately determine repeat experiences.
If travel providers want return customers, they must consider how they can affect and improve each phase for their customers. As a recent Phocuswright article offered, “They should put themselves “in the shoes of their customer,” to create a positive, personalized experience throughout the journey, from the booking to airline and hotel check-ins, to renting a car, making restaurant reservations and providing recommendations for tours and attractions.”
While working across all phases of the journey may be difficult, creating a memorable and rewarding experience for travelers is well worth the effort.
