Telecom Lead America: 51 percent of smartphone owners in
the U.S. have accessed travel content on their devices during the three month
period ending February 2012. 1 in every 5 smartphone owners uses their device
to book air travel or hotel reservations.
“Smartphones have really stepped in to meet a
variety of needs for travelers, such as coordination of schedules, locations,
trip itineraries and transactions. With more than half of all smartphone users
now engaging with travel content, there has never been a better opportunity for
suppliers and OTAs to invest in their mobile strategies to provide a great experience
and win loyalty from their customers,” said Mark Donovan, comScore SVP of
mobile.
51 percent of the smartphone audience accessed air and/or
hotel content on their device, with 4 in every 5 mobile travelers accessing
both air and hotel content. The most popular air travel-related mobile activity
was checking airfare prices, in which 26 percent of all smartphone users
engaged.
Smartphone users were nearly as likely to look up an
airline phone number, flight schedules, and check a flight’s status, each of
which was conducted by 25 percent of the audience.
While many of the most popular behaviors were consumers
seeking information, they also engaged in transactional behavior. 21 percent of
smartphone consumers checked in for a flight on their device, while 18 percent
booked a flight on their smartphone and 10 percent cancelled a flight.
|
Top Mobile Air Activities while Planning a Trip or February 2012 Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 18+ Source: Custom Mobile Travel Advisor Survey |
|
|
percent of Smartphone Owners |
|
|
Checked airfare prices |
26 percent |
|
Looked up a phone number (i.e. airline) |
25 percent |
|
Looked at flight schedules |
25 percent |
|
Checked a flight status (arrival/delays) |
25 percent |
|
Looked up airport information |
24 percent |
|
Checked in for a flight |
21 percent |
|
Received price alerts for flights |
19 percent |
|
Booked a flight |
18 percent |
|
Received SMS alerts for a flight status |
17 percent |
|
Tracked the status of a checked bag |
13 percent |
|
Cancelled a flight |
10 percent |
Among hotel-related mobile activities, looking up hotel
address/directions was the most popular (conducted by 29 percent of smartphone
owners), followed by researching attractions or things to do near hotel (23
percent). Reading hotel reviews and comparing hotel prices and availability
were performed by more than 1 in 5 smartphone owners in the past three months,
while 18 percent used their device to book a hotel room.
|
Top Mobile Hotel Activities while Planning a Trip or February 2012 Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 18+ Source: Custom Mobile Travel Advisor Survey |
|
|
percent of Smartphone Owners |
|
|
Looked up hotel address/directions |
29 percent |
|
Looked up/ researched attractions/ things to do at my |
23 percent |
|
Looked up/researched places to eat at my |
22 percent |
|
Read a hotel review |
22 percent |
|
Compared hotel prices & availability |
21 percent |
|
Booked a hotel room |
18 percent |
|
Received price alerts for hotels |
18 percent |
|
Looked up/researched ground transportation at my |
17 percent |
|
Cancelled a hotel reservation |
10 percent |
62 percent of smartphone owners that accessed travel
information were male, compared to 52 percent of the entire smartphone
audience, while 78 percent of smartphone travelers were between the ages of
18-44, compared to 63 percent of the total smartphone audience.
Mobile travelers tended to have similar income levels
compared to the average smartphone owner with approximately half of each
audiences residing in households earning at least $75,000 annually.
