The majority of travellers (58%) believe that the volume of choice offered by airlines is overwhelming – creating opportunities for the expertise of travel agents, new research suggests.
A similar proportion (56%) say that airline offers are more difficult to understand now than they were a decade ago.
As many as 63% feel that airlines do not put the customer first when it comes to customer service matters such as flight cancellations.
The Travelport study concluded that searching and booking travel directly from travel providers has become more time-consuming and complicated than ever.
Travelport chief marketing officer Jen Catto said: “Despite travel providers favouring direct-to-consumer connections, the sheer volume of options is overwhelming to travellers, making them less confident in their booking choices.
“Our research found that instead of feeling excited after booking a trip, most travellers are left feeling anxious, wondering if they got the best deal.
“For the travel industry, this signals a growing need and opportunity for travel agencies. Their expertise in comparison shopping aids travellers in confidently booking the best option, based on their personal preferences.”
The research also found that 61% also believe there are more penalties now when changing a flight than there were 10 years ago, with 66% sayng that there are too many hidden fees.
Almost three quarters (71%) sometimes feel anxious about whether they got the best deal after they’ve booked their trip, with 42% feeling that airline offers have become ‘less suitable’ over time in meeting their personal preferences.
Most travellers (80%) agree that comparing fares from different carriers is very time-consuming, with more than two-thirds (69%) feeling that information is often restricted on some airline booking sites.
When it comes to shopping for all components of their trip, 60% said they spend an average of one to four hours planning, while more than a third (36%) spend more than five hours searching and comparing options before booking.
Most of the respondents (88%) agree they would prefer to see all flight options and fares on one screen, which is likely the reason that more than half (54%) said they frequently use a comparison site to search for information before purchasing their ticket.
The majority of Millennial (70%) and Gen X (64%) travellers often use online travel agencies (OTAs) to book, citing choice and price transparency as the primary reasons.
Travellers are looking to artificial intelligence to provide more than just a chatbot, and agencies will increasingly rely on their technology partners to implement AI and machine learning in creative ways.
When booking flights, respondents cited luggage allowance (63%), cancellation and change policies (50%) and seat selection (50%) are the most important factors to compare.