Amazon dominates the world of e-commerce. Could it do the same in online travel bookings? Consumers would happily use the platform to book their travel plans if given the chance, according to a recent survey by flight travel intelligence company OAG.
OAG surveyed 2,164 U.S. travelers to find out which platforms and methods they would be comfortable booking travel through. Amazon was the clear winner, with 44% of respondents saying they would consider using the e-commerce giant to book travel if it offered the service.
This result is particularly impressive considering that the second most favored option was Facebook, which only received 14% of the vote. Pinterest (2%), Twitter (3%), and Instagram (4%) all lagged way behind, gaining minimal interest.
Why was Amazon considered so much more appealing as a travel booking platform? In the following post, we’ll address that point while analyzing some of the specific lessons hotels can learn from Amazon’s way of doing business.
The mass appeal of Amazon
While social platforms are heavily used for trip planning and inspiration, the OAG survey indicates that travelers are far less keen to use them as booking platforms. Arguably, concerns over data security are an issue. In light of Facebook’s data-harvesting scandal, it’s fair to assume that consumers would have concerns about handing over their credit card details.
In contrast, millions of consumers see Amazon as a place to buy with confidence. In fact, a new survey by NPR/Marist found a huge 67% of US online shoppers had “quite a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Amazon to protect their privacy and personal information. This figure was significantly higher compared with the level of trust towards online retailers in general.
Alongside its rock-steady credibility, Amazon makes shopping easy and gives customers unrivaled levels of choice and convenience. These qualities readily translate to the travel booking sphere, so perhaps it’s no coincidence that Amazon was seen as an appealing alternate provider in this space.
All of this leads to an important question: what specific strategies underpin Amazon’s success, and what can hotels learn from its customer service and core e-commerce principles?
1. Personalized Shopping
They have mastered the ability to anticipate customer needs and personalize the shopping experience. The company’s recommendation system now runs on a totally new machine-learning infrastructure that allows it to learn the unique preferences of each customer with even greater precision.
