User Experience for Travel Websites

I get irrationally frustrated when I spend ages researching a product - bouncing between websites, reviews, and platforms - only to finally commit… and then discover it’s out of stock. It feels like all that intent, time, and energy just evaporates. The reality is that there is a large gap in online capabilities across the industry. As a consumer, instances of things like "stockouts" don't just cost a sale, they erode trust, halt customer acquisition and destroy momentum. And in a world where convenience wins, even good intentions can be undone by a single friction point. It turns out I’m not alone. Our research with Microsoft Advertising shows that 28% of shoppers often experience this, among a range of other points of friction that are damaging retailers’ sales. Every misaligned landing page, every broken promotion, every out-of-stock item that shows up in search… it's just bad UX. Our research uncovered a staggering insight: 1 in 5 shopping journeys are abandoned due to friction. And it’s high-value shoppers, digitally engaged customers, who are the least forgiving. 1️⃣ Friction isn’t random. It’s predictable. We saw six recurring issues: ➡️ Misaligned landing pages ➡️ Stock inaccuracies ➡️ Unexpected shipping costs ➡️ Price discrepancies ➡️ Failed promotions ➡️ Inconsistent loyalty rewards Each one chips away at trust and encourages shoppers to look elsewhere. 2️⃣ Frequent online shoppers experience the most friction. These are the customers who shop regularly, spend more, and are more digitally engaged. And they’re the ones facing the most pain: ➡️ 41% say the product page didn’t match the ad ➡️ 40% had discount codes fail at checkout ➡️ 39% encountered stock-outs at the last step ➡️ 38% saw price changes post-click ➡️ 37% said loyalty rewards didn’t carry over The most valuable customers with the highest LTV are being let down the most. 3️⃣ Friction hurts conversion and loyalty. Our research shows that over 50% of consumers spend less with brands when they encounter friction. And 40% will look elsewhere entirely if there’s inconsistency between your app, website or store. The bottom line is that poor UX has a direct impact on profitability. And the six areas of friction signal deeper-rooted issues across teams, tech stacks, and channels. And that misalignment is directly costing conversion, customer lifetime value, and brand trust. 💥 Inventory not syncing with front-end search. 💥 Promotions set centrally but broken at the point of checkout. 💥 Loyalty schemes behaving differently across touchpoints. Fixing this means aligning merch, tech, marketing and supply chain around the same journey, the one customers are actually taking. There is also an irony about how much it costs to acquire customers, when many retailers are then just disappointing them. Consistency in pricing, promotions, availability and experience is a strategic differentiator. 🔗 Download the report now https://lnkd.in/e9abZQQW

My #WiT2025 takeaways (1/10): Hospitality Show-off Luxury is dead. Long live Meaning. The new battleground in Asia Pacific hospitality is not distribution or price. It's Experience Orchestration. If your tech stack creates friction, you're losing the most valuable guest. 1. The Luxury Pivot: From Having to Becoming Luxury is shifting from material expense ("bling") to profound personal connection and purpose. Top-tier clients are moving from having (material goods) to becoming (experiences), favoring experiences that emphasize social impact or personal immersion. Some panelists therefore mentioned that the core metric for success is moving beyond RevPAR and occupancy to the Return on Emotional Investment (ROE). Loyalty is no longer just driven by points, but in some cases by co-creation and "money-can't-buy experiences", such as COMO Hotels and Resorts collaborating with NASA, as mentioned by Puneet Mahindroo during WiT (Web in Travel). 2. The Crisis of Data Orchestration While distribution channels are largely "solved" (or at least manageable at scale today), the biggest challenge is Experience Orchestration. Systematic data fragmentation still prevents a unified view of the guest, meaning technology operates in silos (pre-stay versus in-stay, F&B, spa, rooms) while the guest interacts with the hotel as a single entity. This causes visible friction: even guests who pre-check-in online frequently waste time at the front desk being asked for information they have already provided. This friction is most acute during the transition from the platform (mostly OTA but also direct) to the physical check-in. This aspect is key as a better in-stay experience may increase the probability for a guest to return by 3.8x according to panelists. 3. OTAs as Experience Partners, Not Gatekeepers In the long standing “love-hate” relationships between OTAs and Hotels, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are pushing to redefine their role, shifting from being mere "gatekeepers" to genuine experience partners. For example, according to Xing Xiong, COO of Trip.com, more than 50% of guest queries on platforms like Trip.com occur before the booking is finalized. By providing AI-enabled tools and pre-sale support, OTAs aim to reduce customer friction and increase conversion. 4. Scaling Independent Hospitality Independent hotel groups, such as Worldwide Hotels (WWH), benefit from flexibility and agility. As Carolyn Choo, her CEO, pointed out, the democratization of technology, especially AI, acts as an "equalizer," enabling independent operators to adopt powerful, non-proprietary revenue management and guest experience tools. In highly fragmented sectors, like luxury villas and rentals, scaling is best achieved through an M&A roll-up strategy as mentioned by Stephanie Chai from The Luxe Nomad: acquiring specialized property management companies to gain scale and market expertise. #HospitalityTech #CustomerExperience #LuxuryTravel #AI #TravelStrategy #TheWayForward

The biggest shift in travel is not pricing. It’s who understands the traveler first. The more you know about the traveler at the moment of aspiration, inspiration, and shopping, the more you control positioning, pricing — and ultimately economics. Platforms figured this out long ago. They don’t price rooms. They price intent. And that’s why we now see: • Layered, personalized pricing • Behavioral merchandising • Loyalty as a pricing engine • Demand routed by probability, not availability • Pricing shaped across the journey, not just at booking Take Expedia: what looks like simple demand growth is often powered by multi-layered segmentation and pricing orchestration — loyalty, package, geo, device, targeted promotions, B2B redistribution — all shaping perceived price and traveler behavior. Smart? Absolutely. Neutral? Not always. For suppliers, this raises a deeper question: Are we still pricing inventory… while platforms price travelers? Multi-sourcing is accelerating. New T&E players, alternative connectivity, and open ecosystems are expanding access to content and demand. But they are also shifting control toward whoever understands the traveler earliest. This is why next-generation revenue management cannot be single-dimensional. The future is multi-variable value optimization: • Traveler intent & lifetime value • Channel economics & control • Mix quality, not just volume • Loyalty, identity, and relationship depth • True net profitability, not surface ADR And AI will amplify this divide — rewarding those with rich, structured, interoperable content and real traveler intelligence. The real question is no longer: “What price should I set?” It is: “Do I understand the traveler early enough… or am I letting someone else shape the outcome?” #TravelTech #Distribution #RevenueManagement #FutureOfTravel #AIinTravel #MultiSource #Hospitality #DemandEconomics

For consumer-facing platforms, delivering relevant and personalized recommendations isn’t just about convenience—it’s key to enhancing the traveler experience. In a recent blog post, Expedia Group's Data Science team shared how they’ve refined their property search ranking algorithm to better match user intent and provide more meaningful results. Expedia’s recommendation system is traditionally designed for destination searches, where travelers enter a location and filter to find suitable lodging. In this case, the algorithm ranks properties based on their overall relevance. However, another common scenario is property searches, where users arrive on the platform looking for a specific hotel—often through external channels like search engines. If that property is unavailable, simply displaying top-ranked hotels in the area isn’t the best solution. Instead, the system needs to recommend accommodations that closely match the traveler’s original intent. To tackle this, the Data Science team enhanced their machine learning models by incorporating property similarity into the ranking process. They improved data preprocessing by focusing on past property searches that led to bookings, ensuring the model learns from real traveler behavior. Additionally, they introduced new similarity-based features that compare properties based on key factors like location, amenities, and brand affiliation. These improvements allow the system to suggest highly relevant alternatives when a traveler’s first choice isn’t available, making recommendations feel more intuitive and personalized. While broad recommendation systems lay the foundation for personalization, adapting them to specific user behaviors can greatly improve satisfaction. Expedia’s approach highlights the power of fine-tuning machine learning models to better address evolving business needs. #MachineLearning #DataScience #Algorithm #Recommendation #Customization #SnacksWeeklyonDataScience – – –  Check out the "Snacks Weekly on Data Science" podcast and subscribe, where I explain in more detail the concepts discussed in this and future posts:    -- Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKgaMvbh   -- Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gj6aPBBY    -- Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gcwPeBmR https://lnkd.in/gFZSXpMQ

Have you noticed: A flight costs $200 at 10am & $400 by 3pm for the same seat. This isn't inflation. It's AI-powered pricing in action. Delta is using real-time demand data to adjust fares throughout the day. With public and regulatory scrutiny increasing, companies must recognize that optimizing price without managing perception is a major business risk. It affects how customers feel and whether they’ll return. Here are my 3 Customer eXperience lessons every leader needs to consider when using AI to adjust pricing: 1️⃣Provide Transparency. When customers see large price swings without an explanation, they feel misled as public reaction to "surge pricing" in other industries has shown. ✓ The lesson: Add context. A simple note at checkout, such as “This price reflects real-time demand,” helps customers understand the logic behind the number. When expectations are managed, confidence in the brand stays intact. 2️⃣Monitor Feedback Proactively. If you're experimenting with AI-driven pricing, you must monitor customer feedback across all channels: reviews, contact center notes, and social media. These signals appear early and are easy to miss. ✓ The lesson: Pay attention to the customer’s emotional response. It will surface well before any change in revenue or retention. 3️⃣Understand the Emotional Impact. A higher price is rarely the main issue. It's the absence of an explanation that creates doubt and can make customers feel taken advantage of. When people feel surprised or confused at checkout, they begin to question the brand's integrity and their own loyalty. ✓ The lesson: AI can drive efficiency. But emotional clarity, how people feel in the moment, determines whether they continue to buy and tell others. Don't let AI jeopardize customer trust! This is what Doing CX Right® looks like in practice. If you want to retain valuable customers, design pricing experiences that are transparent, justifiable, and emotionally intelligent. What’s your view about dynamic pricing? Comment below 👇 Want more proven tactical CX advice? 🔔 Follow me and subscribe to my blog: DoingCXRight.com. #Doingcxright #customerservice #DynamicPricing #AI

Travelers don’t care about your brand. They care about what works. Right now, OTAs are winning. Everyone in travel is obsessed with who owns the customer? Hotels think they do. OTAs really think they do. But does this matter if the customer doesn’t care? They don’t care about your brand loyalty program. They don’t care if you’re “direct.” They care about three things: Price. Flexibility. Whether your site doesn’t make them want to throw their laptop out the window. This is where OTAs have quietly eaten everyone’s lunch. They don’t pretend to be anyone’s favorite brand. They just work. Wide selection, smart filters, easy changes, and yes, still better prices than most hotel websites, even in 2025. Hotels, to their credit, are trying. But adding more flags to your brand portfolio won’t magically turn Bonvoy into an OTA. You’re not going to out-tech Expedia. And guests aren’t waking up thinking, “I hope I get elite status after night 43 this year.” Now enter AI. We’re about to move from “who has the slickest booking interface” to “who understands the traveler before they even search.” AI agents won’t care about loyalty points. They’ll care about context, price, availability, and whether your platform makes it easy to book and rebook with zero friction. The next generation of travel platforms won’t win because they shout louder. They’ll win because they’re smarter. So the real question isn’t “will AI reshape travel?” It already has. The question is: when the AI agent books the room, will it book yours? #VentureCapital #AI #Traveltech

5 UX fixes that make users book instantly Travel apps lose 60% of users… before they even choose a hotel. Here are the 5-step UX fixes we followed (Save this post to see how Arrive solved it.) Step 1: Simplify discovery Endless options made users give up. We added clear filters and search. → Stress-free hotel discovery. → Reduce decision fatigue. Step 2: Interactive maps Scrolling through lists felt slow and confusing. We built interactive maps. → Visual, quick exploration. → No more endless scrolling. Step 3: Live trip updates Users worried about booking status. We added real-time progress indicators. → Users always know what’s next. → Anxiety-free travel planning. Step 4: Personalized recommendations Generic suggestions felt irrelevant. We made customized itineraries. → Trips feel made for each user. → More engagement, more bookings. Step 5: Fresh, modern visuals Old interfaces felt dull and slow. We applied vibrant, lively visuals. → Sleek, energetic travel vibe. → Fun, memorable experience. The impact ↗ 3x faster hotel discovery ↗ 2x more users completing bookings ↗ 1 smooth, frustration-free travel experience Repost and save this post to test later in your app.

One of the bizarre aspects of the travel industry: Despite more than twenty years of online travel booking and metasearch platforms, travel booking is still anything but a seamless and pleasant experience. Customer research confirms the online travel booking experience is more nerve-wracking than ever: Three out of four travelers regularly abandon their shopping carts on booking sites due to too many options and being overwhelmed. Research even suggests that for some, booking a hotel can be as daunting as purchasing a car or securing a mortgage. What's the underlying cause for this? Massive complexity. This complexity arises mainly from two issues: 1️⃣ Fragmentation → The travel industry is a highly fragmented ecosystem without seamless integration for bookings like flights, hotels, activities, and in-destination mobility in one cohesive place. Consequently, travelers in the U.S. navigate an average of 277 websites to craft an ideal itinerary that suits their specific preferences. 2️⃣ Personalization → Travel is deeply personal. Industry experts, including my business partner Saad Saeed from our travel-planning app Layla, estimate that individuals subconsciously weigh hundreds of different parameters when planning their next vacation. Current online booking platforms, with limited filtering options, fail to meet the extensive personal needs and desires of travelers. What's the path forward? Simplifying the booking experience is essential to bridging the gap from travel inspiration to actual booking. Next-generation social media tools and platforms are poised to offer a more immersive and personalized booking experience that significantly reduces complexity and integrates direct booking functionalities.

✈️ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗨𝗫/𝗨𝗜 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁 🌍 As web designers, we shape digital experiences—and few industries rely on seamless online journeys more than travel and tourism. From browsing dream destinations to booking the perfect trip, travel UX/UI design is about more than aesthetics; it’s about guiding users through an adventure before they even pack their bags. Why should we, as designers, embrace this field? 1️⃣ 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Travel is inherently emotional. Great travel design taps into a user’s excitement, curiosity, and trust. For example, Airbnb’s interface connects users to unique stays through relatable visuals and intuitive navigation. The goal? To make people feel at home before they’ve even arrived. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 Planning trips involves a web of decisions: flights, accommodations, itineraries. Effective travel UX turns complexity into clarity, with streamlined interfaces, interactive maps, and real-time updates. Tools like Expedia’s and Google Travel’s adaptive designs ensure users don’t feel overwhelmed. 3️⃣ 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 The modern traveler books trips, checks in, and navigates—all from their phone. Responsive, accessible design that works on the go isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Embrace minimalist layouts, voice-enabled search, and offline functionality to meet travelers wherever they are. 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 Clear pricing, secure payment systems, and trust badges create confidence—key to converting curious browsers into happy travelers. In the US, where tourism contributed $𝟭.𝟵 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 to the economy in 2023, excelling in travel UX/UI isn’t just smart—it’s essential. So, let’s create designs that inspire journeys and build memories! What are your favorite travel sites or apps, and why? Let’s discuss! 🌟 #TravelDesign #UXUI #DigitalTravel #UserExperience #WebDesign #TravelTech #MobileFirstDesign #ResponsiveDesign #InnovationInDesign #TravelExperience