Online travel agents (OTAs) and meta-search providers are missing a major opportunity to drive more customer loyalty and stickiness by failing to engage with customers when they travel, according to a new FlightView survey of 2,066 travellers.

Online travel agents (OTAs) are missing a major opportunity to drive more customer loyalty and stickiness by failing to engage with customers throughout the travel cycle.

“OTAs and third-party travel providers have been trying to figure out how to increase usage and maximize customer engagement,” said Mike Benjamin, CEO of FlightView. “One solution is proactively providing better, more actionable information and capabilities. More than 85 percent of the travelers we surveyed said they would return to the provider that they purchased their ticket from if they were offered more valuable information during their trip.”

Ok so how do I, the travel agent capitalize on this opportunity to capture market share.

Systems, Systems and Personalization 

What do I mean ? According to the above, consumers want more relevant and actionable information sent or pushed to them throughout the travel cycle. As agents this is fantastic news. We know our customers better than any OTA or computer ever will thus, we can shine with service and show more value to the consumer. 

The only thing holding us back is the necessary systems to be able to expedite getting info to our customers.

Here are three tips that will help in setting up service systems that will wow customers. 

Create info sheets on the destinations you sell. Include currency info, emergency contact numbers etc. Send this as a first communication after a booking has gone firm. Gather blog posts and articles from around the internet and send links to your customers pre booking. (Click here we have produced a free tool you can use).Develop a mid trip email and post trip email template and send at the appropriate time.

Its all about systems, service and personalization. As agents the more consumer demands and expectations increase the bigger role we can play. Really what I have describe here is what provided impetus for the development of the worlds first travel agent app. Click here to see how we essentially solve the OTA's problem however, bring the solution directly to you the Travel agency community.