Empathize

User Research

Secondary Research

I combed credible travel industry sources and reports online, especially those completed by Phocuswright and SITA. I discovered that American and British travelers describe mobile flight booking pain points as

• Too much information

• Time spent

• Varying prices

• Lack of useful visuals (10)

I also read about the growing implementation of chatbots by airlines. As of 2019, SITA reported that over 25% of airlines have implemented chatbots and another 55% plan to implement them by 2021.11 However, the most common tasks for chatbots are to direct passengers to FAQs and provide flight status information. (12)

Primary Research

Next I wanted to deepen my understanding of the user experience. I developed a research plan so I could screen and interview users myself. Crafting the research plan allowed me to ensure that my research objectives were clear achievable. I sought to answer:

1. What pain points do people experience when searching for flights online?

2. What pain points do people experience when booking flights online?

3. What is most important to people when searching for and booking flights on a mobile device?

4. What are travelers’ attitudes towards using chatbots during the flight search and booking process?

Screener Survey

To ensure I would be connecting with people who had booked at least one flight in the last 12 months (and who may have experience with chatbots), I used a screener survey. This also allowed me to collect a bit more data myself about device use for air travel planning.

34 people completed my screen survey. The results were a reflection of the information I discovered during my secondary research.

While 90% of survey respondents shared that they had used a computer to search for a flight in the last 12 months, less than 60% had used their mobile device to do so (whether it was via an app or a mobile website).