The ever expanding capability and portability of mobile devices ensures smartphones and tablets are becoming trusted travel companions. That’s because mobile literally covers the earth, with a mobile phone subscription for every person, according to data from the United Nations. No leap of faith is required to assume mobile will overtake personal computers as the primary choice for self-booking personal and business travel. Statistics indicate we are very nearly at that point of transition.
The latest report from IdeaWorksCompany reviews the mobile applications offered by the world’s largest LCCs as measured by passengers flown. Theoretically, the mobile applications evaluated should represent state-of-the-art examples of ancillary revenue excellence. After all, the LCC category should naturally excel in the art of ancillary revenue. Here are a few observations from the report:
• 14 of the 15 airlines have in-app flight booking capability for Android phones.
• The mobile apps from Jetstar, Ryanair, and Wizz Air offer seven to nine à la carte options in their booking paths.
• Ryanair was found to have the best overall mobile app with excellent capabilities related to pre-paid baggage, seat assignment, and car hire.
• Pegasus delivers the most thorough meal descriptions we’ve seen at a website or in a mobile app.
• 56% of visitors to the Wizz Air website use mobile phones, which the airline says is among the highest ratios on the world.
• Lack of financial disclosure is a problem; word searches for “mobile” and “app” delivered zero results in recent financial disclosures for 13 of the 15 airlines.
“Airlines that have a centralised ancillary offering within their app, providing their customers with reasons to frequently return, are reaping the rewards. The airlines that are truly thinking about the mobile experience and offering the right product at the right time from within their app, are the ones that will win the customer,” says Aileen O’Mahony, Chief Commercial Officer at CarTrawler.
