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Expedia and Egencia Issues Mobile Index [Travel & Leisure Close - Up]
[October 20, 2014]

Expedia and Egencia Issues Mobile Index [Travel & Leisure Close - Up]


(Travel & Leisure Close - Up Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Expedia.com and Egencia released the results of the 2014 Expedia/ Egencia Mobile Index, a study of mobile-device-related behavior and preferences among travelers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.



According to a company release, the study revealed the dependence modern travelers have on their mobile devices, defined as a smartphone, tablet, e-reader, laptop or smartwatch.

Worldwide, 94 percent of people bring at least one mobile device when they take personal vacations, and 97 percent bring at least one device on business trips.


The 2014 Expedia/Egencia Mobile Index was commissioned by Expedia and conducted online by Northstar.

"We are entering a new era where people are moving fluidly across desktop, phone, tablet, even wearables as they dream, plan, book and then ultimately take their trip," said Dara Khosrowshahi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Expedia, Inc. and President, Expedia Worldwide. "Travelers are not only researching and booking trips on mobile, but they're also complimenting their meals, complaining to providers and capturing every trip detail. This is the new normal when it comes to travel. We chose to take a closer look at multi- device habits amongst both leisure and business travelers worldwide to better understand how technology is being used throughout the journey so we can continue to deliver contextually relevant mobile experiences." "For business trips, mobile devices are already a requirement for most travelers, and mobile usage trends are still increasing. This is because mobile devices and enabling-apps make corporate travel smoother and more productive. Our study makes clear how business travelers integrate mobile functionality into their trips, and helps us develop the best experience on whatever device they use," said Rob Greyber, President of Egencia.

Mobile devices effectively serve as a concierge, guide and companion for travelers, who rely on smartphones and other mobile devices at every stage. On the whole, 76 percent of travelers say that their smartphones are "very important/critical" to their daily lives. Seventy percent say the same about their laptop, and 48 percent say the same about their tablet device.

Indians are the most dependent on smartphones, with 95 percent categorizing the device as "very important/critical." The world's least smartphone-dependent people can be found in Norway, where only 57 percent consider their smartphone to be critical/very important. Thirty-five percent of the world's travelers use their smartphones more when they travel than they do at home.

The 2014 Expedia Mobile Index revealed that travelers are well attuned to mobile device etiquette. Courteousness and noise consciousness are particularly important, as is privacy. "Taking photos/videos of people they do not know" is considered offensive smartphone behavior by 42 percent of the world's travelers, trailing only "making calls on speakerphone" (53 percent) and "playing music/ games/videos without headphones" (47 percent).

Given the ubiquity of mobile devices in travel, travelers increasingly prioritize WiFi accessibility. Fifty-six percent of travelers report that WiFi availability and pricing impact their purchasing decision when selecting a flight and hotel.

When asked to rank mobile-related hotel amenities, leisure travelers ranked "Complimentary WiFi" first, ahead of high-speed Internet access, wired in-room connectivity and a business center with computers and printers. Business travelers deem complimentary WiFi even more important, with 86 percent of travelers rating it as very or somewhat important when booking a hotel for business travel.

While laptops and desktop computers are the most common way to book travel, 78 percent of business travelers have used their smartphone in a travel planning capacity and 71 percent use tablets. The most common uses for both devices are managing itineraries (37 percent and 32 percent) and researching destinations (35 percent and 32 percent). Other popular activities are shopping for hotels, receiving flight alerts and checking in for flights. Globally, 28 percent of employed adults who own a mobile device have used a smartphone or tablet to book a hotel.

Losing a passport ranked among the top fears of global travelers, with 40 percent citing it as their top travel anxiety. Losing money ranked second. Somewhat surprisingly, "unexpectedly losing my travel companion" came in third, but only 2 percent of the Spanish cite this as a fear, versus 53 percent of the Danish. "Losing my mobile device" tied with "losing my luggage" in the list of top five travel fears for all travelers.

"Losing all my personal information" was the top anxiety associated with losing a phone while traveling, with 58 percent listing it among their fears. Forty-one percent would worry about their ability to contact home. Thirty-seven percent would worry about the replacement cost. Twenty-nine percent would feel insecure/ isolated, while 19 percent would miss their apps, music and social networks.

Despite the seeming desire to stay connected while traveling, only 35 percent of travelers purchase an international data/roaming plan when traveling. Indians are by far the likeliest to do so, with 68 percent saying yes, while in contrast only 12 percent of the French purchase such a plan.

Sixteen percent of global travelers keep a power cord with them at all times, to recharge their mobile device the moment it loses power. Forty-seven percent reported that they would wait to recharge a powerless phone until they returned to their hotel. Fourteen percent carry a rechargeable case/battery pack. Only 1 percent would pay to use a public charging station or secure power kiosk.

((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.

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