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Four ways airlines are losing customers before they can make a purchase

Blog airlines losing customers

Every airline merchant worth their salt knows the supreme importance of providing a good customer experience to those looking to buy a flight.

This is doubly true when it comes to online checkouts, where most airline transactions occur. Indeed, according to a recent study on ResearchGate, 67.7% of all airline booking activities are now conducted online.

Despite the ease and convenience that online travel stores provide, they can be detrimental to the smooth operation of the business if customers become irritated or confused by the purchasing process – especially during the actual payment.

Consider the fact that, per Zendesk, 50% of consumers will switch to a competitor after one bad experience. This means that the stakes are high for those airlines that want to retain loyal customers, encourage repeat business, and improve long-term sales.

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Bearing all of the above in mind, it’s vital that airlines that depend on online sales invest in curating an excellent customer experience (CX) to stay ahead of the game in a highly competitive market.

But in order to prevent customers from giving up on making their purchases, we have to examine their pain points and think about what provokes them into abandoning their carts.

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Cart abandonment rates in the airline industry are alarmingly high


Cart abandonment is commonplace across the airline industry as a whole. In fact, according to data provided by Zippia, over 88.87% of airline ticket purchases are left abandoned at checkout. But why is this?

One potential explanation is that when airline checkouts are too complicated or require several unnecessary steps, consumers can become frustrated and leave the page before making a transaction. The more obtuse the payment process, the more drop-offs. Comparatively, the more efficient and intuitive the payment process is, the more customers are willing to see their airline purchases through to their natural conclusion.

So, for airlines to maximise their sales and retain their customers, they need to curate the best possible checkout experience for consumers. Airlines should consider optimising for simplicity by implementing features that bypass extensive data entry, or at least move it further down the process, such as guest checkouts and the ability to choose various payment options.

The advantages of optimising online checkout


There are a number of advantages out there for airlines that choose to optimise their online checkout experience and ensure it is more customer-centric. Some of these benefits include:

  1. Higher customer retention
    • According to data from Forrester, customers are 2.4 times more likely to stick with a brand when their problems are solved quickly, meaning that they are more likely to remain loyal over time.
  2. Better brand reputation
    • A good CX is key to better word-of-mouth advertising. Per Zippia, the average customer will be compelled to tell at least six other people about their positive CX when visiting a store.
  3. Increased chance of conversions
    • When payments are optimised for CX, there’s a greater chance that conversions can be successful. Again, data courtesy of Zippia indicates that an improved CX can increase airline revenue by 10-15%.

Four ways airlines are losing customers before they can make a purchase


Now that we have covered why a great CX is such a boon to airlines, here are four ways airlines are losing customers before they can make a purchase.

  1. 01
    Cluttered online checkout
    • Contemporary customers increasingly want straightforward and easy-to-navigate checkouts. Some issues that could make your checkout too complex include:
    • – Too many forms to fill out
    • – A hard-to-locate checkout button
    • – An unintuitive or unpleasant user experience
  2. 02
    Not allowing guest checkout
    • Many airlines now require users to create an account on their site to purchase tickets online. Although these accounts are advantageous for airlines and save customers time in the long run, they are often perceived as an annoyance in the short term, especially when customers are trying to complete a transaction quickly.
  3. 03
    Not making payments secure enough
    • Customers need to feel safe when providing their payment information to an airline. Customers who believe that an online store is vulnerable to fraud are less likely to part with their hard-earned cash.
  4. 04
    Not offering enough payment options
    • Failing to offer enough payment methods is another way airlines can lose customers at checkout. Modern online consumers want to be able to use their preferred payment method whenever they’re making a purchase. Most customers will gladly opt for a competitor instead if their preferred payment method isn’t available.

Considering all these factors, is there an easy way that airline merchants can tackle all their CX issues in one fell swoop? We’ve got two words for you: Payment Orchestration.

How Payment Orchestration elevates the checkout experience


Payment Orchestration is emerging as a solution for merchants needing broad connectivity, rich data, and transaction flexibility. These features are all necessary for airline merchants to carry out business seamlessly.

So, how does it work? Payment Orchestration integrates multiple payment providers through a single unified software layer. The orchestrator executes the full payment processing on behalf of the merchant and handles reconciliation, risk screening, payouts, and reporting.

Optimise your checkout experience today with CellPoint Digital

CellPoint Digital’s Payment Orchestration Platform can help airlines optimise their checkout experience for improved customer retention and satisfaction.

With a proven track record working with the airline industry to provide value for both airline merchants and their customer base, CellPoint Digital’s offers a number of advantages for airline merchants, such as enabling extensive PSP and APM coverage.


So, if you’d like to learn more about how our Leading Payment Orchestration Platform could benefit your airline business, then contact us today.

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