User Experience for Travel Websites

For consumer-facing platforms, delivering relevant and personalized recommendations isn’t just about convenience—it’s key to enhancing the traveler experience. In a recent blog post, Expedia Group's Data Science team shared how they’ve refined their property search ranking algorithm to better match user intent and provide more meaningful results. Expedia’s recommendation system is traditionally designed for destination searches, where travelers enter a location and filter to find suitable lodging. In this case, the algorithm ranks properties based on their overall relevance. However, another common scenario is property searches, where users arrive on the platform looking for a specific hotel—often through external channels like search engines. If that property is unavailable, simply displaying top-ranked hotels in the area isn’t the best solution. Instead, the system needs to recommend accommodations that closely match the traveler’s original intent. To tackle this, the Data Science team enhanced their machine learning models by incorporating property similarity into the ranking process. They improved data preprocessing by focusing on past property searches that led to bookings, ensuring the model learns from real traveler behavior. Additionally, they introduced new similarity-based features that compare properties based on key factors like location, amenities, and brand affiliation. These improvements allow the system to suggest highly relevant alternatives when a traveler’s first choice isn’t available, making recommendations feel more intuitive and personalized. While broad recommendation systems lay the foundation for personalization, adapting them to specific user behaviors can greatly improve satisfaction. Expedia’s approach highlights the power of fine-tuning machine learning models to better address evolving business needs. #MachineLearning #DataScience #Algorithm #Recommendation #Customization #SnacksWeeklyonDataScience – – –  Check out the "Snacks Weekly on Data Science" podcast and subscribe, where I explain in more detail the concepts discussed in this and future posts:    -- Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKgaMvbh   -- Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gj6aPBBY    -- Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gcwPeBmR https://lnkd.in/gFZSXpMQ

Remember how laborious it used to be to find accommodation for a 🧳 holiday? We had to rely on experience, word of mouth, and travel catalogs. To find accommodation, we first had to pick up a catalogue from a local travel agent or order one from a destination or tour operator and then work our way through it page by page. This took a lot of time, the offers and amenities weren’t easily comparable, and we had to rely on information provided by the accommodation. There was also a risk of disappointment: “close to the beach” might mean a 20-minute walk. Now, however, the internet, and online travel platforms in particular, have massively improved the booking experience for travelers. Modern technologies offer wider choice for customers, giving you access to locations from across the world you otherwise might have missed. All this choice is supported by trusted payment options that give you peace of mind. You can explore thousands of independent reviews from fellow travelers, taking all the stress and unwanted surprise out of holiday bookings. You can easily compare the cost, services and quality of accommodation providers. Increased transparency leads to more competition among accommodations. Lower prices and increased quality mean you get greater value for money. Due to online travel platforms, daily hotel rates are cheaper on average with travelers saving billions every year. Online travel platforms make booking a holiday easy, trustworthy and affordable, meaning travelers can make the right choice for them and explore new places with confidence. #travel #hotels #hospitality

Bad customer experience (CX) is costly. But worse than the cost is the damage it can do to your business. We’ve all seen the fallout from poor customer interactions—lost sales, negative reviews, and damaged reputations. That’s why it’s crucial to prioritize and enhance CX. Here are key strategies to implement: ➡ Map the Customer Journey: Each click and interaction shapes their perception. Create detailed personas to uncover needs, behaviors, and pain points. ➡ Process Inventory: Identify inefficiencies, like delayed shipping, by mapping the customer journey and tracing issues back to their roots. ➡ Ethnographic Research: Study customers in their natural settings to gain insights data alone can't capture. Align strategies with genuine customer expectations. ➡ Cultivate a Customer-Centric Culture: Follow Tesla’s lead—ensure every employee is driven to enhance CX, fostering continuous feedback and adaptation. ➡ Leverage Data: Use a 360-degree view of each customer to predict needs, personalize interactions, and exceed expectations. Don’t cut corners when it comes to improving CX. Focus on these strategies to drive loyalty and revenue. It’s worth it.

Have you noticed: A flight costs $200 at 10am & $400 by 3pm for the same seat. This isn't inflation. It's AI-powered pricing in action. Delta is using real-time demand data to adjust fares throughout the day. With public and regulatory scrutiny increasing, companies must recognize that optimizing price without managing perception is a major business risk. It affects how customers feel and whether they’ll return. Here are my 3 Customer eXperience lessons every leader needs to consider when using AI to adjust pricing: 1️⃣Provide Transparency. When customers see large price swings without an explanation, they feel misled as public reaction to "surge pricing" in other industries has shown. ✓ The lesson: Add context. A simple note at checkout, such as “This price reflects real-time demand,” helps customers understand the logic behind the number. When expectations are managed, confidence in the brand stays intact. 2️⃣Monitor Feedback Proactively. If you're experimenting with AI-driven pricing, you must monitor customer feedback across all channels: reviews, contact center notes, and social media. These signals appear early and are easy to miss. ✓ The lesson: Pay attention to the customer’s emotional response. It will surface well before any change in revenue or retention. 3️⃣Understand the Emotional Impact. A higher price is rarely the main issue. It's the absence of an explanation that creates doubt and can make customers feel taken advantage of. When people feel surprised or confused at checkout, they begin to question the brand's integrity and their own loyalty. ✓ The lesson: AI can drive efficiency. But emotional clarity, how people feel in the moment, determines whether they continue to buy and tell others. Don't let AI jeopardize customer trust! This is what Doing CX Right® looks like in practice. If you want to retain valuable customers, design pricing experiences that are transparent, justifiable, and emotionally intelligent. What’s your view about dynamic pricing? Comment below 👇 Want more proven tactical CX advice? 🔔 Follow me and subscribe to my blog: DoingCXRight.com. #Doingcxright #customerservice #DynamicPricing #AI

5 UX fixes that make users book instantly Travel apps lose 60% of users… before they even choose a hotel. Here are the 5-step UX fixes we followed (Save this post to see how Arrive solved it.) Step 1: Simplify discovery Endless options made users give up. We added clear filters and search. → Stress-free hotel discovery. → Reduce decision fatigue. Step 2: Interactive maps Scrolling through lists felt slow and confusing. We built interactive maps. → Visual, quick exploration. → No more endless scrolling. Step 3: Live trip updates Users worried about booking status. We added real-time progress indicators. → Users always know what’s next. → Anxiety-free travel planning. Step 4: Personalized recommendations Generic suggestions felt irrelevant. We made customized itineraries. → Trips feel made for each user. → More engagement, more bookings. Step 5: Fresh, modern visuals Old interfaces felt dull and slow. We applied vibrant, lively visuals. → Sleek, energetic travel vibe. → Fun, memorable experience. The impact ↗ 3x faster hotel discovery ↗ 2x more users completing bookings ↗ 1 smooth, frustration-free travel experience Repost and save this post to test later in your app.

Stop using stock photos of palm trees. Please. 🌴 The state of creative in travel marketing is embarrassing. If I see one more basic sunset photo with "Book Now" plastered on it, I might lose it. Your potential customers see 10,000+ ads daily. You really think that stock photo of someone looking at a mountain is going to make them stop scrolling? What actually works: - Real photos of real guests having real experiences - User-generated content (yes, even the slightly blurry ones) - Video showing what it actually feels like to be there - Creative that matches your targeting (stop showing families to solo travelers) The travel industry sells experiences. Why are we marketing them like we're selling printer paper? Want proof? We tested generic stock imagery vs. authentic guest content for a tour operator. Authentic content got substantially higher click-through rates. Your money could be working way harder for you. #travelmarketing #marketing #creative

One of the bizarre aspects of the travel industry: Despite more than twenty years of online travel booking and metasearch platforms, travel booking is still anything but a seamless and pleasant experience. Customer research confirms the online travel booking experience is more nerve-wracking than ever: Three out of four travelers regularly abandon their shopping carts on booking sites due to too many options and being overwhelmed. Research even suggests that for some, booking a hotel can be as daunting as purchasing a car or securing a mortgage. What's the underlying cause for this? Massive complexity. This complexity arises mainly from two issues: 1️⃣ Fragmentation → The travel industry is a highly fragmented ecosystem without seamless integration for bookings like flights, hotels, activities, and in-destination mobility in one cohesive place. Consequently, travelers in the U.S. navigate an average of 277 websites to craft an ideal itinerary that suits their specific preferences. 2️⃣ Personalization → Travel is deeply personal. Industry experts, including my business partner Saad Saeed from our travel-planning app Layla, estimate that individuals subconsciously weigh hundreds of different parameters when planning their next vacation. Current online booking platforms, with limited filtering options, fail to meet the extensive personal needs and desires of travelers. What's the path forward? Simplifying the booking experience is essential to bridging the gap from travel inspiration to actual booking. Next-generation social media tools and platforms are poised to offer a more immersive and personalized booking experience that significantly reduces complexity and integrates direct booking functionalities.

Why Hotel Bookings Fail — And What OTAs Can Do About It? After 15+ years in travel tech, I can confidently say: Booking failures are one of the biggest silent killers of conversion and trust. - Rooms that appear available but can’t be booked. - Prices that change mid-checkout. - Technical errors that frustrate users and flood service teams. Most OTAs treat booking failures as a “supplier problem.” But in reality, they’re often preventable—and recoverable—with the right tech, process, and ownership. In my latest article, I unpack: - The 8 most common reasons bookings fail - What’s considered an acceptable failure rate - Practical strategies that reduce failures and improve customer experience - How some companies are turning recovery into a competitive advantage This isn’t just a checklist—it’s the perspective of someone who’s seen these issues play out across OTAs, hotel wholesalers, and tech platforms. Let me know what you’re seeing on your end—failure trends, pain points, or ideas. Always happy to exchange notes. #traveltech #revenuemanagement #conversion

Elements that seem to *almost always* increase bookings when I test them: 👉 Professional property photos that showcase the experience. Not just room shots – I'm talking about sunset views from the deck, cozy morning coffee spots, and those "I can see myself here" moments. 👉 Virtual property tours that bring spaces to life. Every time we A/B test 3D walkthrough content against static images, the immersive experience wins. Guests want to explore before they book. 👉 Expandable amenity lists that delight. Keep the page clean while letting interested guests discover every detail, from the wine fridge to the beach equipment. 👉 Season-specific CTAs that speak to the experience. Forget "Book Now" – try "Secure Your Perfect Summer Getaway" or "Lock in Your Ski Season Escape." 👉 Transparent booking and payment policies. Displaying clear cancellation terms, payment schedules, and trusted payment methods reduces booking anxiety significantly. 👉 Clear property unique features. Why this beach house over others nearby? Answer this in seconds with standout amenities or location perks. 👉 Detailed property pages that answer every vacation question. Comprehensive pages covering local attractions, check-in details, and house rules outperform brief listings. What conversion-boosting elements do you use in your vacation rental marketing? #VacationRental #HospitalityMarketing #TravelIndustry #PropertyManagement #BookingOptimization

Dark Patterns in Travel Booking: A Case from MMT India Transparency is a key principle of good UX, yet some platforms continue to use dark patterns that mislead users. Recently, I noticed an example while booking a ticket on MakeMyTrip India (MMT)—one that raises concerns about fairness and user trust. Here’s what happens: 1️⃣ The base fare is displayed as ₹X. 2️⃣ A discount of ₹Y is applied, bringing the payable amount to ₹(X - Y). 3️⃣ However, when proceeding to payment, the final amount suddenly increases to ₹(X - Y + Z), where Z is a convenience fee—often 50% of the discount. What’s the issue? 🤫 Nowhere in the flow is the convenience fee disclosed upfront. Users only discover it at the last step. 🫡 The discount creates an illusion of savings, but a significant portion is taken back through an additional charge. 😵💫 There is no explanation of how the convenience fee is calculated, making it difficult for users to make informed decisions. This practice violates the fundamental principles of transparency and informed choice—key elements of ethical UX design. As users, we expect businesses to be upfront about costs, rather than revealing hidden charges at the final step. 📢 Why does this matter? Dark patterns like these erode trust and create frustration. If a platform must charge a convenience fee, it should: ✅ Disclose it at the beginning of the booking process. ✅ Explain the calculation clearly, so users understand what they are paying for. Sharing this to raise awareness and spark discussions on ethical design. Have you come across similar experiences while booking online? Let’s talk. 👇 #UX #DarkPatterns #EthicalDesign #UserExperience #Transparency #TrustInTech #MMTIndia