If you compare activities at an airport today to an airport scene from a “Mad Men” episode, both would feature harried business travelers lugging their baggage through the terminal. You’d notice a difference in travelers’ fashion sense, but the planes wouldn’t look dramatically different, at least not on the outside (a peek inside the cockpit would reveal more digital displays and fewer ashtrays).
But make no mistake about it: Technology has profoundly changed the way today’s passengers travel, providing tools that make life easier, especially for frequent business travelers. Here are three ways technology simplifies travel for modern day Don Drapers and Peggy Olsons:
1. Price comparisons: Websites like Expedia, KAYAK, Priceline and dozens more make it simple for today’s travelers to compare airline fares, hotel rates and car rental prices. Instead of thumbing through the Yellow Pages and calling around to determine the going rate, travelers simply log in and let the search algorithms deliver bargains, saving time and money in the process.
2. Real-time changes: In the past, a missed connection or sudden change in travel plans could result in travelers spending a ridiculous amount of time standing in line or waiting on hold at a pay phone to book another flight and change hotel reservations. Now, travelers can roll with the changes, using a mobile phone to update flight reservations or book a hotel room on the fly.
3. Constant connection: In addition to making it easy for travelers to contact airlines, hotels and rental car agencies, mobile devices and social media platforms let companies reach out to customers, providing a way to send notifications if there are delays or flight cancellations or if something else comes up that requires a change in plans. Mobile devices make it easy to stay connected no matter where travelers go.
Thanks to fare and room rate search engines as well as mobile technology, today’s travelers have it easier than past generations. But these tools are only the beginning. New services for travelers are harnessing the power of apps and global logistics networks to simplify travel even more, giving business travelers a much-needed break as they pursue opportunities worldwide.
The next wave of travel-related services promises to extend the benefits of the digital age in new ways, changing the way the world travels once again. There’s never been a more exciting time to be a road warrior.
Andrea Graziani, CMO, DUFL, is a successful, driven marketing professional qualified by over two decades of visible achievements in marketing in the internet/tech industry. Range of experience marketing to B2B and B2C customers with hands on experience in all facets of marketing including PR, design, writing, social media, digital media, lead generation, events, product marketing, web design and development, advertising and more.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
