Travel apps and websites have significant room to improve in comparison to other industries, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel App Satisfaction and the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Studies released Tuesday.
The reports evaluate satisfaction with travel apps and websites in three different segments, including airline, hotel and rental car, considering key variables that influence customer choice, satisfaction and loyalty based on six factors: account management, day of travel/duration of stay (app only), navigation, reservation, speed and visual appeal.
Research shows that airline, hotel and rental car app and website satisfaction trails the highest-scoring apps and websites in other industries. Specifically, overall satisfaction with travel-related digital travel channels is lowest among airline websites at 640 (on a 1,000-point scale).
Meanwhile, hotel apps (682) and rental car apps (681) perform best among digital travel tools compared to airline apps (672), rental car websites (662), hotel websites (646) and the aforementioned airline websites (640).
According to J.D. Power, the digital tools used most frequently on the day of travel are the boarding pass, check-in and flight status trackers on airline mobile apps. Nonetheless, their overall satisfaction scores pale in comparison to less frequently used tools such as those used for purchasing upgrades or tracking baggage.
In terms of travel apps, Alaska Airlines ranks highest in overall satisfaction among airlines with a score of 688, followed by Southwest Airlines (687) and JetBlue Airways (680).
United's newest pre-order food and beverage option on the United app. (photo via United Airlines) ((photo via United Airlines))
World of Hyatt ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among hotel apps with a score of 722, edging out Choice Hotels (691) and Hilton Honors (691), which are tied for second.
Finally, National ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among rental car apps with a score of 738. Alamo (720) ranks second while Enterprise (687) comes in third in 2023.
Alaska Airlines ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among airline websites with a score of 658, narrowly topping JetBlue (654) and Southwest (648).
When it comes to hotel websites, World of Hyatt ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with a score of 676, followed by Hilton Worldwide (661), Choice Hotels (652) and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (652), which are tied for third.
National also ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among rental car websites with a score of 709, beating out Alamo (681) and Hertz (674).
"Travel apps and websites are unique because they are most frequently used when travelers are experiencing some level of stress, like when they are in travel mode, juggling bags, watching the clock or trying to navigate an unfamiliar place," Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, said in a statement.
"Apps and websites hold a great deal of information about the particular user and their journey, making use of that information to personalize the journey, anticipate and provide support are critical to improvement."
The studies have been redesigned since J.D. Power's last evaluation of travel industry apps and websites in 2019 and are based on more than 5,500 user evaluations between June and July 2023.
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