Until recently, before the onset of the pandemic that brought shocking changes to the daily life of the world community, travel bookings – for transportation and accommodation – favored businesses with travelers paying the “price” several times of an unexpected event, a change last minute in planning etc.
The Covid-19 seems to be reshaping the scope of booking flexibility, following a growing demand from the traveling public who are willing to start traveling again. According to Travelpulse.com, creating flexibility in future bookings is vital for travel providers in their quest to build trust, and early data shows that the industry is listening and responding. For example, in September, American Airlines, Delta and United made the big decision to eliminate booking fees permanently.
In fact, a recent survey claims the same, with seven out of 10 travelers saying they would seek flexibility over the next 12 months in the form of travel insurance and travel protection, full cancellations and refunds for booking and accommodation bookings.
There are also many online travel agencies and search engines that now offer the option of filtering the proposed property depending on whether free cancellation is offered, with details on travel protection, and deferral policies that are a critical part of season travel. of the pandemic.
This change in travelers’ expectations, the article says, will push other providers to follow suit, ensuring that flexible bookings are now part of their service. At the same time, technology will continue to play its role throughout the pandemic (and beyond), with travelers reassured by the ability to easily manage their plans via the internet and smart devices.
