Informal poll…do you enjoy any of the following?
- Waiting on hold to speak to an airline’s customer service agent to figure out if you can cancel or change your ticket?
- Having no idea what the aircraft, cabin, or seats look like?
- Boarding the plane and finding your seat just to realize that there is no Wi-Fi, power, or entertainment available?
I’m guessing you didn’t choose any of these. Over 65% of travelers agree—they’re just as frustrated by the lack of transparency when buying tickets ACI Worldwide
We all want insight into what we are buying, and that’s becoming even more important to today’s flight shoppers. Purchasing airfare based on price alone will soon be obsolete—from the airport, to the onboard experience, to understanding a ticket’s benefits and restrictions, we all want to know what to expect on our journey.
So, how does a travel search engine keep up in an evolving industry?
You give power to the people — or in this case, airline content to flight shoppers. ATPCO’s product line Routehappy Content improves the customer experience, empowering flight shoppers to make more informed decisions when purchasing airfares.
Routehappy Content consists of
- Amenities – the highly desired flight-based features, like legroom and Wi-Fi
- Universal Ticket Attributes (UTAs) – the geek-speak for the important fare benefits and restrictions of a ticket, like "can I cancel my ticket” and “for how much?"
- Universal Product Attributes (UPAs) – images highlighting what’s onboard the aircraft, like pictures of the seat and what food or beverages are available
In 2018, Hipmunk implemented Routehappy Content into their booking platform. The integration of Amenities, UTAs, and UPAs offers a powerhouse punch of information. With a tagline of don’t let planning drive you nuts, Hipmunk’s booking flow lets flight shoppers easily understand what they will get on their upcoming flight.
At the start of the flight search, Hipmunk enables savvy searchers to see key amenities at-a-glance. As anyone traveling for business or leisure knows, the power outlet, Wi-Fi, and of course, entertainment options are extremely important!
Five top amenities are displayed next to each flight option, where you can quickly scan and make a decision on what’s most important to you (Wi-Fi, entertainment, power, food, and legroom).
Hipmunk provides an Amenities filter, powered by Routehappy Content.
After you’ve selected your flights, Hipmunk provides a summary of the airline content: Amenities, the UTAs, and the UPA images.
The UPA images are worth a thousand words, enabling flight shoppers to see what the aircraft cabin, seats, and even what food or beverages will be served.
Given Hipmunk's focus on the flight shopper, we weren't surprised to learn that Hipmunk was an official Webby Award Honoree (this is their fourth nomination since 2013). With a judging body of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators, the annual Webby Awards denote digital excellence. Kudos, Hipmunk! We are so glad to have you in the Routehappy by ATPCO family!
Contact us to learn more about Routehappy Content and what it can do for your organization. Let's connect >
Images inside the aircraft, known as Universal Product Attributes (UPAs), help a shopper buy with confidence.
