Technology and Human Interaction Key to Enhancing Travel Experience, Amadeus Study Reveals

A recent study by Amadeus, a travel technology firm, points out that technology and human interaction could significantly improve the travel experience. The survey, titled “Friction Removed,” highlights travelers’ top concerns, including delays, costs, and the overall airport experience.

The study found that 68% of U.S. travelers are distressed by delays and cancellations, 50% by the total travel cost, and 47% by coordinating travel between multiple people. Other causes of distress include navigating airport security and border control (46%), and finding suitable accommodations (38%).

Interestingly, the level of travel friction varies among different types of travelers. Business travelers, for instance, experience more friction than leisure travelers, especially when comparing prices, understanding fees and taxes, and finding suitable accommodations. Among different age groups, 49% of Gen Z travelers find scheduling and finding correct routes stressful, compared to only 35% of those aged 65 and above.

The survey suggests that technology can help mitigate many of these frustrations. 89% of respondents found mobile apps for planning helpful. 86% of travelers found automatic rebooking for delays, digital bag tracking tags, integrated travel booking, and fully digital identification and travel documents useful.

However, the survey also emphasizes the importance of human interaction in certain situations. Leisure travelers prefer human touch at airport security and border control (44%), and hotel check-in and check-out (43%). They also want more human input when planning family trips (47%), accessibility-focused trips (47%), cruises (46%), solo (43%), and group journeys (40%).

According to Rajiv Rajian, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Americas, Travel, Amadeus, the company aims to improve the travel experience by exploring ways to overcome traveler frustrations, leveraging technology to reduce distress and creating more seamless journeys.

Similarly, Robert Buckman, Senior Vice President of Solution Consulting at Amadeus, believes technology can significantly impact overcoming travel friction. He added that utilizing data orchestration across the trip lifecycle and collaborating with various stakeholders in the travel ecosystem can help improve the end-to-end traveler experience.