Fliers prefer offline mode to book international tickets

Vijay C Roy

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 4

The internet and mobile penetration has transformed the way people travel and North Indians are no exception to it. However, there is a stark contrast between booking an international air ticket and buying a domestic air ticket online. According to industry insiders, when it comes to buying international air tickets, fliers from Chandigarh and Punjab still prefer travel agents or holiday planners to online travel portals or airline websites while for domestic travel, they prefer online mode. 

According to industry estimates, in case of international fliers, 60-65% of travellers prefer travel agents over online portals. On the contrary, over 70% domestic travellers from Chandigarh and Punjab book tickets online and the rest rely on travel agents. 

According to industry, overseas fliers prefer travel agents over online methods because agents provide more convenience, hand-holding and personalised service. Also, since fares on international routes are much more than domestic routes, travellers prefer buying tickets from travel agents. 

“North Indians have been frequent travellers to overseas destinations. Not only the first-time fliers but frequent travellers also rely on travel agents because of agents’ personalised service. In case of cancellation/ postponement or rescheduling the journey, the travel agents provide hand-holding. Over the years, people have reposed faith in travel agents and prefer them over online portals,” said Grand Travel Planners’ managing director Umesh Kapur. 

The total size of air ticket market for Chandigarh and Punjab is estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore. The share of domestic and international air tickets is almost 50:50.

Millennials are most influenced by travel websites. According to industry research, consumers use a mix of online and offline source of information during their international journeys. Though very few consumers prefer offline source for research, when it comes to booking tickets they prefer travel agents.

“Over 76% traffic on our website is regarding domestic bookings. However, in case of international bookings, it is much lower. People still prefer to book international tickets through travel agents,” said Rolly Sinha Dhar, vice-president (corporate sales), Easemytrip.com. To tap the market, the company has both online and offline models which it operates through agent partners.

The travel industry is at the forefront of technological adoption, innovating and transforming itself at a rapid pace. Leading online travel portals are employing break-through technologies that make travel simpler to stay ahead of the competition and facilitate the customers so that they shift online.  

Air ticketing biz in Punjab, Chandigarh

• Market size Rs 3,000 crore (estimated)
• Share of international vs domestic tickets: 50:50