Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

The segment that I have decided to focus on are distressed travelers or travelers that have been taken advantage of by airlines.

1.       In interview one I met with a friend who has spent more than one night stranded in an airport due to crappy weather conditions or poor execution on the airlines side of things. When he realized that there is going to be a problem (AKA delay or cancellation) he took a few steps that a lot of people that I have interviewed mentioned. He spoke with the concierge about switching flights or other possibilities, google searched alternative flights and bus tickets, and looking for potential places to spend the night if it came to it. This interview was eye opening because we talked about a lot of the side distresses that come with having a flight cancelled. He was stranded in a city across the entire country from his home and knew absolutely no one that he could call for help.

2.       A family member of mine travels for business and has been victim to canceled flights at night. She didn’t have to spend the night in an airport because she had her company pay for a hotel. The only downfall is that her night at home was taken away from her. There are a lot of day travelers in the business world and having to wait until the morning for a flight home is a huge hassle. She mentioned that the logistics of my service would be difficult because if the airline can’t fix it there is usually little chance another airline can at that point in the night. Being able to sell a peace of mind would allow people to sleep easy and know that if crap hits the fan they can be comfortable and know they’re going to be taken care of.

3.       The final interviewee has been heavily delayed by a system meltdown by Delta Airlines. In this circumstance he waited over five hours to get on his flight because of a system malfunction (AKA not his fault). The biggest take away from this interview was that there were plenty of options for him to take flights home that weren’t Delta. However, it was not worth paying for a brand-new flight and not being sure if he would get a refund.

After looking at the facts from each interview I have made a few observations. There isn’t always a solution to someone missing their flight. Sometimes a crappy situation is just a crappy situation and nothing can be done. However, if there was a peace of mind that they weren’t stranded and had an option there is a possibility that people would pay money for the added benefit. It would be a good business strategy to offer a flight insurance when a person buys a ticket. If they do this there is a guarantee that the person will be taken care of as the airlines priority. This could mean getting them on a different airline or putting them up in a hotel for the night depending on the circumstances. For an extra 20$ or so people can protect themselves from a lot of stress.