Mobile Quickly Eclipsing Desktop + Laptop Travel Bookings

Airline passengers may still have to put their smartphones on Airplane mode, but this could be the only part of the travel process that excludes mobile devices. According to research from eMarketer, nearly half of digital travel researchers will check out flights, hotels, and more not only on a desktop or laptop but also (or only) from their mobile device.

128.8 million people in the U.S. will research travel on the internet during the upcoming year. Of those, eMarketer forecasts that 47.4% will do so from their mobile devices. These predictions are not limited to just people researching travel options. eMarketer has also narrowed down mobile’s  role in conversions, with an estimated 31.6% of everyone in the U.S. who books travel online will do so from a mobile device.

The 2015 travelers’ shift to mobile is device specific. Most of the mobile travel research and booking will be done from smartphones rather than tablets.

The impact is not lost on eBrain’s own Glenn Culver, Senior Marketing Brain. “If your travel website does not have mobile-friendly responsive design and/or is not optimized for mobile search, by 2015 you will be missing more than half of your potential business available through search,” says Glenn.

Travel sites need to be ready for researchers to go mobile. Travelers are searching, and their thumbs are just warming up.