Travel Ease
Blog post description.
6 min read
About TravelEase
TravelEase is an online travel company that provides a comprehensive range of travel services, including flight bookings, hotel reservations, holiday packages, and transportation options. TravelEase is a leading player in the European online travel market, with operations expanding to other parts of the world.
Value Proposition
Convenience: TravelEase offers a one-stop platform for all travel needs, simplifying the process of booking flights, accommodations, and other travel services.
Variety: The platform provides a wide array of travel options, enabling users to find the best deals and experiences tailored to their preferences.
Cost-effectiveness: TravelEase aims to offer competitive prices across all travel services.
Trustworthiness: The company has built a strong reputation for being a reliable travel service provider.
Key Statistics
Market Share: TravelEase holds a 22% market share in the European online travel booking sector.
User Base: Over 50 million registered users across Europe.
Mobile App Downloads: 15 million downloads, with 60% of bookings made through the mobile app.
Average Booking Value: €750 for international trips, €300 for domestic trips.
Customer Satisfaction: 4.5/5 star rating based on user reviews.
Repeat Customers: 70% of users book more than once per year.
Annual Growth Rate: 15% year-over-year growth in gross bookings.
User Segments
Business Travelers (Book more than 8 trips per year): 30% of total bookings, accounting for 45% of revenue.
Leisure Travelers (Book 3-8 trips per year): 50% of total bookings, accounting for 40% of revenue.
Occasional Travelers (Book less than 3 trips per year): 20% of total bookings, accounting for 15% of revenue.
User Personas
Name: Sophie Age: 35 Occupation: Marketing Executive Travel Frequency: Frequent (Business Traveler) About: Sophie is a busy marketing executive who values efficiency and reliability in her travel arrangements. She relies on TravelEase for seamless bookings of flights and hotels for her business trips across Europe. Needs and Motivations: Sophie's primary need is to save time and reduce stress related to travel planning. She looks for flexible booking options and loyalty rewards. Job to be Done Statement: Book travel efficiently with flexible options and accumulate loyalty points for personal use.
Name: Marco Age: 28 Occupation: Freelance Photographer Travel Frequency: Regular (Leisure Traveler) About: Marco is a freelance photographer who loves exploring new destinations for both work and pleasure. He values unique experiences and often combines work trips with personal travel. Needs and Motivations: Marco seeks inspiration through travel and looks for off-the-beaten-path destinations. He needs a platform that offers diverse accommodation options and local experiences. Job to be Done Statement: Discover and book unique travel experiences that combine work opportunities with personal exploration.
Name: Elena Age: 42 Occupation: Teacher Travel Frequency: Occasional About: Elena is a school teacher who travels mainly during holidays with her family. She prioritizes family-friendly destinations and accommodations. Needs and Motivations: Elena's primary need is to find safe, comfortable, and affordable family vacation options. She values clear information about family amenities and activities at destinations. Job to be Done Statement: Plan and book family-friendly vacations with minimal stress and maximum value for money.
Prioritization Objective
Improve the user experience of the TravelEase app. (On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest and 1 being lowest)
Based on this scoring, the recommended user persona to focus on is Sophie, the Business Traveler. Business travelers often account for a significant portion of revenue in the travel industry due to their frequent bookings and higher average spend per trip.
User Journey (Sophie - Business Traveler)
Sophie needs to book a business trip to Paris for an upcoming conference.
She opens the TravelEase app and logs in to her account.
Sophie selects the "Flights" option and enters her travel details (origin, destination, dates).
She applies filters for her preferred airlines and direct flights only.
Sophie browses through the flight options, comparing prices and schedules.
She selects a suitable flight and proceeds to book.
Sophie then moves to the "Hotels" section to find accommodation near the conference venue.
She filters hotels based on proximity to the venue, price range, and business amenities.
Sophie compares several hotel options, reading reviews and checking photos.
She selects a hotel and chooses a room type suitable for her stay.
Sophie reviews her entire booking (flight + hotel) on the checkout page.
She applies her corporate discount code and selects her preferred payment method.
Sophie completes the payment and receives a booking confirmation via email and in-app notification.
A week before her trip, Sophie uses the app to check in for her flight and review her hotel reservation.
During her stay, she uses the app to request additional business services from the hotel.
After her trip, Sophie leaves reviews for both the flight and hotel through the app.
User Pain Points
Difficulty in managing and modifying multiple bookings (flights, hotels, transportation) for complex business trips.
Lack of integration with corporate travel policies and expense management systems.
Insufficient information about business facilities and services at hotels and near the venues.
Challenges in tracking and utilizing loyalty points across different providers.
Limited options for last-minute changes or cancellations, which are common in business travel.
RICE Framework to Prioritize Pain Points
Reach (1-1000, 1000 being highest) Impact (1-5, 5 being highest) Confidence (%) Effort (1-5, 5 being highest)
The top 3 pain points based on the RICE scores are:
Difficulty in managing and modifying multiple bookings
Insufficient information about business facilities and services
Limited options for last-minute changes or cancellations
Proposed Solutions
Integrated Trip Management Dashboard Create a comprehensive dashboard where users can view and manage all aspects of their trip (flights, hotels, car rentals) in one place. Include options for easy modifications and cancellations.
Enhanced Business Facilities Information Provide detailed information about business amenities in hotels and nearby facilities (e.g., co-working spaces, print shops) with the option to book or reserve these services directly through the app.
Flexible Booking Options Introduce more flexible booking options that allow for last-minute changes or cancellations with minimal fees, specifically tailored for business travelers.
Corporate Travel Policy Integration Develop features to integrate corporate travel policies into the booking process, ensuring compliance and simplifying expense reporting.
Unified Loyalty Program Create a unified loyalty program that allows users to earn and redeem points across various travel services and partners.
RICE Framework for Solutions
Based on the RICE framework, the first two solutions that TravelEase should prioritize are:
Enhanced Business Facilities Information
Integrated Trip Management Dashboard
MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
For the MVP, I recommend that TravelEase focuses on the Enhanced Business Facilities Information feature. This solution has the highest RICE score and addresses a significant pain point for business travelers. It's also relatively easier to implement compared to the Integrated Trip Management Dashboard.
Reasons for choosing this as MVP:
It directly addresses a major pain point for the primary user persona (Sophie).
It has a high potential impact on user satisfaction and booking decisions.
The feature can be implemented incrementally, allowing for quick deployment and user feedback.
It differentiates TravelEase from competitors by providing valuable information specifically for business travelers.
Launching MVP:
Start with a limited set of popular business travel destinations.
Include basic information about hotel business facilities and nearby services.
Implement a simple rating and review system for business amenities.
Launch the feature to a small group of frequent business travelers for initial feedback.
Collect and analyze usage data and user feedback.
Iterate on the feature based on insights gained.
Version to be shipped first:
Add a "Business Facilities" section to hotel listings with information on:
In-hotel business center details
Meeting room availability and booking options
Wi-Fi speed and availability
Proximity to key business areas or conference centers
Include a map view showing nearby business services (e.g., co-working spaces, print shops)
Allow users to filter hotels based on specific business amenities
Implement a basic rating system for business travelers to rate these facilities
After collecting user feedback and usage data, TravelEase can enhance this feature by adding more detailed information, expanding to more locations, and potentially integrating booking capabilities for business services directly through the app.
Metrics to Track
North Star Metric:
Percentage increase in bookings made by business travelers who use the Enhanced Business Facilities Information feature.
L1 Metrics:
Number of users engaging with the Business Facilities section per month
Average time spent reviewing business amenities information
Percentage of business traveler bookings influenced by the new feature
L2 Metrics:
User satisfaction rating for the Business Facilities Information feature
Number of filters applied using business amenities criteria
Conversion rate from viewing business amenities to booking a hotel
Counter Metrics:
Number of users who view but don't engage with the Business Facilities section
Percentage of users who switch to a different hotel after viewing business amenities information
By closely monitoring these metrics, TravelEase can gauge the success of the new feature and make data-driven decisions for future improvements and expansions.
