Booking Sites See Marketing and Mapping Opportunities for Apple Watch in 2016
Skift Take
It's still too early to draw any conclusions as to which functionalities work best for travel brands on the Apple Watch, though it's clear that mapping and photos are integral to its future. But determining what information is best for a smartphone and smartwatch is still anyone's game.
Navigation, bookings, and photo slideshows are the three dominant functionalities travelers have used the Apple Watch for in the seven months since the product launched and travel booking sites rolled out apps, and its developments and updates in 2016 will likely focus on these features.
That's according to booking sites Priceline.com and Hotels.com, though this trend may translate to other Apple Watch apps for hotels or airlines which show travelers' itineraries and trip information.
"Since rolling out the [Priceline.com Apple Watch app] in April, engagement has been stable, but not necessarily growing at this point," said Karen Tepper, VP of mobile at Priceline.com. "We see more people engaging with what hotels are nearby than accessing their upcoming itineraries. Customers are looking at their itineraries during their stays on the watch instead of the day before, for example, and customers are mostly using the watch on Fridays and Saturdays."
Priceline.com's Android and Apple Watch experiences are very distinct of one another--the Android watch app centers on offering information about local places like convenience stores, ATMs and pharmacies within the vicinity of the traveler’s hotel compared to the Apple Watch app which is largely for checking itineraries and accessing last minute hotel deals. Tepper said Android's integration of Google's mapping technology
