Airlines Test Adding Metasearch to Their Websites
Photo Credit: Icelandair is trialing a comparison-search feature on its website in selected tests. The service, powered by startup Travelaer, lets consumers see comparable flights on other airlines before buying a ticket. The concept could presage a broader trend in airline ecommerce. Icelandair
Skift Take
If they can't beat the online travel companies, airlines might as well try to copy those companies' slickest moves. A couple of carriers are testing the display of flights on rival airlines in an attempt to prevent consumers from clicking away to shop elsewhere.
Airlines have long tried to coax travelers into booking directly instead of through online travel agencies. New technology and business strategies revealed recently may give them more tools to do so.
Until now, airlines have only shown their own flights on their branded websites. This opens an information gap, prompting most consumers to look elsewhere to comparison-shop. So airlines often lose customers to online travel companies.
Now a couple of airlines are rethinking this model by showing the availability and fares of competitor carriers next to their own.
In separate tests, Icelandair has begun experimenting with displaying a sampling of flights from other airlines in their search results. The idea is that, by showing how competitive their offering is, airlines can persuade more shoppers to buy right away.
For example, a consumer shopping on Icelandair for a round-trip between London and New York City might see, alongside the carrier's own flights, prices and details f
