News & Research

Allianz Partners, a global leader in travel protection and consumer specialty insurance, and IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultant on ancillary revenue, have released the first edition of The Allianz Partners Big Book of Travel Data by IdeaWorksCompany.  This new publication, which expands on IdeaWorks’ former Big Book of Airline Data, provides a world of industry data for airlines, hotel groups, car rental companies, and online travel agencies, and is collated by alphabetical order, size, region, and more.  The 110-page “Big Book” is available free of charge via download at AllianzPartners.com and IdeaWorksCompany.com. The compilation of data allows for interesting comparisons; here is the list of revenue leaders in each category in 2021:

• $78 billion for OTAs: Trip.com Group (gross bookings). China-based company operates the Ctrip, Skyscanner, Trip.com, and Qunar websites.
• $39.7 billion for hotels: Marriott International (estimated room revenue).
• $29.9 billion for airlines: American Airlines (company revenue).
• $23.9 billion for car rental: Enterprise Holdings (company revenue). The company operates the Alamo, Enterprise, and National brands.

The Big Book of Travel Data is now available for sale in the store.

Allianz Partners and IdeaWorksCompany release report filled with data from 122 airlines, 174 hotel brands, leading car rental companies and OTAs.  Allianz Partners, a global leader in travel protection and consumer specialty insurance, and IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultant on ancillary revenue, have released the first edition of The Allianz Partners Big Book of Travel Data by IdeaWorksCompany.  This new publication, which expands on IdeaWorks’ former Big Book of Airline Data, provides a world of industry data for airlines, hotel groups, car rental companies, and online travel agencies, and is collated by alphabetical order, size, region, and more.

The Big Book of Travel Data is now available for sale in the store.

From global network airlines to low cost carriers, baggage is the top a la carte revenue performer.  The latest report from IdeaWorksCompany describes innovations focusing on carry-ons, baggage check-in, and booking path displays.  Fees for carry-on bags are the latest development in the global quest for ancillary revenue.  Low cost carriers have always led the way here and this encouraged more and more traditional airlines to adopt fees.  The 20-page report includes better baggage business examples from these carriers:  Aer Lingus, AirAsia, Air France, American, Delta, EasyJet, Frontier, JetBlue, Jetstar, Qantas, Ryanair, Spirit, United, Volaris, and Volotea.

This CarTrawler sponsored analysis reviews the baggage fee methods embraced by 18 carriers leading the pack.  From global network airlines to low cost carriers, baggage is the top a la carte revenue performer.  The latest report from IdeaWorksCompany describes innovations focusing on carry-ons, baggage check-in, and booking path displays.  Fees for carry-on bags are the latest development in the global quest for ancillary revenue.  Smart airline management teams also acknowledge new baggage services must improve the journey for passengers.  Baggage Belts Deliver Cash for Smart Airlines is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and encourages airlines to build better baggage businesses.

IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultancy on airline ancillary revenues, and CarTrawler, leading global B2B provider of car rental and mobility solutions to the travel industry, recently estimated ancillary revenue at $65.8 billion worldwide for 2021. This CarTrawler Global Estimate of Baggage Fee Revenue identifies baggage as a $20.9 billion component and provides a summary of baggage fee policies for 20 top airlines.  Baggage fees have become more important to airlines during the course of the pandemic. This is evidenced by bag fees’ share of global airline revenue growing from 3.7% in 2019 to 4.6% for 2021. This trend applies for the wide range of optional extras that define ancillary revenue. Look for airlines to increase revenue from these activities by expanding flexible pricing and bundled fares and better retailing through online travel agents and mobile devices.

CarTrawler-sponsored analysis describes how the pandemic, technology, and environmental concerns have changed airline business travel. It could be a year in which the airline industry recovers some of the profits lost during the pandemic. That’s the picture for leisure travel, especially in the burgeoning premium leisure sector. The recovery of business travel is complex and largely unwritten. Online meeting technology continues to march ahead, company employees are still working from home, corporations are setting carbon reductions tied to business travel, and the airline industry still struggles to find firmer footing. Innovation and resilience saved airlines during the pandemic, and these same traits will allow airlines to adapt to the changes wrought by new communication technologies and carbon emission concerns. The Pandemic, Technology, and the Environment Are Changing Airline Business Travel is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and focuses on the new category of premium leisure travel as a market offering tremendous potential to fill the business travel gaps that may persist.

The recovery of business travel is complex and largely unwritten. Online meeting technology continues to march ahead, company employees are still working from home, corporations are setting carbon reductions tied to business travel, and the airline industry still struggles to find firmer footing. Innovation and resilience saved airlines during the pandemic, and these same traits will allow airlines to adapt to the changes wrought by new communication technologies and carbon emission concerns. The Pandemic, Technology, and the Environment Are Changing Airline Business Travel is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and focuses on the new category of premium leisure travel as a market offering tremendous potential to fill the business travel gaps that may persist.

Advice to Airline Managers – Don’t be Paralyzed by the 2022 Consumer Challenge is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today. The report includes a chart listing the Covid era change and cancellation policies for 25 leading global network and low cost carriers. The 14-page report by IdeaWorksCompany is a call to action to help savvy airlines navigate a path to better serve consumers and improve financial sustainability during this period:

1. Protect consumers from today’s travel uncertainty. For instance, Air Canada has no expiration date for Covid change and cancellation protections.
2. Improve clarity of fare restrictions. Low cost carriers typically do a better job than traditional airlines of presenting fare conditions.
3. Allow friends and families to pool frequent flyer points. Singapore Airlines now allows family members to aggregate frequent flyer miles.
4. Promote flexible holiday packages. EasyJet holidays provides a good example of a thorough and well-conceived policy for consumers.
5. Be more generous and kind to your consumers. Icelandair will fly passengers delayed by mandatory self-isolation home at no additional expense.

The pandemic has taught us that competition does exist for the air travel spending by leisure and business travelers. Airline consumers identified alternatives during the pandemic and the best of these solutions will have staying power for the future. The Airline Industry Has Changed – Convenience and Predictability Are Missing is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today. This IdeaWorksCompany 15-page report describes how the industry has changed and provides ideas on how revenue can be increased and more traffic can be captured.  Airlines will face moments during 2022 that define whether they continue to struggle or return as robust providers of service to leisure and business travelers. The magic of surviving, and even thriving, is determined by how airlines adapt to what is new and maximize what will remain the same.

The pandemic has taught us that competition does exist for the air travel spending by leisure and business travelers. Airline consumers identified alternatives during the pandemic and the best of these solutions will have staying power for the future.  This 15-page report describes how the industry has changed and provides ideas on how revenue can be increased and more traffic can be captured.  Many of the habits formed by travelers during the pandemic will be enduring and are reflected in the perspectives covered in this report:  1. Network airlines will focus on leisure travel.  2. Business will be more a la carte and premium economy will grow.  3. Airlines will be enticed by branded fares and dynamic pricing.  4. More effort will be made to improve buy-on-board food. 5. Carriers need to provide protection from uncertainty. 6. Border closures are here to stay.