Winter storms. Maintenance issues. Air traffic congestion. Frequent travelers know the usual suspects that cause delayed or canceled flights. But recent events, including a worldwide IT outage and cyberattacks, have shifted the spotlight to technology-related travel disruptions.
To understand how these events have affected travelers, we surveyed nearly 1,350 U.S.-based TripIt users about their recent travel experiences. We asked whether they—or their travel plans—were impacted by these IT outages or cyberattacks, and if so, to what extent.
We found that even if people weren’t traveling during these outages or attacks, most are now worried about how similar events could disrupt their future travel plans. Many feel they also need to be more vigilant about the personal data they share when booking travel plans.
Despite these disruptions, respondents’ feelings towards travel tech—and generative AI, in particular—remain the same. In this new age of travel, most people expect to interact with AI before and during their trips—and the majority believe AI is not a risk factor for cyberattacks.
Keep reading to learn what else TripIt users had to say about their experiences with—and expectations for—technology during their trips.
Following disruptions, compensation claims spike 14%
While most of the TripIt users we surveyed were not impacted by recent events, 11% of respondents said their trips were disrupted. As a result of these disruptions, many impacted travelers filed for compensation from the airlines they were flying. Following the global IT outage in July, we saw a 14% month-over-month increase in claims filed with AirHelp—TripIt’s partner that helps travelers claim compensation for eligible delayed, canceled, and overbooked flights.
This spike in claims comes as little surprise: of those who were impacted, 60% of travelers experienced a delayed flight, 38% experienced a canceled flight, and 29% had multiple flights delayed or canceled.
Of those traveling:
- 60% experienced a delayed flight
- 38% experienced a canceled flight
- 29% had multiple flights delayed or canceled
- 22% got stuck at the airport
- 11% were unable to book a back-up or alternative flight
- 9% were unable to check into their hotel
Tip: TripIt Pro Risk Alerts notifies you when potential disruptions may impact your trip—even before they result in a flight delay or cancellation. These proactive alerts keep you in the know, so you can make informed decisions and stay agile as unexpected situations arise.
Data breaches cause travelers to pull back on sharing personal info
According to our survey data, while most respondents have not had their personal accounts compromised by a cyberattack while traveling, 17% were notified by a travel company about a data breach affecting their personal information.
Of those who’ve experienced this, nearly two-thirds (62%) were impacted within the last year; another 37% were impacted between one and five years ago.
These intrusive events did more than compromise data—they caused travelers to call their trust in booking platforms into question: less than a quarter (21%) of respondents believe airlines and hotels are taking the necessary steps to safeguard their systems from cyberattacks or technology outages.
That being said, half of travelers admitted they never review a travel company’s privacy policy before booking with them. Less than a third (31%) of travelers said they sometimes review said policies. Of those who (at a minimum) sometimes review, just 12% said they do so every time they book.
More than two-thirds of travelers want AI’s help with translating
Despite travelers’ concerns about personal data privacy, the increasing use of generative AI does not make travelers more worried about the risk of cyberattacks and technology outages. More than half (55%) of respondents said AI doesn’t put them any more or less at risk.
In fact, while most travelers remain neutral about gen AI—45% of respondents feel neither positive nor negative about its use in travel—many are learning to expect interactions with AI-powered tools throughout their travel experiences.
As more and more travel companies lean into AI tools—whether to suggest your next trip itinerary or scan biometrics at the airport—some travelers are responding in kind with an appetite for using them.
Of the gen AI tools available, travelers are most interested in:
- Language translation tools (67%)
- Personalized itinerary creation (54%)
- Smart travel assistants (51%)
- Dynamic pricing and deals predictions (42%)
- Augmented reality navigation with interactive guides (24%)
- Emerging destination recommendations (23%)
Taking a trip, especially an international one, suggests an inherent willingness to explore new frontiers, embrace change, and plan ahead—while also leaving room for said plans to evolve. It’s this flexible, yet resilient traveler who will move on from travel disruptions with cautious optimism, but also with the expectation that travel companies will earn their trust, assuage their concerns, and offer the right tools to continually make travel easier.
Methodology: TripIt surveyed nearly 1,350 U.S.-based users to understand their past and upcoming travel plans, plus their priorities, preferences, and behaviors regarding travel and travel planning. The survey took place September 18-26, 2024.
