Mobile Phones Overtake Desktops as Consumers’ Preferred Travel Booking Tool

Travel agents have long gone the way of video store clerks, and consumers haven’t walked into an airport or hotel to make a flight or room reservation in more than a generation. Booking travel, whether a short Uber ride across town or vacation abroad, first went digital roughly three decades ago amid the rise of desktop computers and websites for travel platforms, hotels and rental cars.

The newest trend within that digital revolution: Consumers are using their mobile phones to purchase trips. But only people of certain ages and only certain kinds of trips.

A forthcoming study from PYMNTS Intelligence shows how mobile phones have taken the lead as the preferred tool for booking travel, transforming how consumers plan and purchase everything from Lyft rides and short-haul flights to cross-country adventures and overseas vacations.

The shift, detailed in the forthcoming special report, “Consumers Go Mobile-First on Travel Purchases,” reveals a consumer landscape in which convenience and instant access reign supreme.

The report, which will be published Monday (April 7) and is based on a survey of more than 2,200 U.S. adult consumers conducted in early February 2025, paints a clear picture: Mobile devices are now the dominant force in travel booking.

More than 7 in 10 U.S. consumers prefer using such devices when booking local travel. Nearly 6 in 10 say the same for long-distance travel and rental cars.

The mobile-first trend is notably stronger for travel compared to other common purchase categories such as restaurant orders and retail goods. Today, your next getaway likely begins and ends in the palm of your hand.

But the way consumers book isn’t uniform. Rather, it depends on their age and the type of travel they’re pursuing.

Mobile devices have the biggest lead in local travel purchases, like taxi rides and public transportation fares. A striking 73% of shoppers who recently paid for these services via apps prefer using their mobile devices, compared to only 37% who favor computers. Interestingly, around 1 in 10 shoppers who recently bought any type of travel prefers using voice-activated devices.

But while mobile holds an edge for longer journeys and rental cars, computers remain surprisingly resilient. Nearly 6 in 10 consumers (59%) prefer mobile for long-distance travel, with 54% opting to book via a computer.

Similarly, for rental cars, 57% favor mobile, while 50% prefer computers. This suggests that for more complex itineraries, a  computer’s larger screen and potentially more detailed interface holds appeal for many travel buyers.

Delving into generational differences uncovers some fascinating trends. The majority of consumers across age groups are now mobile-first when it comes to booking travel, ranging from 64% for Gen Zers to 53% for Generation X.

Baby boomers stand out as the only generation where computers are still preferred over mobile devices. Only 28% of that cohort prefer mobile for booking all types of travel, while 45% favor computers.

But there’s a twist. Gen Z, the cohort that grew up with smartphones, shows an affinity for purchasing travel via computers, with 40% preferring this method. This puts them closer to baby boomers in this regard than to millennials.

The report suggests that Gen Z’s preference for computers often revolves around purchases made through browsers rather than via mobile apps, and that the cohort is notably less likely to prefer mobile browsers compared to zillennials and millennials. One possible explanation is that many Gen Z consumers are students and frequently use laptops for coursework, giving them consistent access to both device types.

Across all three transit categories — local transportation, long-distance travel and rental cars — baby boomers were the least likely to have made travel purchases within the last 12 months, followed by Gen Z. This could reflect their respective life stages, with many baby boomers retired and Gen Z consumers often still in school or early in their careers.

Regardless of how they book, a large majority of digital-first travel consumers prioritize research. More than 7 in 10 digital shoppers typically conduct research as part of their travel buying process, highlighting the smartphone’s role not just in booking a ticket but also in the earlier planning stage. This holds true across generations, with Gen Z leading at 79%. Even 69% of boomers engaging in online research before making a purchase.

Interestingly, only about half of shoppers who buy their travel digitally consider the perks offered by their credit cards or other payment plans when booking online. This indicates an area where merchants and service providers could better incentivize travelers to use their rewards programs. Bridge millennials lead in considering perks, followed by Gen X and millennials. Gen Z shoppers show less interest in this benefit. Baby boomers exhibit the least interest in perks and rewards.

As mobile phones become even more sophisticated, the dominance of smartphones in the travel sector is likely to strengthen. Businesses in the travel industry should recognize and adapt to these mobile-first behaviors to reach and serve travelers.

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