Summary of Key Insights

The Hopper app generally receives positive feedback, with users praising its ability to find cheap flights, hotels, and car rentals. The price prediction and tracking features are highly valued. However, some users report negative experiences related to customer service, incorrect bookings, and issues with refunds. The overall sentiment is positive, but the negative reviews highlight critical areas needing improvement.

• Strengths: Price prediction accuracy, ease of use, good deals, flight watching and notification features.
• Weaknesses: Customer service responsiveness and effectiveness, booking errors (incorrect hotel reservations, rooms not as described), refund issues, hidden fees.
• Overall Sentiment: Positive, with a significant number of 5-star reviews. However, negative reviews point to significant issues that impact user trust.
• Quantitative Metrics:
  • Overall Rating: High (based on score distribution)
  • Score Distribution: 5-star (81.4%), 4-star (6.8%), 3-star (1.4%), 2-star (0.4%), 1-star (10%)

Data & Methodology Overview

• Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
• Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but based on the version number (7.81.2), the reviews are likely relatively recent (within the last few months).
• Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (manual interpretation of review text), keyword extraction (identifying frequently mentioned terms and issues), frequency analysis (counting occurrences of specific complaints and praises).

Key User Pain Points

• Customer Service Issues:
  • Difficulty reaching customer service representatives.
  • Long wait times.
  • Unhelpful or unresponsive support staff.
  • Inability to resolve issues effectively.
  • Being passed between Hopper and the airline/hotel without resolution.
• Booking Errors:
  • Incorrect hotel reservations (wrong hotel, wrong dates, wrong room type).
  • Rooms not matching descriptions (e.g., no kitchen when advertised).
  • Reservations not being registered with the hotel.
• Refund Issues:
  • Delays in receiving refunds for cancelled flights or bookings.
  • Refusal to provide refunds in certain situations.
  • Lack of clarity regarding refund policies.
• Unexpected Fees:
  • Hidden fees not disclosed during booking (e.g., additional hotel fees).
  • Car rental companies not honoring the price quoted by Hopper.
• Price Manipulation:
  • Users suspecting price increases immediately after checking prices, suggesting app manipulation.
• App Glitches/Errors:
  • App not loading or functioning correctly.
  • Payment issues during booking.
  • Referral bonus issues.
• Policy Changes:
  • Negative feedback regarding changes to the Premium Disruption Assistance policy.

Frequently Requested Features

• Improved Customer Service: More responsive and helpful support.
• Greater Booking Flexibility: Easier to make changes or cancellations.
• Clearer Pricing: More transparent display of all fees and charges.
• Calendar View: Reinstatement of the price calendar for easy date selection.
• Airport Selection: Ability to select a city and view the best airports from that location.
• Override Passport Info: Option to bypass mandatory passport information for international travel in certain situations.
• Earn Rewards: More options for earning rewards and discounts.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

• Price Prediction and Tracking: Accurate predictions of flight price changes and notifications for the best time to buy.
• Good Deals: Users frequently report finding cheaper flights, hotels, and car rentals compared to other platforms.
• Ease of Use: The app is generally considered easy to navigate and use.
• Convenience: Ability to book flights, hotels, and car rentals in one place.
• Flight Watching: Automatic tracking of flight prices and notifications of price drops.
• Price Freeze: Ability to freeze the price of a flight or hotel for a small fee.
• Insurance Options: Availability of insurance protections for flights, delays, and cancellations.
• Wide Variety of Options: Access to a broad selection of airlines, hotels, and rental car companies.
• Carbon Offset: Planting trees to offset the carbon footprint of bookings.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

• High Priority:
  • Improve Customer Service: Increase staffing, provide better training, and empower representatives to resolve issues effectively. Implement a phone support option.
  • Address Booking Errors: Implement stricter quality control measures to ensure accurate hotel information and prevent booking errors. Verify reservations with hotels before arrival.
  • Resolve Refund Issues: Streamline the refund process and provide clear communication regarding refund policies. Ensure timely refunds are issued.
  • Eliminate Hidden Fees: Display all fees and charges transparently during the booking process.
• Medium Priority:
  • Address Suspected Price Manipulation: Investigate and address user concerns about price manipulation. Be transparent about how prices are determined.
  • Fix App Glitches: Prioritize bug fixes and performance improvements to ensure a smooth user experience.
  • Review Insurance Policies: Ensure insurance policies are clear and fair, and that the terms are easily accessible to users.
• Low Priority:
  • Reconsider Premium Disruption Assistance Policy: Evaluate the impact of the policy change and consider reverting to the previous policy if it significantly impacts customer satisfaction.
  • Airport Selection Improvement: Add the ability to select a city and view the best airports from that location.
  • Passport Info Override: Provide an option to bypass mandatory passport information for international travel in certain situations.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

• AI-Powered Customer Service Assistant: Develop an AI-powered assistant to handle common customer service inquiries and resolve issues quickly.
• Hotel Verification System: Implement a system to verify hotel information and ensure accuracy before listing it on the app.
• Transparent Pricing Guarantee: Offer a guarantee that the price displayed during booking is the final price, with no hidden fees.
• Personalized Travel Recommendations: Use machine learning to provide personalized travel recommendations based on user preferences and past bookings.
• Dynamic Insurance Options: Offer more flexible insurance options that can be customized to meet individual needs.

Trends and Observations

• Language Preferences: The app is used by a diverse user base, with reviews in English and Spanish.
• Shift in Sentiment: Some older reviews praise the app's customer service, while more recent reviews criticize it, suggesting a decline in service quality over time.
• Recurring Themes: The most common themes are related to price, ease of use, and customer service.
• Impact of Policy Changes: Negative feedback regarding changes to the Premium Disruption Assistance policy indicates that policy changes should be carefully considered and communicated to users.

Conclusion

The Hopper app has a strong foundation with its price prediction, ease of use, and ability to find good deals. However, the negative reviews highlight critical areas that need improvement, particularly customer service, booking accuracy, and refund processing. By addressing these issues, Hopper can improve user trust and maintain its position as a leading travel booking app. A focus on transparency and customer satisfaction is essential for long-term success.

Overall Recommendation: Address the customer service and booking error issues as a top priority. Focus on building trust and transparency to retain users and attract new customers.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hopper-flights-hotels-cars/id904052407?uo=2