As air travel resumes, airline co-brands are targeting customer acquisitions—which could be down for a stretch, per Andrew Nocella, chief commercial officer at United—and offering generous sign-up bonuses that may target the 87% of US consumers who are concerned about the cost of travel, per a June 2021 Discover study. Confronting Competition.

Travel's on the up: With US adults' demand for domestic travel on the rise, prices are following. But there are still a few ways for marketers to capture that demand among price-conscious travelers.

Automobile travel allowed people to venture outside in an isolated way that most other out-of-home activities did not. Because road traffic didn’t decline as much as mass transit, air travel, and indoor gatherings did, it became a more stable place for outdoor advertisers to reach viewers.

The heaviest air travel month in Canada is August: Last year, the number of passengers traveling on major Canadian airlines that month dropped by 86.8% YoY, according to Statistics Canada. The relatively slow vaccine rollout in Canada may impact the size of the OOH recovery in 2021.

Return to travel and vacations. Similarly, consumers will be very eager to travel this holiday season—to visit both family and exotic locations. In addition to spending on air travel and hotels, luggage (home), outdoor gear (sports and fitness), vacation wear (apparel), travel gadgets (electronics), and luxury shopping (apparel and jewelry) are among the categories likely to get a boost.

The heaviest air travel month in Canada is August: In 2020, passenger traffic in the month was down 86.8% from August 2019. A key part of the recovery of the OOH ad market in 2021 will be greater reliance on DOOH and the programmatic placements of ads in those venues. Compared with traditional billboards, digital screens offer greater flexibility to adapt messaging and creative on the fly.

The news: The United Arab Emirates began rolling out iris scanners to authenticate passengers’ identities during air travel, per the Associated Press. The new initiative reportedly affects 122 “smart” gates at the Dubai International Airport starting this month.

Respondents who did cancel cited numerous reasons: uncertainty about the legality of larger gatherings (74%); corporate policies prohibiting travel (69%); participants’ need for air travel (52%); and potential fear being a deterrent to attendance (51%). Without in-person events to engage audiences, B2B marketers were left with a gaping hole in their go-to-market strategy.

The coronavirus has upended the US travel industry. Fears of infection, governmental measures restricting travel and access to public places, and the economic downturn will depress bookings, sales and ad spending in 2020 and beyond.

The issuer also recently announced a card with Air Canada coming later this year that will feature travel rewards as well. These cards should help Chase take advantage of pent-up travel demand as consumers signal interest in vacationing again. And its acquisition of cxLoyalty’s travel platform will help it maximize growth opportunities in the coming months.

Even as lockdowns and other restrictions ease across most of Europe, travel will remain depressed this year. Consumers’ fear of contracting the virus some distance from home will limit air travel. In addition, airlines have been slow to announce plans to safeguard passengers’ health in airports and on board.

Travel and entertainment (T&E) spending. Discretionary spending categories including air, hotel, rail, and rental car-based expenses, as well as dining and live events such as concerts and other public shows. Essential spending. Nondiscretionary spending categories including necessities, such as groceries, gas, housing, utilities, and personal care products. Nonessential spending.