Usability of Reservation Systems of Japanese Airlines

In recent years, the style of travel in Japan has changed with the epidemic COVID19. As a result, the chances of making individual reservations for hotels and planes have increased. Based on the background, online reservations using reservation systems are the mainstream when purchasing airline tickets. Therefore, the website’s usability for making reservations is one of the critical factors for users. However, there needs to be more research on Japanese airlines’ websites and reservation systems. In our study, therefore, we conduct an evaluation experiment using three reservation systems (= applications) of domestic Japan. This research aims to visualize design and usability issues and points for system improvement. The evaluation objects are JAL, ANA, and Peach, significant airlines in Japan. For the experiment, we created a system based on the existing ones. At that time, we made the system with black and white color to avoid the influence of the brand color and erased all the brand information like a logo. Then, participants conducted the task of reserving the determined domestic flight ticket. ​​After that, we analyzed the obtained responses using the Normalized Rank Method. As a result, JAL’s application scored the highest in 5 evaluation items, followed by ANA and PEACH. In addition, when participants selected flight fares and times, he/she felt that the reservation system with various functions was easy to access. In addition, the size and placement of letters and the use of icons on the system are strongly connected with reservation behavior.