Key barriers: fear of flight cancellation and price lags
Fear of changing plans and poor support
The main barrier is the fear of getting “stuck” in the bank’s support when an emergency ticket refund or exchange is needed. Users fear that at a critical moment, the superapp’s support service will not be able to promptly resolve the issue with the airline, leaving them without help in a foreign country.
Price lags and illusory benefits
Often, the base price in the bank turns out to be higher than the fare on the airline’s official website. This forces pragmatists to spend time comparing and calculating the real benefit — whether cashback and installments cover this markup. If the benefit turns out to be dubious, the purchase in the superapp is canceled.
Inability to combine miles and bonuses
Users are annoyed that when buying inside a superapp, they cannot simultaneously use airline miles (for example, Nomad Club) and bank cashbacks. This reduces the value of the service for frequent travelers.
Behavioral models: from total outsourcing to mathematical benefit
In-depth interviews allowed dividing Kazakhstani users by their attitude to purchasing travel services:
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Inertia model (Normies and Olds): Perceive travel as a rare event and buy tickets in the superapp simply because of the familiar interface. The older generation is often afraid of making a technical error when entering data online, so they trust the purchase to relatives or use traditional ticket offices.
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Cold calculation model (Pragmatists and Financially literate): Consider the purchase as a mathematical problem. They look for options on external aggregators (Aviasales), but make the transaction where the maximum bonuses drop or favorable installment terms are available during major promotions (for example, Kaspi Juma).
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Survival and fear model (The burned ones): Categorically do not buy tickets through banking applications. Having once faced a flight cancellation or delayed baggage, where the bank shifted responsibility to the airline, they book flights exclusively on the official websites of carriers, minimizing intermediaries.
Why it matters
Understanding the hidden barriers in travel service purchase scenarios is critically important for designing modern superapps. In the Kazakhstan market, the ecosystem that offers the user care throughout the entire journey (check-in reminders, help with delays) and guarantees reliability in emergency situations will win.
In solving such product challenges, high-quality UX/UI analytics plays an invaluable role. The Rocket Tech team, with over 10 years of experience in the fintech market and a portfolio of 550+ successful projects, helps companies and startups design seamless mobile application interfaces that eliminate cognitive friction and build trusting relationships with each user segment.
FAQ
Why do Kazakhstanis compare prices in banks with Aviasales before buying?
Due to regular price lags, when the base cost of a ticket in a superapp turns out to be higher than on external resources. Users strive to check whether the purchase in the bank pays off with the promised cashback.
What scares users the most when buying tours through banking applications?
Complex refund algorithms in case of force majeure. Consumers are afraid of being left without prompt feedback from the support service in critical situations at the airport or abroad.
What should the ideal travel service inside a superapp be like?
Respondents see it as a reliable assistant that not only sells tickets but also accompanies them on the road: warns about the boarding terminal on time, offers one-click insurance, and resolves issues with airlines in real-time.
Original source of the research: Rocket Tech: How Kazakhstanis use travel services in banking ecosystems