According to Orbitz.com, mac users have more dough in their pockets, Image Courtesy Orbitz
It is not surprising to know that according to the travel site Orbitz, Apple users tend to pay more for hotel accommodations than PC users. It would not be surprising because this consumer –base is already paying more for their Mac computers. One of the constant refrains being harped by PC users is that Apple customers, Mac owners, in particular, are paying a premium for otherwise a similar computer that just has a fancier design and more integrated software than a PC. The thinking, being that a PC offers all the functionality of a Mac minus the design, the brand name and the higher level of software integration, many PC users are saying, “why pay more when you are getting the same?” It turns out that the same self-selection mechanism for perceived value carries over to other purchasing decisions.
According to the travel site Orbitz, on the average, Mac users tend to pay $20 – $30 more per night of hotel accommodations than comparable PC users. This little fact may make many PC users shake their head, but this is actually quite a data gold mine for hotel marketers, premium products and service marketers, and other sales and marketing professionals. Premium users, in a world where there is a race to the bottom in terms of prices, are good news. There are really only two ways to spin this: either Mac users are suckers who pay extra for something that they could have cheaper or Mac users are highly coveted group of people that are willing to spend extra for extra perceived value.
On a lighter note, this makes one wonder if Mac users are willing to pay $120 – $130 for a room that PC users would only pay $100 for, how much would Linux users want to pay? One might have a sneaking suspicion that Linux users, considering that they paid zero for their operating system, would probably find a way to pay even less than PC users for a hotel room. Either that or they might like the idea of youth hostels.