How travel brands can build customer loyalty with eSIMs

Do you remember the delight of discovering a piece of chocolate perfectly placed on your hotel pillow? It's a small, unexpected treat that improves your stay and satisfies a sweet craving. eSIMs are like that delightful chocolate — a helpful solution that is easily introduced into any customer journey and elevates the travel experience.

eSIMs address a common pain point — staying connected while traveling — without any hassle or added effort. Whether your customers are frequent flyers, remote workers, or adventure seekers, an eSIM seamlessly integrates into their travel plans, offering instant connectivity at their destination. 

For businesses, introducing eSIMs is an opportunity to exceed expectations and create memorable experiences. It's a small gesture with a big impact — one that boosts customer loyalty, sets your brand apart, and keeps travelers coming back for more. 

Keep reading to learn how your business can use eSIM technology as a tool to build customer loyalty. 

eSIM benefits for travelers

To understand why eSIMs build customer loyalty, it’s important to know why they’re so valuable to travelers. eSIMs solve one of the biggest travel challenges: staying connected. They eliminate hidden roaming fees, the stress of searching for local SIM cards, and the frustration of unreliable Wi-Fi, making connectivity simple, seamless, and dependable.

Compared to traditional SIM cards, eSIMs offer several key benefits:

• Instant connectivity: Connect to a local network the moment you arrive.
• 100% digital setup: No physical cards, easy online installation in minutes.
• Cost-effective plans: Avoid roaming fees with transparent, pre-paid data options.
• Environmentally friendly: Eliminate plastic waste and reduce carbon footprint.
• Enhanced security: Safer than public Wi-Fi, protecting personal data.
• Device flexibility: Works on smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
• No physical hassle: No risk of losing, damaging, or swapping SIM cards.

How eSIMs improve travel connectivity and build customer loyalty

Beyond solving connectivity issues for travelers, eSIMs offer two key benefits to increase customer loyalty: they are digital and adaptable.

As a digital product, eSIMs allow instant installation and activation directly on mobile devices. Travelers can connect to a network the moment they land, eliminating the need for physical SIM cards or searching for Wi-Fi. This seamless experience improves how travelers navigate new destinations.

eSIMs’ adaptability means they can be easily integrated into your platform. You can offer eSIMs at any point in the customer journey without redirecting users to an external link. This keeps customers on your site or app, enriching your brand’s offerings and building customer loyalty.

For instance, eSIMs can be included as:

• An add-on during flight booking
• Part of a tour package offering
• A perk offered to loyalty program members (e.g., frequent flyers)
• Included in hotel booking confirmations
• Bundled with travel insurance plans for added convenience
• A benefit within fintech apps or premium travel credit card offerings
• A complimentary add-on with car rental services for easy navigation
• Part of connectivity packages for cruise passengers during onshore excursions

By offering eSIMs at key touchpoints in the customer journey, you can provide a seamless, digital solution that enhances convenience, meets traveler needs, and strengthens customer loyalty.

4 reasons travel brands should offer eSIMs to build customer loyalty

eSIMs provide a valuable, relevant service that directly addresses a key travel challenge: staying connected. Here are four reasons brands should offer eSIMs to build customer loyalty.

1. Solve traveler connectivity challenges

Travelers often face challenges like high roaming costs, limited access to local networks, and the inconvenience of buying physical SIM cards in unfamiliar locations. 

eSIMs solve these problems by allowing users to purchase affordable data plans and install them immediately. For example, airlines can offer eSIM plans during flight purchase checkout, offering customers an ideal solution at a convenient time. This enables flyers to instantly connect to a mobile network when they land and stay connected throughout their journey.

2. Enhance the customer journey

eSIMs make travel easy, and they can be offered at any stage of the customer journey. If a traveler is looking to purchase a flight, compare tour packages, or exchange currencies in a fintech app, they're likely traveling soon. 

Here are a few examples of how to add eSIMs to the customer journey:

• Airlines can include eSIMs as part of flight booking packages, allowing customers to purchase connectivity alongside their tickets. This eliminates the stress of finding a SIM card upon arrival and enhances the overall travel experience.
• Hotels can offer eSIMs as part of their booking confirmation or loyalty programs, giving guests instant access to reliable connectivity as soon as they land.
• Fintech companies can integrate eSIMs into travel-focused credit card perks or premium account offerings, helping customers stay connected abroad while positioning the brand as a one-stop solution for travel needs.
• Travel platforms (like booking apps or OTAs) can bundle eSIMs with vacation packages, making connectivity one less thing for travelers to worry about.
• Car rental companies can include eSIMs as a complimentary add-on when customers pick up their rental, ensuring they have reliable internet for navigation and communication throughout their trip.
• Cruise lines can provide eSIMs as part of connectivity packages for onshore excursions, ensuring travelers stay connected during port stops.
• Event and conference organizers can offer eSIMs to attendees, enabling seamless connectivity for international participants.

3. Appeal to environmentally conscious consumers

Sustainability is increasingly important to travelers, and eSIMs are the way forward. eSIMs are built into a device and eliminate the need for traditional plastic SIM cards. Because they're digital, they also reduce the waste and carbon footprint associated with packaging and distribution.

For eco-conscious brands, promoting eSIM usage supports broader corporate social responsibility goals while appealing to environmentally aware customers. By offering a sustainable connectivity solution that eliminates plastic SIM cards and reduces waste, you align your brand with travelers’ values. This not only attracts eco-conscious customers but also fosters loyalty, as these travelers are more likely to choose and stay loyal to brands that prioritize sustainability.

4. Build long-term loyalty through innovation

Adopting eSIM technology positions your brand as innovative and customer-focused. It appeals to tech-savvy travelers who want simple, reliable, and seamless ways to stay connected.

These travelers — whether frequent flyers, remote workers, or digital nomads — value brands that make their lives easier. eSIMs remove common travel frustrations, like unreliable Wi-Fi, high roaming fees, and the hassle of finding a local SIM card. By offering eSIMs, you solve these problems and show that you care about improving the travel experience.

This forward-thinking approach builds trust, strengthens loyalty, and sets your brand apart in a competitive market. By offering real value when travelers need it most, you position your brand as a leader that meets the evolving needs of modern travelers.

FAQs

Q1: What is an eSIM, and how does it work for travelers?

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital SIM card that’s built directly into a device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Unlike traditional physical SIM cards, eSIMs don’t require swapping or inserting hardware. Travelers can purchase and activate an eSIM plan digitally before or during their trip, giving them instant access to mobile data upon arrival in any country. It’s a seamless, hassle-free way to stay connected while abroad.

Q2: How can eSIMs help travel brands improve customer loyalty?

eSIMs solve one of the biggest pain points for travelers: staying connected while on the go. By offering eSIMs, travel brands provide a practical and timely solution that eliminates roaming fees, unreliable Wi-Fi, and the inconvenience of finding local SIM cards. This added value enhances the customer experience, builds trust, and positions brands as innovative and customer-focused, leading to stronger loyalty and repeat business.

Q3: What are the benefits of eSIMs for travel businesses?

eSIMs offer several key benefits for travel businesses:

1. Enhance the customer experience: Provide travelers with instant, seamless connectivity anywhere in the world.
2. Increase customer loyalty: Solve real travel challenges and position your brand as a trusted, forward-thinking partner.
3. Drive revenue: eSIMs can be bundled as an add-on, creating new revenue streams.
4. Environmental benefits: eSIMs eliminate plastic SIM cards and packaging, aligning with sustainability goals.
5. Competitive differentiation: Offering eSIMs helps brands stand out in a crowded market by delivering modern, practical solutions.