Own a Mac? Chances are sites are beginning to notice. Not only are they aware that you prefer fine electronics, but they’re also aware that you’re more likely to spend a little bit more money when it comes to making your purchases. Orbitz has noticed that Mac users are willing to spend as much as 30 percent more a night on hotels and travel arrangements compared to their Windows peers.
The result? Orbitz has begun directing Mac users to more expensive options:
Orbitz found Mac users on average spend $20 to $30 more a night on hotels than their PC counterparts, a significant margin given the site’s average nightly hotel booking is around $100, chief scientist Wai Gen Yee said. Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four- or five-star hotel than PC users, Mr. Yee said, and when Mac and PC users book the same hotel, Mac users tend to stay in more expensive rooms.
Damn right I’ll spend a couple extra bucks to stay in a decent hotel over a dive. Wouldn’t you? Leave those sketchy accommodations to Windows users. They love cheap shit. I’m joking, obviously.
Orbitz has stated that they haven’t been showing customers the same rooms at different prices; they’re only serving up alternative hotels. The question though is how long that lasts, and who’s going to be the first company to sell me the same room as is offered to Windows users but for a premium because of my computing preferences. It’s obviously coming down the pipeline, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone out there isn’t already doing it.
If Orbitz can deduce these kinds of spending habits based on what computer we use, I’d really like to know what kind of data Google can mine with our innocuous search results.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
