User decisions aren’t rational, they’re driven by predictable cognitive biases that spike under uncertainty, time pressure, and high stakes. This article maps the most common biases across the travel journey (anchoring, social proof, framing/“free,” probability bias, authority, choice overload, compromise effect, and more), shows how to diagnose them with experiments + research, and explains what they typically move (CTR, CR, AOV/ARPU, cancellations, support load, CSAT/NPS, retention). The core takeaway: you can’t remove biases, but you can use them ethically—reducing anxiety and uncertainty instead of manufacturing urgency—because short-term conversion gains that erode trust become long-term churn
