Push notifications do not magically get 90% open rates. We say that as people who build push systems for the travel trade. The real advantage of push is not a headline percentage — it is reach: a push lands directly on the lock screen, where an email lands in a crowded inbox. That difference is genuine and useful. The inflated open-rate stat is not.
Where the "90%" comes from
You will see "90%+ open rates" quoted everywhere in push-notification marketing. It tends to come from one of three places: delivery rates (how many messages arrive, which is high, but is not the same as opens), narrow case studies of highly engaged, opted-in app audiences, or simply repetition until it sounds like fact. Stated as a flat average across web and app push, it does not hold up.
What the numbers really look like
Industry benchmarks vary by source, audience and channel, but the real picture for travel and hospitality looks roughly like this:
- Email newsletters in travel see open rates in the high teens to low twenties for most lists — higher for warm, well-segmented audiences, lower for cold ones.
- Web push (browser notifications) has lower click rates than the hype suggests — typically single digits to low double digits — but reaches people without an app installed.
- App push to an opted-in, engaged audience performs best, and well-targeted campaigns can reach far higher engagement than email. "Up to 90%" is a ceiling for a narrow, ideal case, not an average.
The short version: push usually out-engages email, sometimes by a wide margin — but the size of the gap depends entirely on your audience and discipline, not on a universal number.
What push is genuinely good at
- Timeliness. "Two suites just freed for 20 July" only works if it arrives now. Push does.
- Visibility. The lock screen is a place people actually look. The inbox is a place they triage.
- Cost. Once the system is set up, there is no per-send cost — which matters for a trade network you message often.
- The trade use case. Availability alerts, rate changes, new product, FAM invitations — short, time-sensitive messages to agents and partners are exactly what push is for.
What it is not for
Push is a poor fit for considered, detailed messages — a destination feature, a seasonal brochure, a long update. That is email's job. Push is also easy to ruin: over-send, and people switch it off, which is the one outcome you cannot recover from. Discipline beats volume. We covered the channel split in more depth in newsletters vs push.
How to use it well in the trade
- Treat the opt-in as precious. A switched-off notification is gone for good.
- Send only what is genuinely worth interrupting someone for — availability, rates, time-limited offers, invitations.
- Use email and push for the jobs each does well, rather than picking a winner.
- Measure your own opens and clicks. Your real numbers are the only ones that matter — not a benchmark from a vendor's homepage.
The takeaway
If a supplier sells you push on a guaranteed open rate, be a little wary. The reason to use push for the travel trade is simpler and more durable: it reaches your network where they actually look, instantly, for nothing per send. Set it up well, respect the people on the other end, and it earns its place alongside email — no inflated percentage required.
Common questions
Do push notifications really get 90% open rates?
No — not as a flat average. The ‘90%+’ figure usually comes from delivery rates (how many messages arrive, not how many are opened), narrow case studies of highly engaged opted-in app audiences, or simple repetition. Across web and app push it does not hold up. Push’s genuine advantage is reach — it lands on the lock screen, where email lands in a crowded inbox — not a magic open rate.
What is a realistic push notification open rate?
It varies widely by channel and audience. Web push click rates are typically single digits to low double digits. App push to an opted-in, engaged audience performs best and can reach far higher engagement than email, but ‘up to 90%’ is a ceiling for a narrow ideal case, not an average. The only numbers that matter are your own — measure them rather than trusting a vendor benchmark.
Is push better than email for the travel trade?
They do different jobs. Push is best for short, timely, can’t-miss messages — availability alerts, rate changes, new product, FAM invitations — delivered to the lock screen at no per-send cost. Email is better for considered, detailed content. The trade gets the most from using both for what each does well, rather than picking a winner.
Do push notifications cost anything per send?
Once the system is set up, there is no per-send cost — which is part of why push suits a trade network you message regularly. The investment is in building and maintaining the system well, and in the discipline to send only what is genuinely worth interrupting someone for.
