Case Study: 100 Calls in 1 Day from Flight Campaigns
Flight PPC is competitive, CPCs are volatile, and many travel advertisers struggle to turn clicks into phone calls. This case study shows the exact system we used to generate 100+ qualified flight booking calls in 1 day—including keywords, ad structure, landing pages, call tracking, and the week-by-week optimization log.
Executive Summary
100+ Calls
Qualified (≥60s)
Qualified (≥60s)
10:07
Avg call duration
Avg call duration
−27%
Wasted spend via negatives
Wasted spend via negatives
Core drivers: Call-only adsRoute + cabin segmentation“Book/Call/Help” intentAd scheduling to agent hoursDNI & duration-based optimization
Account Context & Goals
- Vertical: Travel agency (international + business routes)
- Primary KPI: Qualified phone calls (duration ≥60s) from searchers ready to book or change flights
- Secondary KPIs: Answered call rate, CPL(Call), % premium cabin interest
- Budget: Scaled from $120/day to $1500/day across winning routes
Baseline & Challenges
| Issue | Impact | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| No call attribution | Couldn’t prove ROI or optimize bids | DNI + Google Forwarding; duration and outcome tagging |
| Generic landing pages | Low trust, low call-through rate | Route-focused pages with sticky call, agent hours, badges |
| Broad match bloat | Irrelevant queries (jobs, tracker, refund) | Exact/Phrase + weekly negatives |
| 24/7 ad delivery | Missed calls; wasted night budget | Ad scheduling aligned to real agent availability |
Strategy Pillars
- Intent-first keywords: prioritize “book”, “call”, “change”, “rebook”, “help”.
- Segmentation: ad groups by route (city-pair), cabin (Eco/Business/First), and intent.
- Call-only + call assets: reduce page friction; trigger more conversations.
- Ad schedules: show only when agents can answer; extend during peak hours.
- DNI & duration optimization: optimize to calls ≥60–90s; filter missed/spam.
Build: Campaign & Ad Group Structure
| Level | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Campaigns | Separated by Intent (Book, Call, Help/Change) and by Region | US-EMEA Book | US-EMEA Call-Only |
| Ad Groups | City-pair × Cabin × Intent | NYC⇄LON · Business · Call |
| Ads | Exact message match + phone CTA | “Book NYC→London Now | Speak to an Agent” |
| Assets | Call, Sitelinks (Routes, Business Class), Snippets (24/7 Agents) | Call: +1-xxx · Sitelinks: “Popular Routes”, “Business Class Deals” |
Keywords: Route, Cabin & Intent
| Theme | Examples (Exact/Phrase) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Book | “book flight to dubai”, “book flight nyc to london”, “business class tickets delhi” | Strong buyer intent; pair with route-specific copy |
| Call | “call to book flights”, “flight booking phone number”, “24/7 flight booking number” | Ideal for call-only campaigns; schedule to agent hours |
| Help/Change | “flight change helpline”, “rebooking number”, “cancellation assistance” | High urgency; screen for compliance & service scope |
| Urgency | “last minute flights paris call”, “same day flight booking number” | Peak during weekends & evenings; monitor CPC spikes |
Match Types: lead with Exact on premium city-pairs & call intents; widen with Phrase after consistent quality.
Negative Keywords (Budget Shield)
| Category | Block List (examples) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price Junk | free, cheapest, coupon, promo code | Lowers lead quality; price shoppers rarely call |
| Jobs/Careers | jobs, careers, pilot, cabin crew, hiring | Irrelevant traffic |
| Support Queries | customer service, refund policy, baggage complaint | Unless you offer airline support, exclude |
| Non-buyer | flight tracker, status, live radar, simulator | Information seekers, not bookers |
Process: export search terms weekly → add negatives at ad group or campaign level; maintain a shared account-level list.
Ad Copy & Assets (Examples)
Call-Only (Mobile)
Headline: Book NYC → London Today
Business Name: Premium Flight Agents
Description: Last-minute & business class deals. Speak to an agent now. 24/7 support. Tap to Call.
Business Name: Premium Flight Agents
Description: Last-minute & business class deals. Speak to an agent now. 24/7 support. Tap to Call.
Search Ad (Route + Cabin)
H1: Business Class NYC to London
H2: Speak to a Flight Specialist Now
Desc: Flexible fares & route options. Instant phone booking. Trusted travel desk. Call now.
H2: Speak to a Flight Specialist Now
Desc: Flexible fares & route options. Instant phone booking. Trusted travel desk. Call now.
Assets: Call, Sitelinks (Popular Routes · Business Class · Agent Hours · Reviews), Structured Snippets (Airlines Served, Cabins, Cities).
Landing Pages & UX
- Route-focused pages with matching headline (“Book NYC → London Today”).
- Sticky call button on mobile; secondary WhatsApp/VoIP if relevant.
- Trust: review badges, payment security, airline partners, T&Cs.
- Helpful content: popular dates, baggage tips, change policies.
- Load speed & CLS: Good on Core Web Vitals.
Tracking & Measurement
- DNI (dynamic number insertion) + Google Forwarding for attribution down to keyword.
- Conversion goal: calls with duration ≥60s; secondary goals: ≥120s and booked outcome tags.
- Call outcomes tagged in CRM: Qualified, Booked, Quote Only, Spam/Missed.
- Looker Studio dashboard: route, hour, keyword, agent performance.
Launch Plan & Optimization Log (First 30 Days)
| Week | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| W1 | Launch call-only for top 4 routes; Exact/Phrase only; ad schedule 9am–9pm | Steady call volume; identify peak hours |
| W2 | Add Search (non-call) with call assets; expand negatives; improve landing trust | CPL(Call) down 18%; longer durations |
| W3 | Scale budget +30% on winners; add Business/First cabin ad groups | Higher AOV calls; stable CPC |
| W4 | Extend schedule on Thu–Sun evenings; tighten negatives; test revised copy | Crossed 100 calls; −27% wasted spend |
Results Dashboard
41%
Answered-call lift (with scheduling)
Answered-call lift (with scheduling)
+2.3x
CVR on “call” vs generic “book online”
CVR on “call” vs generic “book online”
+38%
Share of Business/First inquiries
Share of Business/First inquiries
| Metric | Before | After 30 Days |
|---|---|---|
| CPL (Qualified Call) | $78 | $18 |
| Avg Call Duration | 1:42 | 10:07 |
| Wasted Spend (est.) | ~38% | ~11% |
| Top Route CVR (Call) | 6.9% | 14.8% |
What Moved the Needle Most
- Call-only campaigns for urgent “book/change” queries.
- Segmentation by route and cabin class with exact message-match.
- Duration-based optimization (≥60–90s) instead of raw call counts.
- Weekly negative pruning (support, jobs, free/cheap, trackers).
- Ad scheduling to real agent hours; extending on peak evenings.
Risks & Mitigations
- Brand/supported queries overlap: exclude airline support unless provided; disclose service scope clearly.
- After-hours calls: strict schedules + voicemail → callback workflow.
- Spam/short calls: duration thresholds + number blocking rules.
- CPC spikes on premium routes: raise negatives, tighten geos, bid by hour/day.
Playbook You Can Reuse
- Start with top 3–5 city pairs; build Exact/Phrase sets for book, call, help.
- Launch call-only + call assets; align to agent hours.
- Stand up route-focused landing pages with sticky call button.
- Install DNI + forwarding; optimize to ≥60s duration.
- Every Friday: add negatives, promote winners, pause losers.
Launch your campaign with our Flight Booking Ads playbook. We’ll build keywords, ads, pages, and dashboards end-to-end.