Posts Tagged ‘Online’

Traveling Smart With an Online Travel Business

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Smart travelers have long known the benefits of vacationing through an online travel business. Online travel businesses tend to be easier to navigate. Since the business makes most of its money online, having easily accessible information and a user-friendly system is beneficial and most profitable to the company as well as the vacationer. Typically, an online travel business will have better access to great travel deals and with low overhead costs are better able to pass the savings along to their customers.

Online travel businesses are extremely convenient and easy to use. Since their business is promoted online and their customers are dealt with on the internet, online travel businesses have incredibly user-friendly systems. In most cases, the online travel business will walk customers through the entire booking process and provide as much information as possible to make the process easy. Customers can research and book their entire vacations online from home without having to interact with a travel agent who might have an alternative agenda (such as commission). With online travel businesses, customers have easy access to all of the available information at the click of a button. Nonetheless, should the occasion arise that a person is needed to answer questions, typical online travel businesses have staff on hand to respond to inquiries.

Online travel businesses also tend to have better deals and discounts than traditional travel agents. The online services have equal access to great deals and savings. With a traditional travel agent, the deals and savings vary greatly depending on the individual agent and their capabilities and connections. Online travel businesses do not have this problem. Every customer of the business has access to the same information and is able to book their vacations based on all the information presented. Online companies are also better equipped to offer great package deals to their customers. With reciprocal advertising programs and promotions, online travel businesses can receive great savings and special promotions. These savings and promotions can then be passed down to the clients. Unlike traditional travel agents, an online travel business can offer open access to all of their customers for all of their travel bargains.

Thanks to the upfront nature of online travel businesses, customers also have the opportunity to read many reviews and receive plenty of information about the prospective vacation. Hotels, cruise liners, and much more provide the online travel business with plenty of information and advertisements to entice patrons. These online companies have the additional benefit of allowing vacationers and patrons to write reviews and leave comments about destinations and activities. This ensures that the traveler is well aware of what they are purchasing and the great deals that are ahead of them.

Because of the simplicity of the online travel business, booking a vacation can be quick and painless. All of the information is directly at the prospective traveler’s fingertips. By dealing directly with online travel companies, prospective vacationers also have the capabilities to compare and contrast competitive pricing from various other travel companies. A process that once took weeks to finalize, can be completed within just a few short minutes.

The simplicity of the online travel business website makes it so everyone can easily gather information for a speedy and cost-efficient travel experience. These travel businesses have great connections and a wide network of reciprocal promotions that guarantee great pricing. The online travel businesses also offer these great savings to all of their customers on an equal basis. Open forums of reviews and comments are great tools for travelers to ensure that their vacation experience is optimal and not riddled with surprises. With just a few clicks of a mouse, a great vacation can be booked in minutes.

Online Hotel Bookings Exceed Traditional Travel Agent Bookings

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Technology has always played a significant role in the travel industry but none could have predicted the monumental rise in online bookings. The hotel industry has seen tremendous growth in the past few years as millions of hotel properties are now offering their guests online bookings.

The potential for this growth has become more apparent in South Africa as the 2010 Football World Cup approaches. BookMyRoom-SA has seized upon this opportunity and offer guests a wide of South Africa hotels, guesthouses, self-catering and safari lodges to book online.  BookMyRoom-SA allows for instant booking with a secure payment facility, compared to many other South African websites that only offer the enquiry service. This service is fast becoming outdated as guests become more demanding in wanting to secure and pay for their accommodation in just a few minutes.

Online hotel reservations have therefore become a very popular method for booking hotel rooms as travelers from around the world can make room reservations from the comfort of their home. There are primarily two ways in which one can make an online booking, namely – Online Booking Services and travel agents.

A recent survey taken in 2008 says that only 39% of travel sales are made through travel agents, whereas the remaining 61% are made through online booking services. Clearly, the percentage of travelers making bookings through travel agents is less than half compared to bookings made directly at on online booking services. BookMyRoom-SA provide guests with real time availability where guests can view the hotel images, location, information about prices making it a lot easier for guest to book and pay for rooms.

One big reason why majority of the customers are using online booking services to make their reservations is because websites have significantly improved their design providing better navigation and content. BookMyRoom-SA has a range of South African hotels with an online booking engine provides real time, multi-lingual and multi-currency solution with a wide range of payment options. High security standards provide the utmost ease of booking, influencing customers’ decision making, ultimately reinforcing loyalty.

Benefits And Disadvantages Of Online Travel Agencies

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

Once upon a time…
Before the dawn of the information super highway, brick-and-mortar travel agencies were the key to booking travel arrangements and finding deals on airfare. These agencies helped travelers plan trips and book flights, hotel and car rental reservations, and other travel necessities. But as the Internet started to dominate all areas of commerce, travelers began to turn to online travel agencies instead of the brick-and-mortars. These “virtual” agencies offered all the travel planning options and discounts conventional travel agencies offered without requiring travelers to leave their home. No longer did travelers need to make appointments and meet face-to-face with a travel agent just to make travel arrangements. There was now a convenient online solution to booking travel arrangements and finding discounts on airfare.
Reality Check
Online travel agencies haven’t completely decimated the conventional brick-and-mortar shops. Traditional travel agencies still do a great deal of business with travelers and are one viable solution to booking travel arrangements. However, as busy as our lives can be, online travel agencies do offer a quick and convenient solution to finding airline tickets without taking you away from home, or even work – and the brick-and-mortar shops realize this. Some conventional agencies are also hitting the web and establishing travel websites to cater to those individuals looking to quickly search for and book flights. So even though online travel agencies haven’t completely decimated the conventional travel agency industry, they have established a viable and convenient alternative to booking vacations, business trips, and other travel plans.
Life Still Exists in the Brick-and-Mortars
Conventional travel agencies still command a large portion of the travel booking industry. Their face-to-face service is what keeps them in business and, depending on the needs of the traveler, a more realistic solution to booking travel arrangements. When you book your travel plans through a brick-and-mortar travel agency, you’re working with real people and if you’re a frequent traveler, it’s nice to have a “favored agent” to turn to for travel information and advice. With an online travel agency, you’re simply interacting with a virtual interface that allows you to search for and book your own travel plans without ever speaking with a live person. Many people prefer face-to-face interaction and would never even dream about using a travel website to book their travel plans. There is still something to be said about personal service and the conventional travel agencies are capitalizing on it by offering personalized services and conveniences to travelers.
So Where do We Go from Here?
As you can see, there are benefits and disadvantage to both conventional and online travel agencies. Each one offers its own experience and features that make it unique from the other and in favor with different people. When it comes to selecting the best option for you, you merely need to ask yourself “What am I looking for in a travel agency?” The best way to answer this question is to check out a few online travel agencies, compare them to some brick-and-mortars, and see which ones have the savings, products, and services you desire.