When the internet was created, it provided an ease to do comparison-shopping for all sorts of goods and services needed. Currently, the internet has taken over for brick and mortar travel agencies in locating the top travel deals available. Is not a vacation more pleasant when the individual realizes they saved a lot of money by searching for the best possible price online?
The main online travel agencies include Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia. Online travel agencies are beneficial because they make deals with different hotels, airlines, and car rental agencies to offer customers competitive pricing. The goal of these online travel agencies is to have the individual book through their company instead of going somewhere else, including their main new competition, travel aggregators.
Travel aggregator websites are different from online travel agencies; they are more like a search engine geared toward traveling. A travel aggregator site will search multiple websites, which includes branded sites, to find prices for trips. Unlike online travel agencies, they are able to provide a broader search for prices. These websites will list prices of vacations in order of cheapest to most expensive.
For individuals looking for travel deals online, the most important thing is to be flexible, for example, on length of stay and accommodations. Do research on vacation packages. Many websites feature deals that include the three major travel parts – hotel, airfare, and car rental. When possible, sign up for emails from different travel websites. They often include special deals and travel bargains.
There are limitations placed on brick and mortar travel agencies. They can only offer certain flights with certain companies or certain hotel companies. The internet, however, provides limitless travel information.
Store front travel agents are akin to used car salesmen. Their goal is the get the individual to buy a vacation deal so they make a commission. Some individuals have stated that a travel agent did not give them the lowest flight deals because the travel agent would have made a smaller commission amount. They will also push specific airlines or hotels, because if they book a certain number of flights with one airline, they will be entitled to a free vacation. Individuals want the freedom to choose, they do not want to be forced into a decision. Online travel exploration leaves an individual free of influence and pressure.
It can be intimidating at first to search online for the best travel deal possible, but once it is found, individuals can relax knowing they are paying the best price for their vacation. According to the National Business Travel Association, travel costs have risen between six and eight percent. It is more important now to find the best travel deal, and the internet is able to help with that.