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The Internet How To Save Time When Booking A Bargain Package Holiday
ne of the difficulties hotel) but this seemingly endless
facing travel companies is choice can actually lead to a
that there is no "one size fairly negative on-line
fits all" solution when it comes experience. After too many hours
to providing for customer’s spent researching online and then
travel needs. Many factors cause attempting to make bookings with
our needs to change over time, two or three different suppliers,
such as how much disposable potential customers sometimes
income we have, how much free justifiably conclude that half an
time we have, whether we do or hour spent with a traditional
don't have children, and they high street travel agent might
mean that in reality every actually look like better value.
holiday maker wants something
different. To help get through the process
and reduce the amount of time
For travel companies, trying to wasted it really helps to do some
satisfy such diverse customer thinking first. Apart from the
needs is a constant challenge. obvious things like where and
Now, with the mass adoption of when you want to travel, it helps
the Internet, customers have an to have answered the following
extremely powerful tool to questions:
tailor-make their own holidays
-and this is what they are doing 1. Do I want to buy a package
in increasing numbers. (flight, transfer, accommodation
booked as one item) or do I want
A large number of on-line travel to attempt to save money (or
companies have sprung up over the tailor the holiday to my specific
last five years offering the requirements) by booking my
component parts that go to make holiday components separately?
up a holiday (flight, transfer,
2. Do I want the reassurance of buying a two-week brochured
booking a holiday with a brand package holiday from one of the
that I am familiar with or am I major players such as First
happy to try somebody new? Choice (firstchoice.co.uk) or
Thomson (thomson.co.uk) up to the
3. Am I confident enough to deal other end of the scale where
with any issues that may come up somebody goes to British Airways
whilst I'm in resort (as, unlike (ba.com) to buy a flight, Sol
on a package holiday, there will Hotels (solmelia.com) for the
be no representative to turn to)? hotel and Holiday Taxis
(holidaytaxis.com) for the
4. Do I want to book a holiday transfer.
that is covered by some sort of
financial protection scheme such All the way across this spectrum
as ATOL or do I not mind either are a huge number of other
way? suppliers and online companies
who are providing services that
There is no doubt that one of the fall between the two extremes.
key trade-offs customers need to The best-known examples of this
make when booking on-line is would be Expedia (expedia.co.uk)
between how much "reassurance" and Opodo (opodo.co.uk) which are
and “supplier accountability” examples of sites that provide a
they want (if something goes "one stop shop" to give customers
wrong) versus how much "tailor the feeling that they are "tailor
making" and perceived cost-saving making" a holiday and making a
they want. good cost saving but still give
customers the feeling that,
There is a spectrum which because they are dealing with one
reflects this trade-off right travel agent, a "safety net" is
from, at one end of the scale, in place.
recently launched example of this
There is then an interesting new is Fresh Holidays
breed of online travel companies (freshholidays.com)
who are different yet again in
terms of what they offer. This All of the sites mentioned above
group is different in a number of have an online booking capability
ways: and all work reasonably
satisfactorily. Most of the major
1. They are typically ATOL bonded travel web sites are now quite
which means there is a financial slick in the way they take
guarantee in place if they were customers through the booking
to have financial problems process which means that the time
(details at caa.co.uk). consuming part when booking
on-line now is the research
2. Through advanced technology phase.
they link to as many flight and
hotel options as any of the other Many of the shopping comparison
sites - often sharing the same sites such as Holiday Watchdog
hotels. (holidaywatchdog.com) offer
opinions from people who have
3. They offer an "on call" actually stayed in the different
representative service in resort properties but the best known for
so they are only around if you researching travel options is
need them. Trip Advisor (tripadvisor.com).
This is a justifiably popular
4. They offer “package” holidays site that provides a rich vein of
but their packages are made up of comment on most of the major
"components" from many different hotels in the world and is always
suppliers and presented to a good place to start.
customers in one transaction. A
Best of luck with your mission!
About the Author:
Sam Turnbull is the Managing Director of http://www.justdrift.co.uk , which brings bargain package holidays to everyone.
Read more articles by: Sam Turnbull
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