February 24, 2006
Researching online travel agents and booking direct
The US-based Internet monitor Hitwise (which monitors more than 25 million internet users) said that visits to online travel agents remained stable last year, while visits to hotel and airline websites increased nearly 20%.
Hitwise said that travellers are researching travel agency websites but then booking directly with airlines and hotels: there was ''a big push to book directly with airlines and hotels at the expense of the online agents'."
Posted by James Trotta at February 24, 2006 12:45 AM
I am a travel agent, and I know exactly what this article is all about. I have done the same thing myself. However, in the end, if things go wrong, you have a helpful human being to help you instead of a computer. Travel agents can truly personalize your vacation to fit exactly what you want. They/ We aren't all out for money. We enjoy what we do.
Posted by: Tom Oswalt at February 25, 2006 12:20 PM