Yahoo! Travel: 'big spenders are moving online'

Yahoo! Travel has revealed customers are beginning to spend more money online as it released its latest analysis of search behaviour.
The study of travel searches through the Overture Network - Yahoo, MSN, Lycos and Wanadoo – found more long-haul destinations are featuring in flight searches while increasing numbers of online shoppers are seeking upmarket product.
Yahoo! Travel Europe general manager Tim Frankcom said it confirmed a gradual migration from low-value spend to transactions of a higher value.
"The popularity of the search terms 'luxury holiday' and 'cruise' across the Overture network clearly indicate customers now have the confidence to purchase high-value products online," he said.
"This can be partially attributed to a maturing market, but the high number of big-name travel brands now operating online is also a key factor.
"The top flight search destinations indicate users are expanding their horizons beyond short-haul European destinations to consider flights to the US, Australia, Thailand and India."
In the top travel search terms last month, 'cheap flight' remained the most commonly used term, followed by 'flight', 'summer holiday', 'holiday car hire' and 'holiday'. The term 'cruise' was the seventh most popular term with 'luxury holiday' eighth.
For flight searches, Orlando topped the list followed by Palma, Barcelona, Perth, Malta, Las Palmas, Las Vegas, Melbourne, Vancouver and New York.
For full details of the findings, see the launch issue of Travolution magazine, out on November 11.

Accommodation searches for Travel Counsellors

Travel Counsellors is ramping up its dynamic packaging system by rolling out accommodation searches for all its 550 members.
The move will enable agents to pull together flights and hotels for the first time to create bespoke packages for customers.
Although the system - dubbed Phenix - is unable to simultaneously search for flights and accommodation, managing director Steve Byrne said work is in progress.
"We are launching our dynamic packaging system in phases," he said. "Flight-only - low-cost carriers, charters, scheduled consolidated fares - is live with all Travel Counsellors and we are now rolling out accommodation. We are hoping by the end of the year to have the facility to search for flight and hotels and will then look to add further content."
Byrne added the system will take product from a range of accommodation suppliers in addition to its own stock. He said it wanted to have net rates "wherever possible" to allow agents to determine the selling price.
In a further development of its technology, Travel Counsellors has acquired online training software enabling homeworkers to partake in live online training.
Agents will be able to view presentations through their PC, ask questions and interact with the trainer. Byrne said that, technically, any number of agents could join the live sessions, but predicted it would be limited to between six and 12 agents. He stressed the facility would not replace face-to-face training or workshops.

Big three online hotel groups grow market share

The market share of the top three online hotel groups - Travelodge UK, InterContinental and Premier Travel - has increased by 4% over the past year, largely thanks to their brand identity, according to Hitwise UK.
Latest figures show Travelodge as the market leader with just over 18%, followed by InterContinental with 17% and Premier with just under 16%. The combined share of 52% was 4% higher year-on-year.
EasyJethotels was the fourth most-visited site with a share of 6.55% while Hilton was fifth with just over 6%.
The research showed ‘travelodge’ and ‘travel lodge’ as the most searched-for terms with ‘holiday inn’ - part of the InterContinental Group - next. Hitwise said 80% of searches for ‘holiday inn’ send visitors to the InterContinental Hotels website.
Meanwhile, Holiday Autos remained the clear online market leader in the car hire sector, commanding almost a quarter of the market. Hertz was second with 10.5% and Avis third with 9.4%.

Meeke inherits online berth

Thomas Cook has appointed Chris Meeke as head of online marketing as it seeks to further raise awareness of its online product.
Meeke, who joins from TUI UK where he was responsible for the marketing of its direct and web brands, has been given the task of maximising the exposure of www.thomascook.com.
Director of multimedia, flights and ancillaries Carol Dray said: "The website has undergone a major transformation over the last year and is an important part of Thomas Cook’s business strategy going forward.
"Chris' expertise will help us spread the word even further to people who may not realise the breadth of holiday product available."

Study finds travel websites are failing the accessibility test

The majority of travel websites are failing to meet the most basic accessibility standards and are missing out on potential customers as a result, a study has shown.
Internet research and design consultancy Nomensa accused many of the top online travel companies of not having scalable layout or accessible site structure and claimed nine out of 10 do not have compatibility with portable devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and Internet-ready televisions.
It said half failed to meet the most basic accessibility standards.
Nomensa head of accessibility Leonie Watson said: "With so many people using the Internet for purchases, banking and leisure activities, we were surprised to see the travel industry hasn't kept up to speed in engaging online shoppers.
"If more people can use your site, more people can buy your services. It really is as simple as that."

Travel Counsellors adds personal touch

Travel Counsellors is continuing its innovative use of technology with the imminent launch of a new online consumer magazine that will be e-mailed direct to customers.
The e-zine, called Etc, will feature webcast discussions on destinations and industry issues, details of special offers and a consumer forum. Customers will also be able to post questions to homeworkers and receive advice in return from the company’s network of 555 consultants.
Managing director Steve Byrne said the aim was to use technology to create an interactive bond with customers.
“There are lots of corporate magazines, but we wanted to produce something different that would engage our customers,” he told Travolution. “We want this to be highly interactive.”
The use of webcasts has already been successfully introduced by Travel Counsellors through its widely acclaimed weekly broadcasts to agents and it now hopes to replicate that success with customers.
The e-zine, which Byrne said would be updated “frequently”, will be sent from its Bolton head office to all its consultants who will then forward the link to their individual databases.
“The consultants will produce a personalised e-mail flyer with the link which will ensure personal contact,” said Byrne.
The first issue will feature Travel Counsellors chairman David Speakman informing customers about financial protection, a destination report on Tenerife and a discussion asking ‘how safe is your holiday money?’.
Byrne estimated the e-zine will reach around 50,000 of Travel Counsellors’ 160,000 customers.
“The aim now must be to build up our email database,” he said.
To view the Travel Counsellors e-zine, visit http://www.travelcounsellors.com/ezine

Wizard makes Hotelbank disappear

Gold Medal Travel is introducing a raft of new measures to its website in a move that will see the phasing out of Hotelbank.
The legacy system, which was launched in 1992, will disappear by the end of the year after being superceded by the operator’s Holiday Wizard dynamic packaging technology.
Only a handful of bookings remain in the system.
A Gold Medal spokeswoman said Hotelbank has effectively become outdated following the development of web-based technology.
Holiday Wizard enables agents to book up to four rooms at a time, sell special offers online, search by hotel name, category and price range. It also has more property information and images.
Questions will now inevitably be raised over the future of Farebank, its flight engine, although Gold Medal said no decision has been made.
Meanwhile, more content, the ability to download customer itineraries and easier navigation will form part of an upgrade to the operator’s web offering.
Following the addition last month of 2000 European and US hotels to its bed bank – bringing the number to 5,500 – it is now adding airport car parking, lounge passes and rail. Other add-ons to its dynamic packaging system will follow.
“There is no limit to the range of product we can put on,” said Gold Medal group managing director Wayne Pearce. “Apart from producing incremental business, it creates the impression the agent is a leisure travel professional offering expert advice and service.”
Also live is checkmytrip, which gives agents the ability to download and print customer itineraries.

Monarch Scheduled flies high

Online sales of Monarch Scheduled have hit £50 million following a web-based marketing campaign lasting more than 18 months.
The carrier has ploughed £900,000 into the campaign – representing a return on investment of £57 for every £1 spent.
Monarch e-commerce manager Catherine Kite said the campaign, which has been planned and optimised by online marketing agency Cheeze, has been able to effectively target potential customers.
“The level of analytical detail has been central to the success of the campaign,” she said.
“As a result, campaign-driven passenger numbers are up by 50% on last year alone and the marketing cost per passenger has dropped.”
Kite said 85% of sales are now online compared to around 65% two years ago.

Flight Centre UK on the up

FLIGHT Centre UK is planning to make flights bookable online later this month and recruiting more call centre support staff in response to growing customer demand.
Currently, hotels, car hire, attractions and insurance are bookable online. The initial stage of online flight bookings will see scheduled net and published fares available with charter and low-cost airlines to follow.
E-commerce director Brett Warbrick said the facility to dynamically package hotels with flights and to buy pre-packaged tours is also in the pipeline.
Despite the launch of Flight Centre’s transactional website earlier this year, Warbrick said there hadn’t been a need to make flights bookable online until about nine months ago when demand outstripped supply.
“Our website works very well at generating enquiries – almost too well. Around half of our enquiries come from the website and 11% of our website users actually contact us. This is great, but we couldn’t cope with the demand.”
To support online flight bookings Warbrick is hoping to recruit up to 50 staff to work in the New Malden-based call centre in the next six months, reaching a total of up to 70. The call centre opened in January this year to help with the agency’s rapid expansion plans.
Warbrick is also working on a project to link the call centre, stores and website with the same technology to improve customer relationship management.
“When a customer makes a booking with us online, we want to be able to direct that person to their nearest store. And if they’re a repeat booker we want to assign them to someone they’ve perhaps talked to before.”

Signature to launch new website

THOMAS Cook Signature is launching a new website for agents next month with improved search facilities and a wider range of product.
Currently, agents have to go through a link on the operator’s consumer site, www.tcsignature.com. From November, agents will have a dedicated site at www.tcs4agents.co.uk.
Head of e-commerce Mark Attwell said agents had been asking for good search functions, such as by country rather than UK departure airports, and a wider range of destinations.
Previous product included Disneyland Resort Paris, the Caribbean and city breaks. Florida, the US, the Far East and South Africa will now be added. Low-cost carriers and ferries will also be bookable on-line on the trade site. Special offers, bookable on the consumer site, will also be available for the trade online.
“We want to get about 40% of our trade business online,” said Attwell. “We’re really ramping up our online business. Our product teams are all working to make sure the product is online and on sale.”
Thomas Cook Signature sales and marketing director Manuel Mascarenhas said it planned to get between 85% and 90% of its short-haul business online within three months.
"We’ve got to move very quickly on the simple itineraries because there is a lot of competition out there and on-line booking is now an accepted channel."

Marriott adds flights & cars to web site

So the hotel chains are finally offering flights/car hire as integral offerings from their sites: Marriott has added car and air booking capabilities to its web site.

Marriott International has added new functionality to www.marriott.com that enables travelers to book air transportation and car rentals with OR WITHOUT Marriott hotel rooms.

Travelers using the Marriott Flexrez functionality can book one-way and multiple destination options, as well as roundtrip flights with 60 airlines, including most major U.S. carriers, Marriott said. Marriott Flexrez also accepts frequent flyer numbers so that travelers can earn credit for flights.

Along with air transportation, Marriott also allows users to book car reservations in the U.S. from nine different car rental companies.

As predicted steadily throughout Travolution's short blogging lifespan, the dividing lines between travel brands are becoming increasingly blurred. The ability to plug in flight/car/bed booking capability is so simple now that, we fully expect the next time we log on to www.eastanglianpigbreeders.com, to be able to book a flight to Rio. Of course this doesn't mean the game is over- rather that its just beginning- that online travel is , mercifully, moving way from its protracted phase 1 (enabling transactions) to phase 2- building sustainable brands and customer experience. Bring it on, and don't expect the winners to be obvious.

PS- if you clicked on the pig breeders link you are truly doomed, and should be spending your time adding posts to this excellent blog.

Shoddy websites ignoring online shoppers

More than six out of ten consumers are being snubbed by websites which are ignoring their needs and failing to provide sufficient help to complete a purchase, a suvey has shown.
The study by eService provider Transversal revealed that 66% of consumers could not find anwwers to key questions with virtually all subsequently abandoning the transaction.
It underlines how the retail and services industries are still struggling to engage consumers despite the explosion of online sales.
"This is the eqivalent of staff in a shop turning their backs on customers and ignoring their questions," said Transversal chief excecutive Davin Yap.
The survey found that 94% of consumers log off due to a lack of information with 66% heading straight to a competitors site in the hope of obtaining more help. Almost all those questioned said they would be likely to book again through a helpful site while half demanded the information instantly as they spend less than two minutes searching a site.
"These shocking results must act as a wake-up call for British business," said Yap. "With UK onine spending predicted to hit £19.6 billion this year, companies need to deliver the same level of service online as they would in a physical shop, or rosk losing significant revenue.
"To be successful they need to improve the experience for consumers on their websites and provide the answers trhey need, when they need them."