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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/ar… Next-Generation Search Tool Makes Booking Online Easier Michael Shapiro Sunday, December 3, 2000 For months now, the online travel industry has been buzzing about a revolutionary, next-generation search tool that could transform the way we book air fares and check schedules. Last week consumers finally got their first chance to book tickets with it, through a little-known Canadian travel site called Travelbyus (www.travelbyus.com). In recent tests Travelbyus has revealed occasional bugs, but overall appears to live up to its raves. Founded by a graduate of MIT`s renowned artificial intelligence lab, ITA Software looks to be a step beyond the search engines used by sites like Expedia and Travelocity. Rather than provide 10 or 15 results for each search, as those other sites do, ITA coughs up hundreds. Though this might sound overwhelming, it`s not. The data is shown on a grid where you can compare, for example, the best nonstop to the best one-stop fare. Or you can see that American`s flight costs $14 more than United for the same route -- but that it might be worth paying the extra $14 if you`re in AA`s frequent-flier program.In a single search, you can enter alternate dates or airports to look for better fares. For example, a search for the best deals from San Francisco to Chicago would check not just SFO and O`Hare but all airports within 25 or 50 miles (you select the distance). Or you could specify airports but look for bargains if you left or returned a day earlier or later. Though it may look a bit technical at first, it`s a snap once you get the hang of it. Here`s how Craig Stoltz of the Washington Post describes ITA: `If the typical fare-search tool shines a narrow flashlight beam into a dark room to illuminate a specific group of fares, ITA turns on all the lights in the air- fare warehouse and lets you see pretty much all the lower-priced options in a single view.` ITA has inked a deal to provide the fare searches on Orbitz, the mega-site backed by five major U.S. airlines. Though Orbitz has postponed its launch until June (with a full-function trial version promised for February), Travelbyus is up and running now. Unlike Travelocity and Expedia, Travelbyus charges a $5 per transaction fee. You can book electronically, use a local Travelbyus agency (find local affiliates via links on the Web site, www.travelbyus.com), or call Travelbyus at 1-800-487-2835. If you don`t feel comfortable booking at Travelbyus, you can use it to start your search and then call the airline to book your ticket. It`s ironic that Travelbyus, which works with a network of thousands of travel agents, is the first to launch ITA`s superb search tool for booking because this may be the biggest threat agents have ever faced. Before you abandon other travel booking sites, though, a few words of caution: Travelbyus and other sites using ITA`s technology occasionally turn up itineraries that aren`t available. Travelocity and Expedia, the two largest travel booking sites, have a much better track record on this. They also provide excellent customer service and are clear and easy to use. Travelbyus may have good service as well, but it doesn`t have the long-standing track record or size of the largest U.S. online bookers. Even if Travelbyus and, eventually, Orbitz don`t match Expedia and Travelocity`s easy interface, ITA is providing a boost for travel consumers. First, ITA`s own site (www.itasoftware.com) is useful for fare searches (though not booking). And its revolutionary technology has spurred Expedia and other leading travel sites to improve their booking tools. Expedia, which used to offer only seven to 15 itinerary options, now offers about 30 through its Express Search. And the company plans to roll out other booking improvements over the next year, giving consumers more choices and options.In other online travel news: -- Tripadvisor (www.tripadvisor.com): Use this site`s home-page map to zoom in on your destination for a selective and useful set of articles from leading guidebooks and travel magazines. (Searching Boston, for example, I found six guidebook entries and 36 magazine pieces.) When you click the `Lodging` link, you`ll find articles describing local hotels click on `Things To Do" for guidebook entries and articles on local attractions for cities across the United States. And when you get home from your trip, feel free to add your comments to the User Review section. Currently it covers only the United States, but it promises to go international in a few weeks. -- Expedia (www. expedia.com): This major online booking site has announced a revamped cruise center with several new features, including reviews by passengers and by cruise expert Douglas Ward. Other new tools include views of cabin layouts and 360-degree virtual tours that allow cruise shoppers to preview ships` dining rooms, pool decks and theaters. Expedia has also expanded its `Business Tools` section, adding new features tailored for small businesses. -- Hotwire (www.hotwire.com): This discount air fare site, launched in October, will add hotel bookings by the end of the year. In some ways Hotwire is similar to Priceline.com the name of the airline or hotel is obscured until a booking is made. But the main difference is that Hotwire reveals the lowest price available, while Priceline asks travelers to bid for flights, hotel rooms and other products. Michael Shapiro is the author of `Internet Travel Planner` and co-writes an e-mail newsletter on Internet travel topics for the Industry Standard. |
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| Autor (Datum des Eintrages): | mis (08.12.00 13:35:10) |
| Beitrag: | 22 von 31 (ID:2495516) |
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