| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 10/07/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 48 |
| Copyright: Other |
On-line analysis by Linsey McNeill
Netting Web prices is just a service game
Travel Weekly pits agents against the Net – with surprising results
Agents have expressed concern that airlines might be offering clients cheaper fares on the Internet than those available to agents but a Travel Weekly investigation can reveal it is on service levels where the Net really comes out top.We checked out cyber fares offered by different airlines to various destinations and compared them with the fares offered by travel agents using the same airlines.
In almost every case the fare quoted by the agent was identical to the fare available on the airline’s Web site, but in three out of six cases the Internet provided a better service.
The Web sites we tested all offered a fast and easy on-line booking service, and half of them were faster to come up with fares and provided more information than was proffered by the agents we used.
One retailer who was asked for a fully flexible mid-week fare from London to New York quoted a fare that required a Saturday night stay and incurred a penalty for any changes.
Another who was asked for a Virgin Upper Class fare between London and Tokyo promised to call back with a price but failed to do so. When checking Virgin’s Web site for information, it took only a matter of seconds for the airline to come back with a quote of £4,324 – which represents an awful lot of lost commission for a tardy agent.
Another retailer who was asked for a fully flexible return fare from Manchester to Milan failed to ask for preferred departure times and then merely quoted a fare of £600 on British Airways without offering any further information.
The cheapest fully flexible return fare available on British Airways’ Web site was £635 – £35 more than the agents’ quote but the retailer would probably have lost the booking anyway because of the poor service.
The three agents who scored highly were the ones who offered more than just a straightforward quote. When one was asked for a business-class return flight from London to Milan, he pointed out the city had two airports, one of which was a long way from the centre.
He offered a choice of departure times and quickly came back with a fare of £548 return, tax-inclusive, on British Midland.
As this was the same price as that quoted by British Midland on its Web site, it is likely that in this instance the agent would have clinched the deal as he offered a friendly, efficient, and reassuring service.
Of the six airlines tested, only British Airways offered a cheaper fare on its Web site than via a travel agent. Its cheapest cyber fare for a return business-class flight from London to New York was £3,063 – £332 cheaper than the fare the agent quoted.
However, BA’s Web site did not make it clear whether the Club Class fare quoted was fully flexible or not, and clients are advised to call the airline direct to clarify the terms and conditions. In this instance, it probably would have been quicker to book through the agent than on the Web.
Need for speed: half of the tested sites were quicker at a quote than agents
Web check
www. britishairways.comHome page: this is very clear and fortunately there are no fancy pictures that take time to download. Options include a fare and flight-finding service, an on-line booking facility, special offers, departure and arrivalinformation, details of BA’sfrequent-flyer programme, city guides, travel insurance and details of British Airways Holidays’ programme.
Information given: there are lots ofdifferent sections where clients can book flights, tailor-made packages with flights and accommodation, or packages with BAH. They can also get details of BA’s latest offers, the cost of insurance, or just check flightschedules. Frequent flyers can set up their own area on the site.
On-line booking facility: customers can book and pay for flights on-line or over the phone. The airline will hold a reservation made on-line for 12 hours for clients who want to pay off-line.
Special features for agents: selected agents are offered access to a BA extranet (a private area of the Internet) which contains special fares,promotions and information on BAproducts.
Overall impression: the site is veryeasy to use with a fast on-line booking service that is very clear, even if you have not booked before. It is geared towards the consumer, not the agent.
Clear and simple:the BAhome page
Making space: BA’s frequent-flyer section
www.virgin-atlantic.com
Information given:topics covered by the various sections include flight schedules, departure and arrival information, details of Virgin’sfrequent-flyer programme and how to join, fares, destination information, details of in-flightentertainment, special offers and Virginholidays.
On-line booking facility: passengers can book and pay for flights on-line with a credit card and they have the option ofhaving tickets mailed to their home address or sent direct to the airport.
Special features for agents: this is a consumer site, with no special features for agents.
Overall impression: the site is attractive, fun, very easy to use and offers a fast and efficient on-line bookingservice. Passengers can select meal and seat preferenceand those booking UpperClass tickets are offeredinformation on the airline’s complementary limousineservice.
Home sweet home: Virgin’s page
Simple: look and book