ON-LINE
travel agency Expedia.co.uk has slammed research claiming prices for travel
goods bought on-line have increased more than those on the high street.
The
study, carried out on behalf of Internet bank Goldfish, found on-line prices
increased by 8.4% last year, whereas those on the high street rose by 6.7%.
The
study also advises Internet users to check travel sites’ credentials such as
bonding and the type of consumer protection offered. If this information is not
readily available, Goldfish says people should “think about booking elsewhere”.
“In
other areas of e-commerce, the standard advice is to shop with reputable
suppliers whose names you recognise. The main players in the on-line travel
business, with some exceptions, will be names unfamiliar to you.”
The
research was carried out for Goldfish by market analysts Datamonitor after it
tracked 30 sites in the travel market. Goldfish started tracking on-line prices
in July 2000 and has been releasing the information on a monthly basis ever
since.
Expedia.co.uk
tour operations manager Chris Roe hit back at the claims.
“Why
is Goldfish commenting on the on-line travel business, I thought it was a
credit-card company? The average air price on Expedia is 3% lower, which proves
there are better prices on the web.”
Roe
also pointed out the Goldfish website has extensive links to and information on
travel websites.
However,
Goldfish marketing director Charlie Herbert said: “Consumers hoping to save
money by making late bookings on-line should consider shopping around, both on
the Internet and the high street.
“The
market suggests on-line retailers have carved out a niche and got the high
street worried – the fact that many high-street travel agencies are cutting
prices would support this view.”
Goldfish believes the price rises have been driven by
the need for publicly quoted dot coms to make a profit and strong consumer
demand for last-minute packages.