TRAVELER NEWS

Travel agencies vs. Internet travel sites

Travel agencies vs. Internet travel sites

Portland, March 22, 2002 – Corporate travel managers and agencies alike are hearing the phrase, “I can find lower fares on the Internet” from their business travelers. However, Internet studies conducted by TOPAZ International Ltd. For various corporations from May through December 2001, demonstrate that travel agencies are still out performing Internet travel sites when using comparable search criteria and booking the same itinerary.

While researching fares generated by travel agencies vs. those found on Internet travel sites, TOPAZ’s statistics indicate the traditional “bricks and mortar” agencies found fares that averaged $170.00 USD per itinerary less than fares offered for the same itineraries on Internet sites. These findings resulted in overall savings exceeding 20 %.

Internet sites used in the studies included Travelocity.com, Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Cheaptickets.com and various airline specific Web sites.

“Corporations and business travelers continue to have a very worthwhile relationship with their designated travel agency,” stated Valerie Estep, president of TOPAZ International. “Based on our findings, while the Internet travel sites may initially seem like a viable path, a managed travel program combined with the designated agency overall provides the business traveler with lower options.”

TOPAZ found lower fares on the Internet less than 7 percent of the time while conducting their research. This also illustrates that 93 percent of the time the designated agencies were able to match or offer a lower fare for the same itinerary.

“When a business traveler claims to find a lower fare on the Internet, it is often outside the parameters of the travel policy or is not available when the traveler attempts to purchase the ticket,” states Estep.

Lower Internet prices were often a result of:

1. Using connections instead of non-stop flights.
2. Using off-line connections involving a change of carrier at the connecting point.
3. Itineraries with two or more stops in each direction.
4. Flights departing six or more hours from the original requested departure time.
5. Use of alternate airports.

TOPAZ International Ltd., based in Portland, OR, is an airfare auditing, benchmarking and statistical information firm specializing in the use of knowledge and technology to reduce travel costs for business.