Thursday, October 30, 2003
Dot travel domain name delayed - 30 Oct 2003
Dot travel domain name delayed - 30 Oct 2003: Industry hopes that a dot-travel domain name could soon be approved have been dashed by the news that the domain oversight body has delayed the process
The E-commerce for the Travel Industry Forum
The E-commerce for the Travel Industry Forum: "A total of 190 new IBM kiosks will be installed at Heathrow Airport and all major British Airways destination airports across Europe. The kiosks are designed to make check-in faster and more convenient while optimising space at airports. (10/30/2003)"
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
three new travel supersites
Times Online - Sunday Times: "There may well be cheap flights on the internet, but it can take hours to find them. That's all set to change three new travel supersites are promising to bring you the best deals in seconds."
Monday, October 20, 2003
Top 10 Global 'Travel - Transport' sites
1. (10.88 %) easyJet http://www.easyjet.co.uk
2. (8.38 %) RyanAir.com http://www.ryanair.com
3. (6.51 %) British Airways http://www.britishairways.com
4. (5.69 %) National Rail http://www.nationalrail.co.uk
5. (3.62 %) The TrainLine http://www.thetrainline.com
6. (3.14 %) bmibaby http://www.bmibaby.com
7. (3.09 %) Thetrainline Store http://www.thetrainlinestore.com
8. (2.93 %) FlyBE.com http://www.flybe.com
9. (2.23 %) RAC Travel http://www.rac.co.uk
10. (1.61 %) BMI British Midland http://www.flybmi.com
For more information go to www.hitwise.com "
2. (8.38 %) RyanAir.com http://www.ryanair.com
3. (6.51 %) British Airways http://www.britishairways.com
4. (5.69 %) National Rail http://www.nationalrail.co.uk
5. (3.62 %) The TrainLine http://www.thetrainline.com
6. (3.14 %) bmibaby http://www.bmibaby.com
7. (3.09 %) Thetrainline Store http://www.thetrainlinestore.com
8. (2.93 %) FlyBE.com http://www.flybe.com
9. (2.23 %) RAC Travel http://www.rac.co.uk
10. (1.61 %) BMI British Midland http://www.flybmi.com
For more information go to www.hitwise.com "
Sunday, October 19, 2003
TravelJungle Very good flight booking engine.
TravelJungle - Your fare comparison system for the best rates online: "TravelJungle.co.uk searches instead of you simultaneously 24 different low cost carriers
(like easy jet, ryan air etc) and 7 online travel agents (like expedia; Travelocity, ebookers, opodo etc)
to make sure that you really find the cheapest fare available."
(like easy jet, ryan air etc) and 7 online travel agents (like expedia; Travelocity, ebookers, opodo etc)
to make sure that you really find the cheapest fare available."
Friday, October 17, 2003
Hotels.com & Europe
News:
"Hotels.com outlines Euro domination plans London, October 17 2003, (netimperative)"
Following its UK launch earlier last week, Hotels.com said it expects international sales to outstrip its US business within the next three to five years, with the bulk of that expansion coming in Europe.
"Hotels.com outlines Euro domination plans London, October 17 2003, (netimperative)"
Following its UK launch earlier last week, Hotels.com said it expects international sales to outstrip its US business within the next three to five years, with the bulk of that expansion coming in Europe.
Visit Britain defends domestic tourism - 15 Oct 2003
Visit Britain defends domestic tourism - 15 Oct 2003: "VisitBritain says that although domestic tourism isn't increasing at the rate of overseas tourism, it is on the up. Corporate PR manager, Orla Fallon, told TravelMole that she thought the survey headline - 'Widespread rejection of UK holidays', was slightly misleading."
Thursday, October 16, 2003
The E-commerce for the Travel Industry Forum
The E-commerce for the Travel Industry Forum: "Active Hotels Release Q3 Online Booking Survey Results
Active Hotels has released its Q3 Online Booking Survey results, which show that the number of people using the Internet to secure accommodation online has soared by an average of 80% since September 2002. (10/16/2003)"
Active Hotels has released its Q3 Online Booking Survey results, which show that the number of people using the Internet to secure accommodation online has soared by an average of 80% since September 2002. (10/16/2003)"
Friday, October 10, 2003
Active Hotels win award
The finals:
Top Business Award for Active Hotels - 07 Oct 2003: "Dr Andrew Phillipps, CEO of Active Hotels Limited, one of the leading providers of online reservations to the European hotel industry, has won this year�s UK Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award."
Semi-finals:
TOP BUSINESS AWARD FOR ACTIVE HOTELS� ENTREPRENEUR - 23 Jul 2003: "39 finalists, will go through to the national final in October, from which the Overall National Entrepreneur Of The Year will be selected to represent the UK in the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in 2004."
Top Business Award for Active Hotels - 07 Oct 2003: "Dr Andrew Phillipps, CEO of Active Hotels Limited, one of the leading providers of online reservations to the European hotel industry, has won this year�s UK Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award."
Semi-finals:
TOP BUSINESS AWARD FOR ACTIVE HOTELS� ENTREPRENEUR - 23 Jul 2003: "39 finalists, will go through to the national final in October, from which the Overall National Entrepreneur Of The Year will be selected to represent the UK in the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in 2004."
The E-commerce for the Travel Industry Forum
The E-commerce for the Travel Industry Forum: "Travelsupermarket.com is a free service that uses a revolutionary 'second generation' search engine that 'scrapes' flight prices from more than 27 travel websites.
All results are on one web page, in real time, collated by the cheapest price first.
www.travelsupermarket.com "
All results are on one web page, in real time, collated by the cheapest price first.
www.travelsupermarket.com "
Thursday, October 09, 2003
NEWS.com.au | Google slays 'em in search market (October 8, 2003)
NEWS.com.au | Google slays 'em in search market (October 8, 2003): "In Australia, according to Roy Morgan Research, the number of people who make purchases on the internet has more than doubled in three years to 2.7 million, with travel tickets and accommodation the main drivers. The internet has taken over from travel agents as the most important source of travel information, next to word of mouth.
While much of the searching and booking is via conventional sites, search engines are becoming more important. If you are running an accommodation unit and haven't realised that the internet is more important than travel agents or brochures, then the odds are you're losing business. "
While much of the searching and booking is via conventional sites, search engines are becoming more important. If you are running an accommodation unit and haven't realised that the internet is more important than travel agents or brochures, then the odds are you're losing business. "
Saturday, October 04, 2003
TravelMole Interview: Dinesh Dhamija, ebookers - 03 Oct 2003
TravelMole Interview: Dinesh Dhamija, ebookers : "Mr Dhamija told TravelMole that the company would not have survived 9/11 had it not been for its India Business Process Outsourcing subsidiary Tecnovate."
Maybe the outsourcing to India isn't for customer service but the practice is commomplace. All the more reason to offer exceptional customer service with knowledgable people. Just makes others look bad and gives us a real advantage.
Maybe the outsourcing to India isn't for customer service but the practice is commomplace. All the more reason to offer exceptional customer service with knowledgable people. Just makes others look bad and gives us a real advantage.
Friday, October 03, 2003
Guest Comment: Domestic tourism - agents or internet for growth? - 29 Sep 2003
Is 16% of UK domestic breaks booked direct using the internet high?
Could be rephrased when selling to small businesses....
Guest Comment: Domestic tourism - agents or internet for growth? - 29 Sep 2003: "A recent industry paper stated that the internet is used primarily for planning a holiday but only 16% of people used it to book a domestic holiday - well how much product is available because this actually seems a relatively high proportion when 90% of domestic holidays are booked direct?
The figures clearly indicate that the domestic tourism provider should be encouraged to provide bookable product online rather than seeing the travel agent as the untapped potential. They are not, of course, mutually exclusive and the tour operators offer some great product through retail outlets.
In its advice to the industry VisitBritain should clearly be telling the small businesses to develop their online information to provide on-line bookings too. The trend is already clear from the action of many of the big operators -over reliance on the retail agent would be investing in yesterday's technology and for the small business it makes better financial sense. " (with our standalone website product coupled with the booking engine it's worth going to the UKTA saying we'll put every business online).
Could be rephrased when selling to small businesses....
Guest Comment: Domestic tourism - agents or internet for growth? - 29 Sep 2003: "A recent industry paper stated that the internet is used primarily for planning a holiday but only 16% of people used it to book a domestic holiday - well how much product is available because this actually seems a relatively high proportion when 90% of domestic holidays are booked direct?
The figures clearly indicate that the domestic tourism provider should be encouraged to provide bookable product online rather than seeing the travel agent as the untapped potential. They are not, of course, mutually exclusive and the tour operators offer some great product through retail outlets.
In its advice to the industry VisitBritain should clearly be telling the small businesses to develop their online information to provide on-line bookings too. The trend is already clear from the action of many of the big operators -over reliance on the retail agent would be investing in yesterday's technology and for the small business it makes better financial sense. " (with our standalone website product coupled with the booking engine it's worth going to the UKTA saying we'll put every business online).
Thursday, October 02, 2003
USATODAY.com - Whatever happened to customer service?
USATODAY.com - Whatever happened to customer service?
The best idea is to produce an easy to understand interface and back-end technology that is usable which would compliment CS by phone. That way the calls to CS are reduced and the User is happy.
We should never have an IVR system for Customer Service unless it is a quick two or three option menu that foes through to a human. It will hardly delight the User as this article illustrates. Our CS staff should also be the best trained and the best quality. They are the human face of tt and should act accordingly. Good customer service = good press and word of mouth marketing.
The best idea is to produce an easy to understand interface and back-end technology that is usable which would compliment CS by phone. That way the calls to CS are reduced and the User is happy.
We should never have an IVR system for Customer Service unless it is a quick two or three option menu that foes through to a human. It will hardly delight the User as this article illustrates. Our CS staff should also be the best trained and the best quality. They are the human face of tt and should act accordingly. Good customer service = good press and word of mouth marketing.
Australia: Online travel market growing
Australia: Online travel market growing: "The total number of people making purchases online grew from 1.2 million in the June quarter of 2000 to 2.7 million in the June quarter this year, with a third of those in the latest quarter either buying tickets or booking accommodation, the company said. "
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Travel Industry News
The following should fit our CS policy
Michael Dell, Dell Computers:
Today customers are becoming ever more aware of their choices - so technology and high quality, and good value are just the price of entry. The total customer experience - including an emphasis on service and speed - is the next competitive frontier. Beyond winning and satisfying your customer, the objective must be to delight your customer - and not just once but again and again. This leads to true customer loyalty, which sustains your success.
Michael Dell, Dell Computers:
Today customers are becoming ever more aware of their choices - so technology and high quality, and good value are just the price of entry. The total customer experience - including an emphasis on service and speed - is the next competitive frontier. Beyond winning and satisfying your customer, the objective must be to delight your customer - and not just once but again and again. This leads to true customer loyalty, which sustains your success.
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