Collaboration Developing Travel Technology is Key

There are so many online travel technology solutions available in the market today offering so many different product options that finding the right one for your business can often be overwhelming for many. Of course you'll want to find a solution that accesses the content you are looking with the administrative tools you'll need to adjust a products selling price or offer a special promotion. Most of the online travel booking engines in the market today come with these basics which can be enough to get you online. But is simply getting your business online enough in today's crowded marketplace?

A handful of large Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) control a significant portion of the mass market where price is a main driver. These online conglomerates have amassed such "buying power" with travel suppliers that they are able to secure the lowest prices available at the highest commission rates, making them difficult to compete with on price alone. Many have made significant investment in technology and infrastructure to improve their efficiency which has secured their competitive advantage even more.

But there is hope for those looking to compete online with these giants, it's just a matter of doing your research, developing your strategy and implementing your plan. Quite often, online sales are a driving force behind a company's decision to change technology. Online sales can save a business both time and money making it the most cost effective method to serve today's consumer. The innovative travel technology solutions available today allows technology providers to design and develop flexible & fully scalable applications that can easily grow with your business. Many can even provide the ability for you to customize the application templates to maintain your company's own unique branding. And to serve today's growing number of consumers who use their mobile device to purchase travel products as well as those that switch between devices during the research and booking process, many are choosing applications that use responsive technology that can automatically adjust the screen layout based on the type of device being used.

Experience has shown that some of the best travel technology solutions are the result of collaboration. Software Developers, Suppliers and Travel Agents all provide valuable input on how to design and develop the ultimate online travel booking engine. Each of these participants in the sales process play an important role and any technology should consider the individual needs of each. This type of collaborative effort can help ensure an online solution that automates processes and increases revenues while it reduces the time and effort required to complete a transaction.

Input and feedback from Suppliers as well as Travel Agents ensures that the technology connecting them meets each of their individual needs as well as identify areas for process improvement more efficiently. For example, Easy to Use applications designed by a specialized team working with travel agent users are able to deliver an online booking engine that reduces the amount of time required to train agents and gets them selling faster. Finding a technology solution with the right combination of options for your business can be critical and the key to the success of your online travel business. Finding a technology partner that uses a collaborative approach can be just as important.

With so many travel booking engine options to book travel yourself today, many ask why use a travel agent when I can do it myself? Well consider the fact that you can spend hours online searching various websites for the best travel deals and sometimes you get good results while other times you just end up frustrated and confused by so many options.

The world of travel has become increasingly complex as more options become available that compete for today's travel dollar. Despite so many options for consumers to book directly with an airline or hotel online, many consumers continue to use a travel agent for good reason. Today's travel agent software provides agents with the tools they need to quickly serve their customers while reducing costs to serve them. Travel Agents are experts who know more about travel than the average consumer and have access to perks like special pricing and amenities. Today's travel booking engine allows agents to offer clients the content they are looking for at the best price available.

But a good travel agent can offer more than just travel recommendations and perks. They understand some of the more complicated requirements associated with some foreign travel such as Passport & Visa requirements, health insurance protection and inoculation procedures. They can help you navigate these potential snares in your travel plans and prove to be a valuable resource during your trip. For example, a travel agent can help you adjust your travel arrangements due to an unexpected change in plans or an unscheduled flight interruption or cancellation.

The cost of using a travel agent can fluctuate based on where you are, but is money well spent when you consider what an agent can do for you. Travel Agents are experts in their field and the travel agent software many use allows them to save time by sorting through the surplus of information and find the right deal for you. They can research and handle every aspect of your trip, including air transportation, hotel accommodations and even ground transportation.

While it may cost money to use a travel agent, they know how to find lowest airfares and often use their connections to make sure you receive perks like free upgrades or special amenities. For example, an agent may suggest you consider using a nearby alternate airport or travel on an alternate date to save money. They may have access to a free room upgrade or special amenities because of the volume of business they send to a particular hotel. The additional charges that you might potentially save with complimentary Wi-Fi alone over a several day stay at some hotels can more than cover the cost of using a travel agent.

Travelling the world can be full of unexpected snags, but a having a good travel agent just a call away or access to their travel booking engine online is a great insurance policy to have in the event something goes wrong.

Finding travel agent software with the right combination of options for your business can be critical and the key to the success of your online travel business. Finding a technology partner with the right solutions to meet your needs can be just as important.

Choosing The RIght Airline System for Your Travel Business

Gone are the days when airline passengers needed to visit their local travel agent to make an airline reservation. The online revolution of commerce has touched just about every business and the airline industry is no exception. Today, customers can check an airline reservation system for pricing and availability from just about anywhere. Online travel booking engines have made it easier for customers to research and purchase airline tickets or reserve a hotel room. The advantages these online booking engines offer customers range from quick and easy price comparisons of several airlines to allowing travelers to select their seat or reserve a meal. Some even include the ability to simultaneously search multiple content sources for the best fare on a specific airline.

The convenience including a flight reservation system on your website allows customers to interact with your travel business any time of day, no matter whether you are busy at the moment or not. Simply put, having an online booking engine that is easy to use and readily available allows your business to be ready when your customers are. Not to mention the convenience of eliminating the need for your customers to make an extra trip to your agency location. A good online travel booking engine allows your customers to easily research and book their flight arrangements at their own pace as well as where and when they are ready.

Some air booking engines even include the ability to simultaneously search multiple content sources for the best fare. This allows them to take advantage of some potentially lower rates offered by an affiliated agency or partner by seamlessly including these lower rates in the display. Others may look for the ability to connect their flight reservation system with affiliated agents and their own individual or websites which can be another important tool to extend their reach. The more advanced air booking engines even allow for the Booking engine's header & footer to be customized to match a specific affiliate's unique branding.

Today's airline reservation system needs to keep pace with the changing marketplace and include the ability easily make price adjustments and include value adds in the display. A good air booking engine will provide the ability to adjust an airfare based on the date booked, dates travelled, airline, flight number and even the type of airfare used. Value add offers such as free travel insurance or other merchandising opportunities can be included right in the availability display in some cases, alerting customers to where they will find the best value in addition to lowest price.

Lastly, you may want to consider an airline reservation system that includes robust reporting tools to help you track your business. Predefined reports that provide basic Booking Statistics including basic customer reports, booking modified status reports to track bookings with a change in status and even search statistics to identify what customers are looking for verses actually booking using the flight reservation system.

Finding a flight reservation system with the right combination of options for your business can be critical and the key to the success of your online travel business. Finding a technology partner with the right solutions to meet your needs can be just as important.

Hotel Bookings Can Help Increase Revenues

Are you serving all of your customer's travel needs or leaving money on the table by not offering hotel accommodations along with an airline reservation or cruise vacation? Adding Hotel Reservation Software to your online booking engine is an excellent way to diversify your agency's sources of revenue and capture additional commissions while taking care of more of your customers overall travel needs.

There are several things to consider when choosing the Hotel Booking Engine that is right for your business. Consider factors like who your customers are, what type of hotel accommodations are they interested in and how they prefer to research, book and purchase their travel products. A good online booking engine should include the content your customers are looking for with the ability for you to easily adjust a product's selling price. It should be simple to use and contain links to media files & rich content to assist with selecting the right hotel property during the shopping and booking process.

You don't need to be selling to customers located in international markets for multi-language capabilities to be important to your online business. For example, a significant portion of the population in many North American cities speak languages other than English. Studies have shown that communicating with these populations in their native language improves customer satisfaction and increases sales. You may consider adding a Spanish version of your online booking engine to attract and serve the growing Hispanic community throughout North America or French to serve the French speaking population in a city like Montreal. Multi-currency capability is something you will also look for in your online booking engine as well if you do plan to expand internationally.

Consider attracting travelers looking for last minute deals due to a sudden change in plans or those just looking for a last minute getaway with special offers. These "on the move" customers are more likely to use their mobile device to check last minute pricing and availability, especially when they are already traveling, so a mobile ready application will be key. Make sure that the Hotel Reservation Software that you choose is built using responsive technology that can automatically adjust the screen display to fit the type of device being used.

For a way to compete with some of the large Online Travel Agencies, consider a Hotel Booking Engine that includes powerful tools that allow you to pre-define business rules to create your own promotions and special deals for customers to take advantage of. You'll want an online booking engine that allows you to easily adjust a product's selling price or include specific value add offers based on a wide range of criteria that you define and preset. For example, consider adding VIP extras like champagne on arrival or access to other special amenities hotels reserve for their best customers.

And to maintain contact with your customers throughout the selling process and actual hotel stay, consider a Hotel Booking Engine that allows you to customize your emails to customers and communicate with them before, during and after their trip.

Finding Hotel Reservation Software with the right combination of options for your business can be critical and the key to the success of your online travel business. Finding a technology partner with the right solutions can be just as important.