Travel Booking Engines Should Be Full Service

There are so many different options for consumers to purchase travel products, so what makes a consumer choose one retailer versus another? The answer usually comes down to price, service or convenience. Whether you are selling a bottle of fine wine or a hotel room for the night, chances are one or all of these criteria will be considered by your customers when they make their purchase. Choosing which travel booking engine to use is no different for today's tech-savvy online traveler.

First, make sure you offer the best value and price to reach today's price-driven consumers. Your online booking engine must be able to search the best sources for content to make sure the best pricing and availability is used. Accessing the low rates offered by air consolidators is one way to get the best fares for your clients. Different air consolidators do specialize in different regions, so you'll want flight booking software that allows you to simultaneously search multiple air consolidators for the best fares.

You'll also need the ability to adjust the selling price quickly and easily. You should look for a travel booking engine that allows you to include value add offers right in the fare availability display and easily provide the expertise and service that only a professional travel professional can offer. Travel agents can be a great resource to find the best deal possible and help consumers who are trying to make sense of all the options available. You are your customers travel expert, so make sure you give your clients the VIP treatment they deserve. Flight booking software should allow both agents and consumers shopping online to select seats, request meals and add loyalty program information to their airline reservation. You'll want to negotiate the best deals possible with the airlines and promote any special deals or amenities that are available.

Make sure your travel booking engine is convenient for customers to use and remember today's consumer has become accustomed to shopping using a variety of devices. Some exclusively use their handheld device to research and purchase travel. Others may start their initial search using their handheld device but switch to a tablet or laptop to complete the purchase. And you will always have the more traditional consumer who may research options online, but prefer to speak with a travel professional when making travel plans.

To serve all these customers, your online travel booking engine must allow you to distribute your products and serve your customers via several online channels. You will need an application that supports Business to Business (B2B) for those customers using call centers. For this, you will want to consider an application that is easy to use and requires little agent training. For those consumers shopping via your website, you'll need a Business to Consumer (B2B) application that allows you to promote special deals and value add offers. And of course for those "on the go" consumers, you'll need a mobile ready application to fit any device. Ease of use and convenience are important when deciding on the right airline booking solution for your travel business, choosing the right technology partner.

Localize Your Global Flight Booking Software

Advances in technology come at such a fast pace that it is not uncommon for many consumers to be purchasing the "latest" version of a product when there is already "buzz" regarding the next generation of the product coming out in less than a year. Keeping up with the latest technology can also be an important decision to keep your business competitive and running efficiently.

Centralized flight booking software with Live connections to airline content along with flexible business rules to manage the product offered customers is key for any online travel business. But launching a travel booking engine globally involves a lot more than multi-currency and multi-language capabilities. As many of those expanding into new markets quickly realize, there can be a huge difference between a "global" product which is generic enough to work in several markets versus a product that has been localized to meet a markets specific needs. It is not just the Language or currency that may vary by different countries may vary, so do many of the regulations regarding consumers and the disclosure of information during the selling process. For example, many countries require unique information be displayed in the sales process some may need access to specific local content to properly serve a market. These variables require flight booking software with a layout that can be quickly tailored to meet local requirements combined with access to critical local market content.

While simply translating an application into a new language may be a quick way of entering a new market, there can be some risk involved with this simple approach. Due to local nuances with Languages, your brand message may be unclear or miscommunicated if not translated correctly or localized to account for regional dialects. For example, the Portuguese spoken in Portugal is much different than in Brazil. Spanish spoken Spain can be dramatically different than that used in Latin America. You may know by now that some things are described by using different words depending on the country. For example in most of the Spanish-speaking world, Strawberry translates to Fresa. However, this fruit is called frutilla in Argentina. When used in Mexico, Fresa describes a young person that is (acting) preppy and is used in a negative way. Mexican teenagers use it to describe the typical superficial, conceited, egocentric, and wealthy Mexican.

Flight booking software used in different markets needs to also provide for the ability to target certain customers or markets with specific marketing messages or special offers. The ability to quickly and easily target special offers by departure city or destination can be a critical tool needed to communicate where the best deals are or when a specific offer can be found. Some travel businesses even want to offer a discount to customers who book online and encourage bookings via this cost-effective channel. Or perhaps a lower the price based on the time of day or the day of week booking is made. The possibilities are endless and your ideas should not be limited by the constraints of your flight booking software. Finding the right technology partner to help take your business global is important, finding a technology partner who understands the need to localize before you can globalize in even more important.

Travel Booking Solutions Need Content

Today's travel booking solutions have come a long way since the days of the first airline reservation systems. The ability to combine air, hotel and cruise bookings as well as other travel products into custom travel packages is the perfect tool to serve today's consumer looking for unique experiences. Travel businesses have been quick to learn that moving sales to E-commerce saves them time and money. An online booking engine is typically the most cost-effective way to serve customers today and the innovative technology available helps software solution providers design and develop flexible & fully scalable applications that easily grow with any size business.

The optional packaging modules available today combine various live Supplier connections with a travel booking engine's dynamic and innovative rules engine. Travel Agents are able to easily deliver the appropriate marketing message to their Users and the unique process flow helps them quickly expand the products and services they provide their customers. Custom Packaging features even allow travel agents to pre-package a custom travel itinerary to be sold online alongside a cruise or individually for example. From a workflow perspective, the User is provided a single price and custom day to day travel schedule for the complete itinerary.

Travel booking solutions with Live access to airline content provide the latest pricing and availability. Access to seat maps, customer loyalty program perks, and special meal requests can be just a click away as well. Hotel content comes with links to media files & rich content to assist with selecting the right hotel property and room during the booking process. Detailed hotel descriptions and photos combined with area maps and nearby points of interest help Users select the hotel that's right for them.

The extensive cruise content and information available in travel booking solutions today assist the online User researching the different cruise line and ship options available. Detailed cruise line and ship information integrated with ship photo galleries and deck plans provide a good idea what a particular cruise ship has to offer. Extensive databases of estimated travel distances between airports and cruise departure ports allow the user to easily add a flight to their cruise booking while eliminating all the guesswork.

Serving today's growing number of consumers using a mobile device to purchase travel products has become so important that many companies now require a mobile booking engine. Mobile ready travel booking solutions are built using innovative responsive technology that automatically adjusts screen size and layout to the type of device being used. Now, regardless of the type of device a customer uses to access a travel website, applications are available that automatically adjust the screen layout. Powerful business rule engines allow an agency owner to control the selling price or include targeted promotional offers right in the availability display.

Choosing a travel booking engine with the right combination of options for your business can be a critical decision. Finding a technology partner that will help you reach today's mobile consumer with the content they are looking for can be just as important.

Travel Technology Solutions Continue to Evolve

Many people who use a travel booking engine never really give them much thought. The world has become so accustom to using technology in their day to day lives that it's become hard to imagine life before things like laptops and cellphones existed. I recently had a revelation while reading about the resurgence of the flip phone. Some may classify the flip phone as recent technology when considering how far technology has progressed in just the last 30 years, but the flip phone already instills a sense of nostalgia for many!

Technology in general has advanced so far over the last 30+ years and travel technology solutions have always been quick to embrace the latest advancements. The ability for anyone with a smart phone to research and book their entire travel is a long way from the days when you had to visit your local travel agent to research options and approximate costs for a trip.

Today's travel technology solutions can easily bring content for airlines, hotels and even cruise lines into a single platform and allow Users to custom build their own packages. A vast improvement from the days when travel agents had to use several different systems and methods to build a vacation package. Gone are the days of using one GDS to book airline reservations, another system to research hotel accommodations and perhaps a third application to book a cruise. The process of coordinating flights with a cruise and hotel accommodations can be a time consuming and complex process. Fortunately, the complete travel packaging solutions available today streamline the entire process with dynamic packaging modules that allow agents or consumers to custom package a cruise, airline reservations, hotels accommodations and other travel products in real time for example.

Travel technology solutions with multi-language & multi-currency capability, including optional exchange rate modules are important if you plan to expand internationally. Access to local content can be critical in some markets and some may require payment gateway integration for packages. Today's online booking engines enable Agency owners to integrate any local content that they may have contracted for themselves for which online booking capability is not available. They can easily add this content to their overall offering and build a day to day itinerary for their customers to book. Unique product features allow Agents to simply save whatever information they've put together for their customer as a quote. Then if the customer calls a few days later, the agent can simply click a button and within seconds the system will check the availability and price for the packaged quoted and allow them to proceed with completing the booking. These travel technology solutions streamline the process to build a vacation package and can save agents considerable time while expanding the products and services they provide customers.

Choosing the travel technology with the right combination of options for your business can be a critical decision. Finding a technology partner that will help you reach today's mobile consumer with the content they are looking for can be just as important.

Travel Bookings Are Made Via All Channels

For most people, the annual holiday trip can be a significant expense. Taking a break from every day schedules and spending time with friends and family or just relaxing is often the time of year many look forward to the most. And for the lucky enough to be purchasing high-end packages such as cruises, the large price tag often motivates consumers to seek assistance and advice from several different sources before purchasing a vacation package. A traveler who is buying a $25,000 vacation package may need reassurance that they are getting the proper value for their money, even if they are a repeat customer. Generally speaking, the lower the cost of the package being purchased, the more likely it will be booked online.

Many start their initial research online with a significant portion being conducted using a mobile device. Today's consumer uses various sources for identifying vacation options including checking reviews on social media sites, seeking advice from friends & family or checking with a trusted travel agent. Once a consumer has narrowed down their options, the next step typically involves the use of a travel booking engine to get the latest availability and pricing for the vacation package they are looking for.

To serve today's growing number of consumers using their mobile device to purchase travel products, many travel companies look for a travel booking engine that is mobile ready. This way, regardless of the type of device a customer uses to access a travel website, applications automatically adjust the screen layout based on the type of device being used. And if you are looking to have a dedicated mobile app to make bookings, there are technology companies that can design and develop a custom mobile app for your business. Either approach offers consumers the ease and mobility of using their smartphone or tablet.

Make sure the travel booking engine you chose can offer access to all the selling channels your agency needs and that multiple selling channels can be easily managed using a single application (B2B, B2C, B2B2C). And if you plan to expand into new markets, look for applications that are designed to meet the requirements of the Global Marketplace and can easily handle multiple currencies as well as multiple languages.

Travel agency online booking solutions should include the ability to be easily customized to support an agency's own brand identity and unique selling style. The application's headers, footers as well as colors and font used should all match the agency branding. The ability to easily control the selling price and include targeted promotions right in the availability display is critical for consumer websites and travel agent applications as well. The more information and tools you provide an Agent during the research and booking process, the quicker they will be able to serve the customer and complete the sale.

Choosing a travel booking engine with the right combination of options for your business can be a critical decision. Finding a technology partner that will help you reach today's mobile consumer with the content they are looking for can be just as important.

Why Not Add a Hotel?

It's time for many businesses evaluate the way they conduct business and see what improvements can be made. Is your business operating as efficiently and effectively as possible? Are you offering the products and services that your customers are looking for? Has your technology kept pace with your business? All basic business questions that apply to any size travel agency.

First consider the customers you currently have and determine if you are capturing all of their travel related business. For example, when you sell a customer an airline ticket for a quick business trip or a week long vacation, do you offer to book a hotel for them as well? Chances are they may need to book a hotel, so why not include this too? Easy access to hotel content integrated with other travel components is a great way to make this happen quickly. Incorporating a hotel booking engine with a dynamic packaging module can allow both agents or consumers to price as well as package Cruises, Airlines, Hotels and other travel products in real time for example.

Look for a hotel booking engine that includes links to media files & rich content to assist the User with selecting the right hotel property and room type during the shopping process. It's also important that the application allow the User to modify the Search and narrow down results to their specific criteria. Some may look for a property downtown with free internet for example, while others may want to be closer to the airport or beach. The amenities a particular hotel offers can be as important as the room for many, so detailed descriptions of a particular property come in handy when deciding which hotel to choose. Travel booking solutions should contain all the information and tools needed for the User to easily research and book a complete travel package quickly and easily.

Then check to see if you are serving your customers via the channels they prefer. For today's customer on the go, a mobile ready hotel booking engine is an option you'll need to include. Today's consumer uses different devices to research and eventually purchase products online. Many who are typically younger for example start their initial research using their smartphone and then may switch to a tablet or Laptop to complete the purchase. Others may start their research with their Laptop and then complete their purchase directly or with a travel agent. Either way, the travel booking engine you use needs to be ready to serve these customers on the device they choose.

Lastly, you want to make sure the travel booking engine you are using has kept pace with the latest developments. If you plan to expand into new markets for example, you'll need a solution that can easily handle multiple currencies as well as multiple languages. And make sure the can the application be customized to match the "look and feel" of your company's branding.

Identifying a travel booking solution with the right combination of content and product features for your business can be a critical decision. Finding the right technology partner can be just as important.

Packaging A Cruise Can be Easy

The growth of the cruise industry has been fueled by the cruise lines success in attracting new cruisers combined with the with the fact that people who take cruises tend to repeat, with about 90+ percent of cruisers saying they will probably or definitively book a cruise as a next vacation. And with the majority of cruise passengers requiring flight arrangements to the cruise embarkation port, the market opportunity for cruise booking software that can include Air, Hotel and other travel components is tremendous. The challenge many face is that the process to build a cruise package can be quite complex and time consuming, which is why the majority of packages that are booked involve a travel agent.

The process to build a cruise vacation package can be complex and time consuming for most. Many travel agents still use various cruise line sites to research and book cruises for their clients. Then to add flights, they either forward to an air product team specialist to bundle in the right flights for a particular cruise or start the search themselves. Questions like what is the closest airport to the ship departure port? How far is the airport from the cruise port? What flights need to be selected based on when the guest needs to arrive at the ship? Will the passenger need pre or post cruise hotel accommodations? An agent can spend an hour or more to build a package or use other resources from the team to put a quote together.

They say "necessity" is the mother of invention, so it wasn't long before some innovative technology companies began developing cruise booking software to dynamically package these components to streamline the entire process. A dynamic packaging engine can give both agents and online consumers the ability to price as well as package Cruises, Airlines, Hotels and other travel products in real time.

Detailed descriptions of Cruise lines, Ships, Cabin categories & Itinerary information along with links to media files & rich content such as Cabin photos, Ship images and Deck plans can help the User select the right cruise and accommodations. The ability to Compare Cruise Only, Cruise Tours, Cruise Packages that an Agent may have already pre-built and saved in the platform can also be a distinguishing feature. Cruise booking software with a sophisticated rule engine allows a business owner to deliver the right marketing message to the User, whether the User is a travel agent or online consumer.

Once the cruise is booked, Users can add a flight during the booking process or after the booking process. These innovative applications consider travel time between the airport selected and the cruise port when selecting flights. Once the customer has selected the flights, some cruise booking software have the ability to include hotel accommodations as part of the package as well based on the flights and cruise dates.

Choosing a cruise booking solution with the right combination of options for your business can be a critical decision. Finding a technology partner that will help you reach today's mobile consumer with the content they are looking for can be just as important.