Online Travel Sites losing consumers

Online travel sites lose their luster
Users find process vexing, survey says

By Susan Stellin, New York Times | August 4, 2009

If you dreaded sitting down at your computer the last time you made travel arrangements or felt frustrated by all the time and effort it took to sort through pages of results for flights and hotels, join the crowd.

A report, to be released today by Forrester Research, found that far from embracing the do-it-yourself era, many consumers are fed up with the complicated process of planning and booking travel.

“What we’ve seen is growing frustration,’’ said Henry H. Harteveldt, a Forrester travel analyst. “Consumers see other websites becoming easier to use - retail websites, banking websites, media websites. But travel is treading water as a category. There are very few travel companies that are really looking to improve the planning and booking process.’’

Instead, customers are forced to figure out extra fees, wade through fine print, and understand industry terms like the difference between a deluxe and a standard room, in addition to educating themselves about destinations, flights and hotels, Harteveldt said.

“Travel companies expect the consumer to behave like a travel agent,’’ he explained. “The question I always ask these guys is, ‘Could your mother-in-law use your website without having to call you for help?’ The answer is always ‘no.’ ’’

In fact, Harteveldt said a growing number of consumers appeared to be interested in using an offline travel agency, if they could find one.

“The fact that there are more people now who would consider using a good offline travel agent is telling me people are saying, ‘Enough already,’ ’’ he said.

Frustrations with various aspects of the travel experience are showing up in other research as well. In late June, J.D. Power & Associates released its annual airline survey, which found that customer satisfaction had declined for the third consecutive year. The Power survey asks travelers about issues like the courtesy of gate agents and flight crew, aircraft cleanliness, frequency of in-flight updates, ticket prices, and fees.

And fare cuts have not yet helped improve airlines’ images.

“Actually, passenger satisfaction with costs and fees is down from last year,’’ said Dale Haines, senior director for the travel practice at J.D. Power, pointing out that fees for checked bags or services like booking by phone can wipe out any savings on the ticket price.

“Compared to most industries, the airlines continue to underperform,’’ said Claes Fornell, a business professor at the University of Michigan.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company