Comparing top three Australian online travel agents
December 12th 2009 11:10
Category: No Category
Everything is apparently cheaper online. But even different online sites have their differences so just where should we be looking?
Here are the top three in Australia, perhaps this guide will help:
1. Webjet.com.au
Webjet has the highest market share in online travel agency. They get more hits and and more bookings compared to all other similar websites and get more publicity as well.
However, I would have to say Webjet is my least favourite online travel agency.
Why?
Well firstly, they are hard to use and hard to understand.
When you search for an airfare, they give you a table comparing all the different airfares first in 'one way' fare order, and then you are suppose to click on each of them to create your return airfare (which, if you have ever worked in travel before, knows it does not work this way) and then it eventually bring you to the payments page and you realise the price you just saw isn't the price you are going to pay at all - they have about on average $35 in fees you have to pay so you actually end up paying more!
2. Expedia.com.au
Expedia doesn't charge booking fees. So the price you see is the price you get. And they offer just about the same amount of airline choices as webjet. They even do air/land packages. One of the first in online travel agency to offer this option since a while ago which is pretty cool.
The best thing about Expedia, is that you can actually create multi-destination and open jaw airfares, something that on other websites may either be impossible, or just really really hard to find.
3. Zuji.com.au
I like Zuji, and I am not going to hide it. Expedia is easy to use, but there are certain airfares that it just cannot find. Zuji however, somehow has access to a lot of the airfares that is cheap and less common. They also have a large presence in the Asia Pacific region so they do offer a lot more in this region than other websites too.
Also charging no booking fee and also now offering package deals, next time give them a go!
OTHER WEBSITES:
- Lastminute.com.au
This website used to be just an accommodation website dedicated to last minute hotel bookings. They now offer airfare options too which can be a good thing but unfortunately the website isn't the best in finding availability.
It'll tell you a particular airfare is available, and allow you to keep clicking away to the payments page. You'll put in your credit card number hoping your eticket is just on the otherside of the transaction only to find that it won't let you book because there is no availability!
So it's back to the first page again.....
- Bestflights.com.au
Has a lot of options, even low cost carriers that the other major websites does not offer, but not as popular because of lack of publicity. Many people say the service fee also put them off, but that didn't deter people from booking with Webjet!
They also do tours, car hire, rail passes and other travel related products. I say it's an excellent website for research!
Here are the top three in Australia, perhaps this guide will help:
1. Webjet.com.au
Webjet has the highest market share in online travel agency. They get more hits and and more bookings compared to all other similar websites and get more publicity as well.
However, I would have to say Webjet is my least favourite online travel agency.
Why?
Well firstly, they are hard to use and hard to understand.
When you search for an airfare, they give you a table comparing all the different airfares first in 'one way' fare order, and then you are suppose to click on each of them to create your return airfare (which, if you have ever worked in travel before, knows it does not work this way) and then it eventually bring you to the payments page and you realise the price you just saw isn't the price you are going to pay at all - they have about on average $35 in fees you have to pay so you actually end up paying more!
2. Expedia.com.au
Expedia doesn't charge booking fees. So the price you see is the price you get. And they offer just about the same amount of airline choices as webjet. They even do air/land packages. One of the first in online travel agency to offer this option since a while ago which is pretty cool.
The best thing about Expedia, is that you can actually create multi-destination and open jaw airfares, something that on other websites may either be impossible, or just really really hard to find.
3. Zuji.com.au
I like Zuji, and I am not going to hide it. Expedia is easy to use, but there are certain airfares that it just cannot find. Zuji however, somehow has access to a lot of the airfares that is cheap and less common. They also have a large presence in the Asia Pacific region so they do offer a lot more in this region than other websites too.
Also charging no booking fee and also now offering package deals, next time give them a go!
OTHER WEBSITES:
- Lastminute.com.au
This website used to be just an accommodation website dedicated to last minute hotel bookings. They now offer airfare options too which can be a good thing but unfortunately the website isn't the best in finding availability.
It'll tell you a particular airfare is available, and allow you to keep clicking away to the payments page. You'll put in your credit card number hoping your eticket is just on the otherside of the transaction only to find that it won't let you book because there is no availability!
So it's back to the first page again.....
- Bestflights.com.au
Has a lot of options, even low cost carriers that the other major websites does not offer, but not as popular because of lack of publicity. Many people say the service fee also put them off, but that didn't deter people from booking with Webjet!
They also do tours, car hire, rail passes and other travel related products. I say it's an excellent website for research!
| 63 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog