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#TravelHacks for making the most of your travel dollar: Five reasons to book through an online travel agencyBELLEVUE, Wash., July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 2016 summer travel season in full swing, Expedia.com® invites consumers to ask themselves a simple question when choosing how to book travel. How can I get the most value? Expedia suggests a simple answer. Book through an online travel agency (OTA) website. In 2016, the travel marketplace is filled with advice about how to find the best value. Book online. Book direct. Search online but book direct, or search hotel and airline sites, then book through an OTA. It can be nearly impossible for travelers to feel confident about booking travel. Given this complexity, consumers typically conduct, on average, nearly 50 searches across twelve websites before booking flights, according to Expedia data. The same behavior applies to hotels as well. 20 Years of #Travelhacks 1. OTAs offer "packaged" booking options. Using them can save hundreds. Expedia analysts have found package bookings in markets like Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii can yield package savings as high as $800-$1100. Package savings for travel to London this summer have approached 40% off the combined hotel and air value. Package savings are generally not available on hotel and airline sites. Test the hotel's rate and the airline's fare against the combined savings of an online package booking to see what the package yields. You may be very pleasantly surprised. 2. More choice means more savings. One major advantage of this wealth of options is the ability to mix and match. For example, travelers on Expedia.com can choose the flights that fit their schedule, rather than only those offered by a single airline. You can fly out on one airline and fly back on another, in a single booking, with no hassle. Customers looking to save money should consider an OTA as their preferred booking channel, as these sites can offer five to ten times more hotel options in top cities than could be found even on the largest hotel chains' websites. More choice means more opportunity to compare and save on the hotel you really want. 3. Millions of fellow travelers help you book with real, verified hotel reviews. 4. Flexible loyalty programs reward you for everything you book. 5. We offer special deals for Expedia+ members without locking you into a specific property or brand. All Expedia+ members can also peruse Unreal Deals, which are the day's best package deals departing from a traveler's home airport. The Expedia family of brands also offers exclusive deals through our award-winning mobile apps, including tantalizing near-term offers. If a traveler decides they want to stay an extra night, we make the booking process simple, reasonable and sweet. And every booking made through the Expedia app yields three times the Expedia+ points. Choice matters. More options give travelers a better chance to piece together the perfect trip. Travel industry research authority Phocuswright has reported* that travelers who prefer to book with OTAs outnumber those who don't – particularly true for younger travelers, who tend to be price-sensitive and brand-agnostic. When you are searching for your next trip, consider searching the world through an OTA. That choice will reward you. * Phocuswright U.S. Consumer Travel Report, Eighth Edition, June 2016 About Expedia.com Expedia, Expedia.com, Expedia Rewards, Find Yours, Vacation Deprivation and the Airplane logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners © 2016 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110121/SF33870LOGO-b
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/travelhacks-for-making-the-most-of-your-travel-dollar--five-reasons-to-book-through-an-online-travel-agency-300300448.html SOURCE Expedia.com |