site study Consumer Webwatch, an affiliate of Consumer Reports magazine, studied the performance of several leading hotel booking sites, including both major chains and third-party sites, and found that in 150 test price searches Travelocity found the lowest rates 29 percent of the time, compared with 21 percent for Orbitz and 17 percent for Expedia. However, "none of the five integrated travel Web sites—Expedia, Hotels.com, Lodging.com, Orbitz and Travelocity—offered easy functionality to obtain lowest rates during the first search," the study reported. Full results are at www.consumerwebwatch.org.
price precision Hilton Hotels Corp. unveiled a new policy stating that all of its properties must show rate consistency across all distribution channels, so that third-party Web sites, for instance, don't undercut the rates shown on Hilton's own sites. In addition, HHonors members can no longer collect points for bookings made through third-party Web sites. The policies affect all Hilton brands, including Hilton Hotels (www.hilton.com), Doubletree (www.doubletree.com), Embassy Suites (www.embassysuites.com), Hampton Inn (www.hamptoninn.com), Hilton Garden Inn (www.hiltongardeninn.com) and Homewood Suites (www.homewoodsuites.com).
car cares Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) has upgraded its car rental area. The search results now show the complete rental cost up front, with taxes and fees figured in. Previously, the customer had to begin the reservations process before he could see the extra fees. Also, users can now see up to 30 rental choices on one screen, nine times as many as before. "Rate, location, pick-up/dropoff and the consumer's brand preference are all taken into consideration following the initial query," Travelocity said.
simple seats The Air Charter Guide (www.aircharterguide.com), which puts out a directory of 16,000 charter aircraft worldwide, overhauled its Web site to make booking charter flights as easy as booking a regular commercial airline seat online. "Our intent is to show both corporate and consumer travelers that charter is as accessible as other travel options," a spokesman said. The site also has a glossary of charter terms and advice on choosing your airports and aircraft types.
active/adventure vacation planning sites