|
|
A TRAVEL AGENT INSIDE YOU PC; Fred Mawer Explains How You Can Get More Choice and Value by Booking Your Holiday Online
By Fred Mawer
 Whoever doesn't use the internet to arrange their holiday may soon be in the minority.
A report by the research company Mintel says nearly half of UK holidaymakers use the net to research holidays, with one in three making actual online bookings.
Cyberspace has not only brought the world into our homes, it has also put us in control of our holidays. Who needs to traipse down to a travel agent when all the information we might need is out there for free?
There are specific advantages. First, financial: the internet reduces overheads for companies and many, such as easyJet, charge a few pounds less for online bookings. Also, better websites, such as British Airways' www.ba.com, let you see the best deals at a glance.
Second, there's the issue of availability. Take the thousands of properties on offer in English Country Cottages' portfolio. Within a minute, I can find out which are free in a chosen week on www.english-country-cottages.co.uk And third, good websites provide more detailed and clearer information than any other source - from 360-degree views of hotels and villas (online at www.tapestryholidays.com) - to a list of restrictions on a flight booking.
Of course, the internet does have pitfalls. The most common gripe I hear is that when things go wrong - arrangements changed, tickets lost, accommodation substandard - online bookings can be a nightmare to rectify. I would book with UK-based companies and take their phone number away with you.
And online you are unlikely to have the same financial protection than if you booked a package holiday, particularly if a low-cost airline goes belly-up.
So aim to book with companies that have an Atol or Abta bond. And if you book directly with an airline or an unbonded company, pay by credit card: if you pay more than [pounds sterling]100, you can then seek redress from the card issuer if the company goes bust.
Another drawback is that thousands of websites actually offer too much choice.
With this in mind, what follows is a timesaving reference guide to some of the most useful websites that can help you book the best trip at the right price.
Finding the best deal for parking has been greatly simplified by the recent arrival of www.simplyparking.co.uk The site can show you the cheapest and most suitable car park on offer from five major companies at 22 UK airports.
For a good deal at a UK airport hotel, try www.holidayextras.com www.eurodrive.co.uk offers a useful new price-checker service comparing prices on given dates on comparable crossings to France (including Eurotunnel), Spain, Ireland and across the North Sea, and offering bookings.
But it does not feature all operators, for example, Speedferries' lowcost Dover-Boulogne service, which is bookable online at www.speedferries.com UK travel: www.thetrainline.com.
European travel: www.raileurope.co.uk.
France, the new www.tgv.co.uk, which offers deals on TGVs from [pounds sterling]19 one way.
www.holidayautos.co.uk is the first site I turn to. Rates are low, there's a bestprice guarantee and online bookings usually get a hefty discount. Also, the small print makes it clear what's included. Holiday Autos, a broker which doesn't own the cars it rents out, was a pioneer of all-inclusive rates.
Many accommodation-only websites act merely as booking agents and don't accept any liability or offer financial protection. One exception on both counts is www.apartmentsabroad.com, which has a portfolio of more than 16,000 hotels, apartments and villas in cities and resorts around the world.
For cut-price late-availability deals (up to 70 per cent off) try www.laterooms .com When you've found what you want, you normally book by phone direct with the hotel, quoting a special code.
Online travel agencies such as www.expedia.co.uk, www.ebookers.com and www.lastminute.com can't quite provide for all your travel needs - they aren't able to book flights with low-cost airlines, for example.
But they can book just about anything else, backed up by their sophisticated technology. Lastminute.com is the best for ideas, Expedia is better suited to those who know what they're looking for, while ebookers falls somewhere in between.
First-timers should click on 'user guide', 'FAQs' or 'help' on the sites' home pages for guidance.
Source: The Mail on Sunday
|
|
This website is created and designed by Atlantis International, 2006
This is an unofficial website with educational purpose. All pictures, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and may not be reproduced for any reason whatsoever. If proper notation of owned material is not given please notify us so we can make adjustments. No copyright infringement is intended.
