Airline and nonairline alike--travel sites are flying
high.
Airline Web sites aren't what they used to be. No longer
static backwaters that merely display flight and gate information,
carriers now feature customizable content, mileage information and
discounted tickets.
A recent survey by New York City media research company Jupiter
Communications predicts that within the next three years, 62
percent of online airline bookings will be handled by airline sites
instead of nonairline travel sites. Just a few months ago, sales on
airline sites represented only a fraction of online
reservations.
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This raises the question of where to book online. Nonairline
travel sites such as Trip.com and Travelocity.com offer fares from
a variety of carriers and suppliers. Most airline sites, however,
only sell their own flights. On the other hand, a lucky traveler
might find a price that's only offered on an airline's Web
page.
Don't ditch one site for another just yet. Nonairline sites
allow you to window shop and offer tips and special rates.
"Each site has strengths and weaknesses," says Lorraine
Sileo, a senior analyst at PhoCusWright, an online travel
consultancy in Sherman, Connecticut. "But online travel
agencies still offer the neutrality and choice that an airline site
can't. It's best to shop around."
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