Kayak comes 'alive'

Kayak.com has introduced Trip Ideas, a community-based forum that encourages users to create and share travel destination "wish lists" with other users.

Unlike static lists found on the Internet, Kayak.com is the first travel site to provide real-time fares and availability for every destination listed, which makes the leap from research to booking just a simple click away, stated the company.

"Trip Ideas is the first phase of what we call `Kayak Alive', which emphasises user-generated content that can be shared with friends and other Kayak.com users," said Dean Harris, CMO of Kayak.com.

"Similar to popular hotel review sites, Trip Idea lists are third party endorsements of destinations, hotels, events and more. Consumers will use Trip Ideas to research vacation options, share favorite destinations, or discuss travel plans with friends and family."

In order to create a personal Trip Idea or view those created by others, one needs to go to the Fare Buzz tab on Kayak.com. Users can create an original list or use an existing list found elsewhere on the Web. To add a new Trip Idea, consumers complete a simple form with Trip Idea name, category and a list of three or more destinations. Fields for additional content, URL and photos are optional. In addition to user-generated lists, Kayak.com aggregates destination lists from key web sites, states a release.

In addition to Trip Ideas, Kayak.com announced enhancements: Consumers searching for flights can now more efficiently book hotel and rental car or register the itinerary for a Fare Alert with the new "Also on Kayak" section. Links are located on the top right corner of the search results pages; and Users can now book one-way rental cars on Kayak.com.

MSN Travel relaunched, more resources at consumers' fingertips

According to a recent survey commissioned by MSN and conducted by Harris Interactive, approximately three-quarters of U.S. adult respondents who have ever taken a vacation say they visit three or more Web sites when researching and/or booking their vacation plans.

The most useful resources as cited by vacationers in the MSN survey were research/guides with information on what to do and see (71 percent), airline and hotel fare comparisons (68 percent), and travel/news articles (45 percent).

Now consumers can access those resources and discover a comprehensive trip-planning experience at the newly relaunched beta version of the MSN Travel Web site.

In the MSN survey, consumers were asked what types of information they would consider most useful when researching and/or booking their vacation plans, and 71 percent chose "research/guides with information about what to do and see." Comparisons of airline and hotel fares also drew a favorable response from 68 percent of vacationers who said this would be useful, while 45 percent said they find travel/news articles useful. Further, of the 1,844 surveyed adults who have ever taken a vacation, more than three-quarters said they approximately spend less than $2,000 on average while on vacation.

"The overall survey results suggested that travelers find the Web to be most useful as an information source, particularly those who want to stretch their vacation dollars as well as find out how to make the most of their time when visiting a new destination," said Jim Quilty, vice president of travel and tourism at Harris Interactive. "The fact that three out of four vacationers spread their online research across multiple Web sites—with some visiting 10 or more—points to the huge timesaving benefits that a truly full-featured online travel planning site can deliver."

To address consumers' needs, MSN has relaunched a beta version of its MSN Travel Web site, which provides an end-to-end selection of content that will inspire consumers with information about where to vacation while saving time and money. MSN Travel visitors have access to more than 78,000 pages of content from the following partners:

- The Associated Press will provide timely travel articles and in-depth features to MSN Travel each week.

- Dorling Kindersley Publishing will provide content from its well-known Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides within relevant MSN Travel channel destination guides.

- Expedia.com, previously the exclusive provider of booking on MSN Travel, will continue on the new MSN Travel channel, which will also now include other brands in the Expedia Inc. family of leading travel sites such as Hotels.com, Hotwire.com and TripAdvisor.com, giving consumers more travel booking and content options from the MSN Travel channel.

- Frommer's publishes the No. 1-selling travel guide series in North America and will provide content for 3,500 destination guides to MSN Travel that feature expert ratings and in-depth reviews of accommodations, restaurants, shopping, night life and attractions.

- ShermansTravel.com, a leading travel deals and advice Web site, will provide in-depth Spotlight articles on popular destinations such as Las Vegas, the Caribbean, and London, plus top 10 lists such as "Hotel Bars" and "Beaches We Love."

- Travel + Leisure (T+L), the world's leading travel magazine, will provide its award-winning content to MSN Travel each month.  T+L articles will feature insider information on up-and-coming locations and classic destinations, such as "The World's Best Hotels," "Where to Go Next:  Paris" and "Hidden Hawaii"—all of which can be accessed directly within related destination guides as well as from the MSN Travel channel home page.

- TripAdvisor.com will provide access to more than 3 million user ratings and reviews for hotels, resorts, inns, dining and attractions.

With the new MSN Travel site, consumers can also search for and compare airline fares, lodging rates, car rental costs and other pricing details from Expedia(R).com, Hotels.com and Hotwire.com all in one place. Visitors can easily finalize their reservations from a module on the main booking pages, or they can click on special offers featured alongside various destination guides and travel articles on the site. MSN Travel also will provide access to weather reports, airport information and other details that can help minimize travel hassles, including slide shows, travel videos and ratings, reviews and message board discussions from MSN users.

"People who work hard all year to earn their vacation time shouldn't have to spend time visiting multiple sites to assemble the pieces of their dream getaway," said John Nicol, general manager of MSN. "The new MSN Travel builds upon our extensive partnerships with many of the world's largest and most trusted leisure-travel industry advisers to create a more relevant, personalized and convenient trip-planning experience for consumers."

The relaunch of MSN Travel exemplifies Microsoft Corp.'s plans for reinvigorating MSN.com under the leadership of Nicol. Not only will the additional content provide a more complete user experience for consumers than ever before, it also will increase opportunities for MSN partners to deliver news and information about special travel promotions and discounts.

Related Link: MSN Travel

Consumer Travel Opinions

Online Travel | Americas
MSN Travel relaunched, more resources at consumers' fingertips
In an MSN survey, consumers were asked what types of information they would consider most useful when researching and/or booking their vacation plans, and 71 percent chose "research/guides with information about what to do and see." more...

Online Travel | Americas
Room with a review: Top hotels rated by Expedia travelers
According to Expedia's industry-leading 2005 travelers' opinions, great service is the most critical component of a hotel stay either during a leisure or business trip. more...

Online Travel | Americas
TripAdvisor reaches four million reviews and opinions
TripAdvisor.com now features more than four million reviews and opinions from travelers around the globe, and has become the third most visited travel site in the world, according to worldwide January data recently released by comScore Media Metrix. more...

Country mice less interested in buying travel services

Pew reports that 62 percent of rural residents use the Internet, compared with 70 percent elsewhere. The figure includes use of dial-up service and Internet access at work. Country mice are also a bit more likely, Pew finds, to participate in online education and to download games. But they're less interested in banking online and buying travel services.

Helicopter gives ultimate ski-lift

Tuesday, February 28, 2006; Posted: 9:51 a.m. EST (14:51 GMT)

Skiers can make as many helicopter runs as they like -- with 830,000 acres of wilderness to explore.

WHISTLER, Canada (CNN) -- Oleg, Dmitri and Anton have come a long way from St. Petersburg, Russia.

First there was the 12-hour flight to Vancouver on Canada's west coast. From there, a two-hour helicopter trip south to the Chilcotin mountains -- or a three-hour drive from Whistler -- one of North America's most popular ski resorts.

But these skiers don't want what a traditional ski resort has to offer. They've come for untamed slopes and unlimited access to them -- all 830,000 acres -- via the ultimate personal ski-lift: a helicopter.

There are those who might question why they've come to Canada when there are some amazing slopes and resorts in Europe.

"Well, it's really the wilderness and space you don't have in Europe," says James Moreland of Elemental Adventure, a company that caters to thrill-seekers in different parts of the world.

"In Europe, there's no space. Here you can look out in one direction and know for thousands of miles, there's not a lot."

The St. Petersburg group is paying for the platinum package -- private chalet on Tyaughton Lake, meals prepared by a personal chef and personal service from a chalet host.

Each chalet also boasts a Jacuzzi on the front deck with a lakefront view so you can soak your muscles as you soak in the view. And if you're still feeling sore after a long day of skiing, a personal masseuse is always on hand.

But it's the unlimited helicopter runs rather than the luxury that has convinced them to pay $20,000 each for a week of skiing.

"You've got an area probably 50 times the size of an average resort in Europe," says Moreland, "and you've got the place all to yourself."

Horst Moosburger is another heliskiing convert, although his group is staying in the less expensive accommodation nearby at Tyax Lodge Mountain Resort.

He hails from Munich, Germany, but has shunned the slopes of Europe in favor of Canada.

"One reason is heliskiing and the next reason is heliskiing and the third reason is heliskiing," Moosburger says.

"I've been in France, I've been in Italy, Austria, all over European great ski stations, but this you don't have. You have it once, you have it 10 times a day."

There are, of course, dangers to heliskiing -- the weather conditions are constantly monitored and each team consists of an experienced pilot and at least one guide.

But for skiers like the group from Munich the excitement of being on the edge only enhances the enjoyment.

The growing popularity of heliskiing has seen Elemental Adventure Heliskiing extend its range of packages to include the Himalayas, Russia, and Greenland.

But Canada is where heliskiing began and with its excellent weather record and first-class resorts, it remains a favorite among heliskiing enthusiasts.

"You cannot do it better anywhere else in the world," Moosburger says.

Ringing Online Travel Bells

Southwest's desktop program DING! is indicative of the next phase of direct, permission-based marketing to consumers looking for flight deals.

by Alexandra DeFelice, DestinationCRM.com

Monday, December 05, 2005

 

The Spark! advisory, research conducted by marketing research firm Compete and released today, sites Southwest Airlines' DING! program as an innovative leader in marketing online travel. Compete found that DING! helps drive customer loyalty. The average online travel prospect engages in 27 percent more cross-shopping activity than two years ago, according to the report. "Consumers no longer trust that a single site can provide them with all the information and resources they need," says Gregory Saks, senior associate at Compete. "Travel suppliers have traditionally turned to rewards programs to create and maintain loyalty, but it's not having that kind of effect. Today, it is clear that marketers need to look beyond [simple] rewards to maintain strong customer relationships."

Compete's analysis of some of the leading hotel loyalty programs found that the shopping behavior of travelers was nearly identical for rewards program members and nonmembers. Rewards members evaluate 5.9 supplier or agency sites compared to the 6.3 that nonmembers consider, and some programs have no effect.

Since launching DING! in February 2005, Southwest's program had roughly 1 million downloads; DING! users are 45 percent more likely to book through Southwest, according to the study. At current usage levels the incremental bookings driven through DING! are estimated to be roughly $60 million per year. Consumers download the free program from Southwest's Web site and get access to special deals not listed elsewhere. The opt-in strategy is mutually beneficial and helps drive loyalty, Saks says. "DING! is a method for Southwest to deliver to its customers hot deals [and] low fares, so customers think, "This is great. No other program gives me access to this. For Southwest, they find a chance to [offload] their inventory that might otherwise go unused or sold at a much lower discount. It's an effective mechanism to distribute to this loyal customer base."

Once customers download this program, they click on five or more offers per month, indicating a level of engagement they are seeking to continue and are not annoyed by. In its current form the program still sends messages to some users that may not be relevant, but most are willing to overlook that for the bargains they do find. "It's hit or miss whether they offer destinations that I'm interested in, but when they do, I get bargain-basement steals," one customer writes.

Desktop applications have been successful in other industries like search engine marketing, according to Saks, and offer marketers an opportunity to extend their brands beyond a Web site. "As long as they deliver relevant and timely information, these new always-on services will be embraced by customers," the study says. "Desktop applications offer marketers a permission-based glimpse into how consumers react to and use their programs, potentially enabling precise, behaviorally targeted communications."

"Travel marketers who are on the fence about deploying this type of program must realize that a race to establish desktop relationships has already begun," Saks says. "Certainly a lot of other travel providers will be investing in this type of program. There is certainly a race to own customer relationships [but] there is a limited amount of real estate the consumers will be willing to give up on their desktops. Southwest definitely has the first mover's advantage."

Independent women are a travel agent's dream

The travel industry says men are more price-sensitive and fonder of travel than women. And while male travelers enjoy going overseas for its own sake and stress sightseeing, women care more about facilities, be it the spa in their hotel or the shopping opportunities. That is the reason women travelers tend to favor cities over historic sites and staying in one place over touring. Where there is a market, there is a provider, and travel agencies have started tailoring tours to women travelers. Nextour sells three days at the Ryokan "fairytale village," a special package for women that allows them to enjoy the hot springs the Japanese destination is famous for but does not cram their days with outings and programs. Another three-day package promises a taste of the luxury of old Shanghai and, priced at W399,000, is W100,000 more expensive than ordinary weekend trips to the city.

Michelle Peluso, chief executive of Travelocity, the world's second largest online travel agency, said during a recent Korea visit that women customers now account for 65 percent of 40 million members. Women enjoy thorough research online and comparing prices, she says, and it is often women who make the purchasing decisions.

Older women, too, increasingly look for the easy companionship of another woman when they travel. Park Moon-hwa (60), who volunteers as a culture travel guide, looked for a senior companion to go to Europe with on the bulletin boards of several travel agencies. "I started taking overseas trips when I turned 50, and I usually go with my relatives. My husband? He doesn't have time as he is still working, and he doesn't like traveling either," she says. "In any case, I can't really enjoy my trips when I go with my husband because I have to take care of him."

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