Travel Search Sites Yet to Deliver on
One-Stop, Low Price Claims, Analysis Finds
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YONKERS, NY, December 21, 2005: No single travel search site has emerged as the best destination for low prices and customer service, even as travel search engines – which search multiple sources of information, including Web-only clearinghouses such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz – are quickly growing in popularity, a Consumer Reports WebWatch analysis finds.
The report, which includes detailed analysis to help consumers navigate these sites, is available today at http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/
dynamic/travel-reports-aggregators.cfm.
The report, "Do Travel Search Engines Deliver? An Examination of the Leading Sites," focuses on the highest-trafficked newcomers, based in part on Nielsen NetRatings data, and includes emerging brands such as Kayak, Mobissimo, SideStep, AOL Pinpoint Travel, BookingBuddy, Cheapflights and others, 11 sites in all.
WebWatch began analysis of this new market sector in March 2005 at its national conference on travel sites and credibility issues held in Dallas, Texas. The report includes interviews with senior executives from several of the sites.
The report finds:
- None of the sites searched fares and rates from all available sources, from travel aggregator sites to those of individual airlines, hotels and other suppliers of travel services.
- Many of the sites do not encourage direct communication with consumers, creating a potential "customer service vacuum" which may create situations difficult for consumers to resolve.
- Questions remain about potential bias on display screens – a problem common to many search engines in general, where consumers may have difficulty determining which results are for real and which are paid placements, or advertising.
- Some of these search sites have browser compatibility problems that prevent many consumers from using them.
The report continues WebWatch’s unique, unbiased analysis of the online travel market. It was written and directed by William J. McGee, consultant to Consumer Reports WebWatch and the editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter from 2000 to 2002. Travel remains the single largest component of e-commerce, generating $52 billion of the $145 billion online market in the U.S. in 2004, according to Forrester Research.
About Consumer Reports WebWatch
Consumer Reports WebWatch is the leader in investigative reporting on trust and credibility in the online marketplace. WebWatch uses the proven methods of Consumer Reports to produce comprehensive research, breakthrough conferences and serves as a daily resource of unbiased and trustworthy information. Its research agenda includes entire online marketplaces, such as travel, search, health, financial services and more. WebWatch is a project of Consumers Union and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Open Society Institute. WebWatch's investigative reports, articles and news are available to the general public at http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/ .
About Consumers Union
Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, is an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. CU supports itself through the sale of its information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants. Consumer Reports content can be found online at ConsumerReports.org. Consumers Union's public policy work can be found online at ConsumersUnion.org.
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