Travel portals pip their airline peers

Bangalore: The supermarket effect is trickling into the internet airline ticket distribution. Online travel portals are fast overtaking airline websites in their reach of customers. And this trend has taken off despite flyers having to pay a slightly higher price on the travel portal.
It is the convenience of multiple choices that an air passenger gets on the travel portal, as against fares of a single airline on airline website that is drawing him to it.
“There is a slow trend of more and more customers moving to portals for booking their ticket, and travel portal’s gain is any airline’s website’s loss,” says SpiceJet Ltd vice president - marketing and planning - Kamal Hingorani.
Travelguru chief marketing officer Devyani Nagpal attributes the shift to billboard effect and comparison shopping that portals offer.
Nagpal also feels that the aggressive promotion undertaken by portals recently has also led to widening their reach.
“Smart promotions like 30% cash back and other such marketing by portals are spurring growth by bringing more customers to the website,” says Nagpal.
08/06/07 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: General Aviation Jun 2007, New Jun 2007