Travel costs are up, but some companies are giving business.
The momentum in travel recovery that began last year is continuing,
and Americans are traveling in record numbers.
That's great news for the travel industry, but not for companies trying
to control travel costs-higher demand means higher prices. Car rental
rates are up an average of 10 percent to 15 percent over last year.
Hotel prices in many major cities are skyrocketing, and hotels are
regularly selling out in super-hot markets like Boston and Manhattan.
Recently imposed fuel surcharges are bumping up airfares. Even airport
parking rates are on the rise.
Since small businesses usually don't have the volume to negotiate lower
prices, finding travel deals is tough.
And when they do find deals,
travelers get bogged down in the fine print or have to jump through too
many hoops to realize true savings.
That could be changing. For example, Budget Rent A Car just announced a
simple offer to small and midsize businesses that rent cars at least once
per month or spend at least $1,000 per year on car rentals: Those companies
that enroll in the Budget Business program get an additional discount on
Budget's lowest rates on all car classes. They also receive a $2 rebate for
every day an employee rents a Budget car.
A company with five travelers who
rent cars five days per month would earn back $600 a year from the rebates
alone! Members also get no additional driver fees, unlimited mileage, and
complimentary Rapid Return and Fastbreak (express, paperless rental) services.
For more information, see www.budget.com, and click on "Frequent Renter."
Hoping to snare more price-sensitive travelers from small and midsize
businesses, Delta introduced SimpliFares earlier this year.
With SimpliFares,
Delta dumped the onerous Saturday-night stay-over rule, cut ticket change
fees from $100 to $50, and capped its one-way walk-up fares at $500 (coach)
and $600 (first-class). See www.delta.com/simplifares for more information.
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Lessno.com Brings Personal Travel Agent Experience to Low Cost Airfares Online
Philadelphia, PA (ContentDesk) May 11, 2006 -- Lessno.com, a new discount travel website, was unveiled today as a joint venture of Smart Travel Network and EZsearch.
The site, which will compete with Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, is designed to keep the best interest of the customer in mind by acting like a personal travel agent.
It does this by utilizing the most innovative new search technology and a friendlier interface.Lessno.com cross-analyzes user preferences for destination, reason for travel, airline and cost to generate a customized list of travel options.
Unlike other travel websites, Lessno.com works with both major and discount carriers to provide its users with the most comprehensive menu of flights and prices available anywhere.
This is true of both domestic and international flights.
One of the websites differentiating features is its Vacation Planner for leisure travelers looking for a great deal.
Users can select...
Airfares > Lessno.com Brings Personal Travel Agent Experience to Low Cost Airfares Online
Finding great deals on Cheap Airline Tickets!
Finding the best deals for cheap tickets has just become easier. In the past, if you wanted to find cheap tickets and discount airfares you had to contact a travel agent and explain where and when you wanted to go. They would do some research and eventually get back to you with a deal. Well, not anymore!Today you can seek out and find cheap tickets and discount airfares offering the best deal, just by entering a few words into a computer right from your own home. Are you looking for cheap cruises, Hawaiian vacations or an exciting Las Vegas vacation? Well, in a few minutes you can find a plane ticket that will take you anywhere you want to go.
You can search out the Cheapest, most Discounted airfare originating from anywhere and going to anywhere...literally in the world.You choose your destination, you choose your schedule, you choose which ticket price suits YOU best and when you're finished, you complete the transaction, right from the comfort of your own home. Cheap tickets...
Finding great deals on Cheap Airline Tickets!
Airfares > Finding great deals on Cheap Airline Tickets!
AirtreksPro.Com Offers Travel Agents One-Click Wholesale Pricing for Multi-Stop International Airfares:
San Francisco, CA, USA (ContentDesk) November 17, 2005 -- Tired of making little or no commission on multi-stop international air tickets that are the most difficult and time consuming to arrange?Don't want your clients to be limited to flights or routes of just one airline alliance for a multi-stop trip?Stymied by confusing, constantly-changing international airfare routes, rules, and rate desk pricing formats?If the answer is "yes," AirtreksPro.com is for you.This newly-launched wholesale airfare Web site offers travel professionals one-click online net pricing for multi-stop international tickets, including tickets on around-the-world, circle-pacific, and other routes that don't fit the restrictive rules of published RTW, CPAC, etc. fares.Travel professionals who register at AirtreksPro.com are enrolled automatically in the AirtreksPro awards program, which gives awards starting with the first sale of an air trek.Because all prices on AirtreksPro.com are net to your agency, you can...
AirtreksPro.Com Offers Travel Agents One-Click Wholesale Pricing for Multi-Stop International Airfares:
Airfares > AirtreksPro.Com Offers Travel Agents One-Click Wholesale Pricing for Multi-Stop International Airfares: