USVI LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO ADDRESSS CONFUSION ABOUT TRAVEL

[Anthony]

Has anyone heard of this issue of some of the major airlines taking USVI inventory our of the big travel sites:

http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/travel ... itory.html

I find the press release a bit confusing in itself, as there are still packages available, etc. on Expedia - but the air is not American or Delta...

[CariBert]

The press release is kind of confusing, but we rarely book package deals through any of the web sites. Since we have discovered the joys of Villa renting, we mainly look for the best (cheapest) air fares, whether they are found on Expedia, Orbitz, or on one of the airlines' web sites.

I hope they get this thing worked out, because it is the traveler and the end points who will suffer the most from all of this.

-Bert

[Lovermont]

I just received the following in an email from American Airlines. I always book with the airlines, so am not affected. I'm guessing this will impact folks that book packaged holidays.

As a valued AAdvantage member, we want to clarify what you may be reading in the press. As a result of a commercial dispute, over the past several weeks there have been changes to how we sell our tickets. American Airlines last month removed its fares and schedules from Orbitz.com, and effective January 1 Expedia.com stopped offering American Airlines fares on its website. Additionally Sabre, a company that distributes airline fares and schedules, made it more difficult for travel agents to find and select American’s flights by moving our fares lower in the display order than they normally would be listed.

While there is much misinformation circulating on these matters, rest assured that tickets for travel on American Airlines and American Eagle — including all international and domestic classes of service — are widely available through a number of outlets, including American’s own website, AA.com, which features our Lowest Fare Guarantee. Tickets, fares and schedules are also available through American’s reservations agents, thousands of travel agencies in locations worldwide, other online travel agencies such as Priceline.com, and travel search engines such as Kayak.com. For more information, please visit AA.com.

We are committed to working with all distribution channels, including traditional travel agencies, online travel agencies and global distribution systems. We will keep you informed of important updates on these developments.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address this matter. We appreciate your business very much and look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.

[jimg20]

I got that AA email too. They are in a dispute over fees with Orbitz. I think the VI is concerned that we will not see all the alternatives and perhaps feel that the prices are not competative. If a new person doesn't know that AA and Delta serve STT, they may think they need to fly three or four segments on another airline. This may keep someone who would have come to the VI from actually getting there.

I travel for my job. I sometimes use Orbitz to determine which airlines serve a particular airport. Now that AA and Delta will not show up on those sites, I think it is important for people to know that those web sites are not as comprehesive as they ones were.

JIM

[Anthony]

There is a pretty long arc to this story, and it seems to be shaking out this way:

The Internet and web start to become popular, circa 1995, and all travel agents and airlines and hotels are scared by this new technology.

Not to treat the matter with any disrespect at all but only in a cold, factual historical way, 9/11 happens - and all the travel people who had any reservations about their fares. rates, etc. being seen/distributed/sold on-line throw all their inventory on at the big travel websites (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). Air and hotel.

This works for a while, but some slowly start to take inventory away/cut commissions, etc. as they learn they can offer all this stuff on their own websites, with the best price sometimes, and still make a lot more per sale than having to pay a commission to a third party.

Then the world financial crisis hits in 2008, and everything goes on sale again, etc.

The world economic situation stabilizes (though I know it is still crap for many of us!), more airlines consolidate, the airline industry cowers that Google may control it by buying the largest back end provider (a story you should know - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02817.html announced in July 2010 it is still ongoing and the industry is very against it), and airlines especially start to take back their inventory, realizing (maybe hoping) that they don't need the distribution of the big sites like Expedia etc.

Frankly this industry is a mess but it seems like it always has been. Hotels are still in terrible shape statistics wise - occupancy rate in the U.S. in 2010 was something like 36% - 2 out of 3 rooms empty every night! And revenue per rooms is just starting to recover a bit.

Anyway - here is a NY Times article about the airlines with some good tips:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/travel/08air.html