Online travel impacts industry

Travel Web sites provide a fast and easy way to determine where and when you want to travel and how much it will cost. The popularity of online travel sites continues to grow exponentially each year. Estimated to grow to $64 billion, Forbes.com claims online travel bookings will account for 22 percent of all travel bookings by 2007.

Booking online allows customers to see all travel and pricing options, a capability previously exclusive to travel agents. PricewaterhouseCoopers’ lodging consultant Sean Hennessey said, “Online travel sites have had a profound impact on the industry because now there is a transparency to pricing. Now it’s easier for customers to see all the published prices and use this for comparative shopping.”

Travel Web sites such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, Expedia, Student Universe and Cheaptickets offer varying services and searching methods.

SMU junior Jackie Geweke said, “I love Student Universe, it is easy to use and offers great student discounts.”

However, senior Barrett Linburg disagrees.

“I have always found Orbitz to offer the best deals, even over student discounted tickets,” he said.

In 2002, Forbes.com ranked the most popular travel websites based on “ease of use, design, clarity, flexibility and other options available, such as car rentals or hotels.”

Orbitz.com ranked No. 1 on the list due to its easy navigation system that allows customers to choose their inbound and outbound flight separately. Other Orbitz features include frequent flier points and the Deal Detector that offers larger discounts to customers with flexible travel dates.

Expedia.com ranked No. 2 although customers cannot choose flight times and their credit card is billed immediately.

Travelocity.com placed third since it allows customers to choose inbound and outbound flights separately and offers last minute deals for specific hotels.

Another type of travel Web site, SmarterLiving.com, does not sell tickets, but offers the best travel deals to its subscribers. According to SmarterLiving.com, “Smarter Living was started to give consumers one place to get independent, objective advice on how to make the best travel decisions.” To ensure unbiased travel suggestions, SmarterLiving.com does not accept advertising from any air carrier, car rental company, hotels chain or cruise line to ensure unbiased travel suggestions.

While travel Web sites seem to offer everything, certain airlines, such as Southwest or JetBlue, do not allow tickets to be purchased on any Web site other than their own. Thankfully, airlines like Southwest and Midwest offer student discounts. Other carriers, including AirTran Airways, allow students 18 to 22 years old to fly standby on any available flight for only $52 a segment.

If you dislike computers and would rather someone else take care of it, contact a travel agent. Travel agencies can obtain information on every flight, bus or train available. Agency employees are usually experienced travelers with boundless knowledge about travel.

Located at 6715 Hillcrest, STA Travel offers students a wide-range of services and discounts. In fact, STA Travel is the largest travel agency in the world that caters specifically to students. According to its Web site, STA Travel works at “Building a global brand that defines travel for young people.”

STA Travel operates in more than 85 countries with over 400 branches worldwide. Thus, students studying abroad work with STA Travel to plan and purchase their airline, train, bus and tour tickets.

STA Travel offers the most coveted student discount on a round-trip airline ticket for $275 to any major city in a foreign country. Perfect for the student with an undetermined return date, the ticket is valid for an entire year. While most major airlines impose a $100 penalty for arrival/departure changes, the student ticket carries only a $50 penalty for changes.

STA Travel’s set-priced packages usually include airfare, housing, meal plans, airport transfer, rail or bus passes and come highly recommended for the student on a budget.

Spring break packages to Jamaica, Mexico, Florida and the Bahamas are available, but prices increase on Dec. 15. STA Travel books student packages with STS-Student Travel Services. Students can purchase a spring break package for less than one-third the price of booking your own all-inclusive vacation.

StudentCity.com also offers spring break packages and guarantees the lowest price or a refund on 150 percent of the difference. Students who book before Oct. 31, receive a bonus of 14 free meals and 20 to 50 hours of free drinks in most international locations. Student City’s EZ-Pay system allows students to make minimum monthly payments to pay for their trip.

STA Travel’s “Spring Break Lowdown” card reviews the possible draw-backs to purchasing a spring break package. Unfortunately, most companies stop in many different cities before arriving to the final destination. Also, travelers do not receive their departure time until 48 hours before departure. Hence, you might not depart until 11:55 p.m. on the day of your departure.

Regardless of where and how you decide to travel, it is advantageous to book your trip early. Steve Roberson, a STA Travel advisor, suggests students book spring break vacations before Nov. 1 for the best price and free extras.

So, what about the last minute deals we all hear so much about? Roberson says, “The only times the airlines offer specials are when no one else is traveling.” If you are planning to travel over a holiday, Roberson recommends booking at least three months in advance. However, Roberson notes that some travel destinations must be purchased almost a year in advance. “Even if money was no object, it would be nearly impossible to book a vacation to Hawaii over Christmas at this late date,” he added.

Of course, if you don’t have your heart set on flying to an exotic location for the holidays, there are other ways of traveling. Greyhound Bus Service offers student discounts of 15 percent with a Student Advantage Discount Card and even lower rates if booked seven days in advance. Greyhound buses travel to 3,600 destinations in the United States and Canada with 19,000 daily departures. Four Greyhound terminals in Dallas operate 24 hours a day. The prices start at $150 round-trip from Dallas to Los Angeles. Greyhound.com, offers students easy access to all bus schedules.

Bus travel seems economical yet, carpooling still ranks as the most affordable way for students to travel home. Now, thanks to HomeboundNetwork.com, students needing a ride can locate other students who are driving home. It is free to register and requires a student e-mail account to verify student status. Once registered, students can search for other students traveling within 50 miles of their destination. If you wish to only travel with members of the same gender, then restrict your search. Once the computer finds a match, it e-mails the passengers’ contact information to the driver and vice versa. Passengers pay a small compensation fee, most of which goes directly to the driver. Brennan Dunn, founder of HomeboundNetwork.com says, “Why not get paid to drive home? You are going to go anyways, you might as well take some company with you, especially if it’s a long drive.”