Comparison of Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia

Adventure, Business, and Relaxation Made Easier

Adventure, business, and relaxation are more convenient and faster at the current technological age. People no longer rely on travel agencies to plan their trips because the online platform offer an opportunity for one to compare prices and make thereafter make the bookings from their comfort. Good sites provide users value within their proposed budget and ensure that their experience on vacation or business is worthwhile. Convenience is also brought about by the ability of the websites to give a combination of services into cheaper packages for consumers to choose from. Risks are involved in the online business as dishonest companies can take advantage and steal from people. However, user reviews from various sites help one access insights from other users’ experiences. It is important to critically study the site’s policies on refunds, cancellation, and booking fees before using their services. This paper examines Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity travel sites and compares them based on helpfulness, ease of use, and overall deals.

Orbitz

Orbitz guarantees its customers ease in finding flights that suit their tastes, preferences, and budget. The service is attributed to its direct relationship that it has with various airlines. Searching through the site is faster because the user can use the filter option to narrow down to the type of experience they want to have. For instance, one can choose the departure time, the flight class, and the arrival time. If one opts for the ‘flexible date’ type of search, the site provides information on better deals available; over three days before or after the chosen date. Notably, Orbitz discloses all critical data on time, transfer locations, layover, and terminals. It is cheaper for a traveler to buy the car, flight, and hotel reservation in bundles; compared to booking each element separately. Its search engine predicts what the user wants to type and a calendar is available for one to know which day of the week the dates will fall. Orbitz gives rewards to users, such that a dollar spent equals to one Orbuck; redeemable immediately. Pictures of hotel interior and the exterior environment, basic description of amenities, and other customers’ reviews are made available on the site. In addition, attraction sites near hotels are also listed to aid the user in making the ultimate choice. The ‘activities’ section is handy in informing the traveler on events that will be taking place in the area around the chosen dates. Unfortunately, the FAQ and live chat options are not easily found on the site.

Expedia

Expedia offers its members rewards in flyer miles or reward points that can be used to travel or use in one’s credit card. Users also have an option of donating the rewards earned to children ailing from cancer at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. ‘My scratchpad’ option saves one’s notes; making it easy for an individual that flies the same destination frequently. Rechecking prices or comparing it to different dates is faster and convenient. In addition, one can monitor the rates as it rises and drops and decides when to travel based on the data. Cancellation of flights can be made 24 hours before the actual date. However, it will attract charges, and one may not be able to recover the amount paid in full. The user could choose to convert it to flight credit that can be used at a later date. Deals available on the site helps the client to save significantly. Issues are not easy to resolve if a customer lands in trouble.

Travelocity

Travelocity allows users to combine options that go outside the usual car, flight, and hotel packages. It shows a range of prices next to each airline and the best deal is visible at the top of the page. One has the option of also filtering their search on the basis of flight duration, arrival time, duration of the flight, and departure time. The site offers more detailed information on hotels through TripAdvisor. Thus, the user gets to know room details like cancellation policies of hotels, which is rarely mentioned. For cars, users have the option of ‘book now, pay later.’ Cruises offer deals for previous passengers and members of the military. Travelocity works best for individuals intending to take extended trips and make many reservations. Prices on the site are indeed high, but it offers unlimited options for a traveler to select from.

Expedia offers exclusive deals to its members, who qualify for rewards that can be earned as flyer miles or points redeemable to one’s credit card, or to St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Orbitz offers the best deals for flight booking through its direct collaboration with various airlines. It has a filter, Flexible Date searches, and provides full information concerning each flight. Travelocity enables its users to combine non-traditional travel options and has partnership across the world. Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz have unique strengths. However, they all strive to be helpful, ensure ease of use and give its users the best deals in the industry. All the three websites have a mobile app that combines all the features of the best sites.

References

Expedia. (n.d.). Search Vacation Packages. Retrieved from www.expedia.com.

Orbitz (n.d.). Search Vacation Packages. Retrieved from www.orbitz.com.

Travelocity (n.d.) Search Vacation Packages. Retrieved from www.travelocity.com.