Thanks to the internet, gone are the days when you have to physically visit a travel center to board a flight or take a bus on a road trip. Today, an online travel agency can simply handle your travelling demands at your beck and call.
These agencies are set up by smart entrepreneurs who run profitable online businesses as a medium to solve problems and make money in return.
This business sector is so profitable that rich people and all class or entrepreneurs are already tapping from the wealth milk in the industry.
One difference between the rich and the poor is the rich’s ability to identify opportunities before the crowd does it.
So lets move on to know what an online travel agency is all about.
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Online Travel Agency (OTA) Quick Overview:
An online travel agency is a company or a business enterprise that uses a website to sells travelling related services.
They help to connect clients / customers to flights, road transport companies, hotels and car hire companies e.t.c
They basically handle all types of travels, ranging from local trips to international journeys. Those in charge of this business are known as online travel agents.
Most OTAs aim at individual customers, rather than corporations, who use corporate travel agencies.
Therefore, lets find out some 7 practical tips to choose the best online travel agency.
Seven Ways to Choose the Best Online Travel Agency:
1. 24/7 Customer’s Service System:
I personally believe that businesses who pay attention to customer service do better than their competitors who do not.
Every customer feels relax with a company when they know that you can answer their calls and emails at any given time they reach out to you.
Hence, one criteria you must check when choosing a good online travel agency is their customer’s service.
How reliable are they? How long does it takes them to resolve a dispute and how fast can you get hands to support you when you’re madly in need?
The best customer service is if the customer doesn’t need to call you, doesn’t need to talk to you, it just works.
JEFF BEZOS, founder and executive chairman of Amazon
2. A Good Online Travel Agency Must Maintain Effective Online Presence:
Do they have an active website, blog, a forum or a good social media handle?
Online presence matters in today’s business world. This is where visibility comes into play.
Visibility is currency, it’s money.
How effective are their social media handles, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Quora and many others.
Check their social media campaigns and digital marketing to know how business oriented they are.
People tend to trust who they see often than someone who comes and go.
This explain why strangers are not fully trusted.
ALSO READ: 16 Powerful Strategies for Brand Awareness with Little Money.
3. Customer Peer Reviews:
What are previous customers saying about them?
Check their star rating and written reviews from previous customers.
These reviews are unique because a customer needs to use your services before he/she can give any feedbacks.
Also, check the comments and contributions going on forums and online groups concerning your choice of online travel agency.
Though, this doesn’t automatically tell everything the agency is all about, However, It’s a good way of letting you know how their services are likely to be.
Rate their customers review to see if it works with what you want.
When you build a good business, customers talk to each other about you, word of mouth is very powerful.
Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American entrepreneur, media proprietor, investor, and computer engineer. He is the founder and executive chairman of Amazon, where he previously served as the chairman, president, and CEO.
4. Reasonable Travel Tickets:
How affordable are their travelling tickets? It should be something anyone can afford.
Pricing has a way of turning off customers when it becomes higher than expected.
One good way to know a good online travel agency is it’s cost in comparison to her competitors.
ALSO READ: How to Start a Real Estate Business from Scratch.
5. Ease of Cancellation and Refund Policy:
What is the ease of cancelling tickets for journeys you don’t want anymore?
Imagine something urgent and important that requires your presence comes up few hours after booking your travel ticket, this is where refund policy comes into play.
The best online travel agencies allows for refund of money even after few hours before the flight or trip time.
Therefore, ensure to check their terms and conditions before booking your tickets for a flight or buying a bus trip ticket.
This is because some businesses don’t allow for any refund of money after payment.
ALSO READ: 12 Fantastic Ways of Getting Money to Startup a Business.
6. Track Travel Records:
Even without any form of technical analysis, a good travel agency is one that has zero or less record of accidents either by road or crashes by flight.
Crashes in airlines are dangerous and can kill all the passengers on board at a spot, so also is accident.
Check out for crashes and accidents for vehicles that ply the road. Past performance records are important.
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7. User Friendliness to the Global Community:
What is the ease of booking your choice agency? Are they internationally acceptable?
Also, look out for currencies adaptable to users if it fits in for you.
Is it possible to use just one accounts for all your travels without going through the stress of always filling your details every time you need to use their services online?
Can you narrow down your searches using filters on their website?
If yes, I consider them a good and reliable travel agency.
Good Online Travel Agencies You Should Know:
Here is a list of agencies below, you can freely check them out for your travels and choose the one that best suits your need and budget.
Also you can always visit their official websites for your booking arrangements, so check them out below.
(Booking.com, Skyscanner.com, Expedia.com, TripAdvisor.com, Agoda.com, Lastminute.com, Hotwire.com, Kiwi.com, Travelocity.com, Hotels.com, Priceline.com, Trip.com, Laterooms.com, HRS.com, Airbnb.com, Orbitz.com and many more)
Note that the travel agencies above are globally, you can always find out online travel agencies in your country by typing it on google.
For instance, simply type in google search to find results for: online travel agencies in America, online travel agencies in Europe, online travel agencies in India etc.
You’re sure to get accurate search results.
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In Conclusion:
What is your thought about going online? For me I think it is quicker and more convenient than doing it physically.
Well, it could be more expensive because of the cost of technology, cost of payment to I.T personnel’s and website management cost.
However, the convenience of getting things down with your smart phone and an internet connection covers the cost of money, hence I still prefer to do my things online.
What do you think, choosing an online travel agency for your trips or a physical meeting to buy your tickets in person anytime you desire such services.
Over to you, kindly drop your thoughts with me at the comment section. Also share this article, thanks.
