Booking Online Advantages And Disadvantages

Backround

In the business word it is very critical that companies are using all of the resources available so that they can be as profitable as possible. When it comes to making travel plans for the company, using online resources instead of a travel agencies is now the more profitable option. Business travel is growing more and more every year as stated by McLaughlin (1995), “American Express Travel Services estimates that in 1994 U.S. companies spent $136 billion in travel, or an average of more than $3000 per employee -- three times what they did a decade ago” (p.1). Utilizing these resources will be way more effective and time saving.

Before booking online became popular, businesses had to make countless calls back and

As the employee, there is no second guessing or being worried that your travel agent booked a bad hotel and got a seat in economy class. By booking online the employee can see what they are getting and know exactly what to expect.

Accessibility. With online booking, the employee always has access to anything that changes and can contact a representative to fix the solution immediately. If the employee runs into an emergency, it can be easily resolved with a call to their representative, which is not the case with a travel agent. It saves the business time because the employee can get a flight, car, hotel, and do it all from their computer in a few minutes. The fast search engines that let the employee customize what they need saves so much more time than scrolling through a bunch of irrelevant options. By allowing the employees to book themselves, they can analyze trends in prices better, therefore being able to pick out the preferable deal. The employees increased knowledge will help them to choose the best flight paths and how to get upgrades

will only see positive results in their finances, employees, and clients. Online booking is now the leader of the business industry as stated by Glidden (2004), “ Nine out of ten companies in the U.S. with managed travel programs were using an online booking tool at the end of 2003, according to a survey by the National Business Travel Assn. and travel research firm PhoCus Wright Inc” (p.1). This change will give the entire company satisfaction and remove all the doubts and worries that come with a travel