Meta-Search engines save small business travelers more time and money
Small business travelers who book itineraries online may be missing out on substantial savings, especially if they’re not using meta-search capabilities to find travel deals, reported the American Small Business Travelers Alliance (ASBTA).
“Traditional online travel agents — such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz — are great, but new Web-based technologies called meta-search engines are really changing the nature of booking travel online,” said Chet Gray, ASBTA vice president of Sales and Marketing. “Meta-searches can empower travelers to proactively create additional savings for themselves by searching a number of online outlets to find the best fares and schedules for their flight plans or hotel stays.”
“Saving money on travel by booking online has never been easier,” said Gray. “For many, it’s just a matter of knowing where to look and how to maximize savings based on what’s out there. We believe that meta-searches are one of the best developments in the online travel industry and recommend that small business travelers explore this option.”
ASBTA says that like traditional travel search engines, meta-search engines provide small business travelers with a single location to search for the lowest prices on various travel services, such as flights, accommodation and car rentals. Unlike traditional search engines, however, meta-searching scours the entire Internet for the best deals, rather than just the major vendors. This means that meta-searches have the potential to uncover deals that might not be found on traditional travel search engines. An increasing number of travel meta-search sites are cropping up on the Internet, including Kyak.com, Mobissimo.com, SideStep, TravelGrove and TravelZoo. Even Yahoo! joined the fray with its 2004 acquisition of FareChase.
“Many travel experts are touting meta-searches as the next best thing for the travel industry and project that this year will see a dramatic increase in the number of players in this segment,” said Gray.
Charles Kao
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026