OTC offers tailor-made holidays online

Wednesday, 15 May, 2002 0

The Online Travel Corporation (OTC) has launched a new system that will let consumers tailor-make their own ATOL bonded breaks online.

The company believes it is “an innovation of seismic importance to the industry”, as, the company says, until recently consumers wishing to book travel online have had to make a choice between booking components of trips or booking package holidays.

OTC’s ‘Build Your Own’ technology, which the company claims is the “first such technology in the marketplace”, allows consumers to tailor-make their holidays on screen with range of published, consolidated and negotiated fares with hotel accommodation all over the world. Until now the ‘Build Your Own’ technology had offered a restricted choice of city breaks to European destinations, while the product was being fully tested.

OTC claims it is the first online travel provider to offer tour operator’s specially negotiated airline fares within the bookable options, until now only offered by tour operators and travel agents as part of packaged deals. The company said that the fares, which must be combined with one of OTC’s hotel options, will offer travellers “significant cost-savings on the flight element of their holiday compared to the flight-only prices offered by other online travel providers.”

OTC’s ceo Mark Jones said: “Tailor-made holidays are undoubtedly the next big thing in e-travel. Our Build-Your-Own breakthrough is already revolutionising the online travel market by offering consumers a degree of choice they’ve never had before. For the first time, travellers can book every component of their holiday in one seamless web experience – and save money.

“Increasing numbers of travellers are choosing the tailor-made route and we are committed to leading the way online with more and more integrated content. It’s working on our sites and on our partners’ sites too.”

The company said that soon the concept will be rolled out to other OTC brands including A2btravel.com, Bargainholidays.com – where a city break offering based on ‘Build Your Own’ technology has also been launched.

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16-Apr-2002 Demand for non-packaged holidays increases
8-Apr-2002 Lastminute buys Travelselect for £9m