United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Report finds travel sites manipulate prices and search results
Online booking sites have been accused of lack of transparency when it comes to offering the best rates, according to new research that says available prices can be dependent on past browser history and ‘personalisation.’
A study by researchers at the Northeastern University in the US said price discrimination (where price is customised to a specific user) and price steering (when the order of search results is customised) are two ways that OTAs manipulate results.
The study looked at 16 e-commerce sites and found these practices were more often used by travel search websites.
Examples highlighted in the report include Priceline personalising search results based on a customer’s previous booking history and Expedia and Hotels.com steering some users to more expensive options.
Travelocity also personalised results specifically for mobile users.
Researchers found that Orbitz customers who registered on the site were charged an average of $12 less than first-time users.
Most of these practices are not illegal and in some cases rewarded loyalty by offering lower ‘member only’ rates but lack of transparency means it is hard to know when customers are really getting the best deal, said study co-author Christo Wilson.
"I get this question from people all the time: ‘How do I get the best price?’ The truth is I don’t have a good answer," Wilson said.
"It changes depending on the site, and the algorithms they use change regularly, so good advice today might not be good advice tomorrow."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Storm Lilian travel chaos as bank holiday flights cancelled