Web designer launches website to help save agents

Saturday, 09 Mar, 2011 0

A former web designer for Flightline Essex is launching a travel search website which relies on agent expertise.

Robert Wheeler claims TripEdge, due to be launched in April, will connect UK holidaymakers to experienced travel agents who will use their knowledge and expertise to find them the perfect holiday deal, without having to search on over 20 websites.

“I have worked in the UK travel industry for over 10 years and in that time I have seen the role of qualified and highly experienced travel agents change dramatically,” said Wheeler.

“Travel agents are a great resource that UK holidaymakers are choosing to ignore in favour of do-it-yourself websites where you choose your flight, hotel and transfer without any help from an experienced travel agent.

“Before the internet took off in the UK, to book a holiday you visited a travel agent whom you trusted to give you the best available deal. The internet has changed all that in the last 10 years. Travel agents are losing their jobs and their expert knowledge and expertise is being wasted.

“I’ve seen friends and colleagues who are travel agents worry about losing their jobs and being just a call centre operator or telephone support for a website and I want to change all that.”

He is inviting travel agencies that hold ABTA & ATOL licenses to sign up to the service.

By Bev Fearis

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

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