Tag Archives: Expedia

In the years following the pandemic, people were simply grateful to travel again. Now, travelers are raising the bar. Not only is the demand for travel higher than ever before, but so are the budgets. Travel agents are seeing a higher demand for luxury travel experiences, and research shows that it’s only expected to increase with time. Luxury travel takes many forms What does luxury travel involve? It depends on who you ask. When people think of luxury travel, most think of extravagance, pampering and indulgence. And while that may be true, luxury travel is far more complex than five-star hotels and white-glove service. Nowadays, luxury travel embodies a unique, holistic experience tailored to the passions and interests of the traveler. This isn’t just hearsay; it’s a core principle echoed by our network of expert luxury travel agents. “Clients are looking for unique and personalized experiences,” said Tara, owner of Resfeber Travel, Inc., in a recent Expedia survey. “When they travel, they just don’t want a hotel. They want something unique and different, and they will pay for these experiences.” For the travelers that want to lounge and relax, a luxury experience is something like a private bungalow perched in the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean. Every aspect revolves around comfort, ease, and having everything in one place. For the more adventurous traveler, however, a luxury experience might look like an African safari. In that case, it’s all about being immersed in nature and exploring the terrain. The devil is in the details Regardless of individual preferences, there are two key aspects that make a travel experience truly luxurious. The first is acute attention to detail. Travelers want to feel …

Expedia announces a 24/7 call centre facility for the Indian Market. The call centre is dedicated to the B2B Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program) partners and will be operational 7 days a week including weekends and Public Holidays. The dedicated helpline will cater to the growing travel needs and will offer assistance to our customers 24/7. By calling the dedicated number (0124 4873873) our agents can choose from the required IVR selection, and the calls can be conducted in both English and Hindi language.

According to Expedia® data, August is the cheapest month to fly, with average ticket prices (ATPs) nearly 10% lower compared to July and 5% cheaper than June. While the most expensive day to fly is July 1st, when average ticket prices are 25% higher than average for summer months. Between June and August, the highest ATPs are generally found on Fridays and the cheapest tend to occur on Tuesdays. 

More than 50 per cent of Indian travellers budgeted USD75-150 per room per night for leisure travel, reports a study by CAPA India and Expedia titled ‘The Inflection Point for Indian Outbound Travel’. Hotels have been the standard option for the Indian traveller in the past, however, travellers are now exploring other accommodation options, with 38% of survey respondents having rented a villa or apartment while travelling overseas. This has been made more accessible by online platforms such as Airbnb and others, which offer homestays. Traditionally at short-haul destinations, Indian travellers spend one-third of their holiday budget on accommodation. Indians visiting Singapore spent around 35% of their trip cost on accommodation, compared to Chinese and Indonesians who spent only about 18% in 2015. For medium to long-haul destinations, the spend on accommodation can increase to up to half of the total trip budget. Indians visiting Mauritius in 2016, spent around 56% of expenses on accommodation while those visiting Switzerland spent around 48% of their budget on accommodation. International leisure travellers from India are drawn mostly from high and upper-middle income economic segments. They are used to a certain standard of living and expect similar conditions and conveniences when travelling. Given the high quality of hotels in India, there is an assumption that equivalent levels of luxury and service will be available overseas, which is not always the case. Leading hotel chains have shared that they find it difficult to replicate their customer proposition at overseas destinations because of the much higher cost of labour and different service cultures. This can result in expectations being disappointed.

Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP), the largest global travel agency affiliation program, has appointed Dex Group as its GSA in India with effect from May 21, 2017. This association will increase the number of travel agents in the TAAP by up to 20%. Dex Group, with a history of 50 years in India’s travel industry including representation of various international airlines in India, will henceforth be responsible to promote and manage sales distribution of Expedia TAAP in India. With Expedia TAAP, travel agents can search and book competitive rates at over 321,000 hotels, 400 airlines, plus thousands of rental car companies, dynamic packages, and attractions worldwide.

Expedia, Inc. and Amadeus IT Group have announced a new global, long-term agreement that enables Expedia to offer air, car, rail, cruise, and hotel products through the Amadeus global distribution system, and adds Orbitz Worldwide brands in addition to the Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity, Wotif Group, Expedia Affiliate Network and Egencia brands covered by the previous agreement. The agreement builds on the companies’ established Upgrade Options partnership and ensures continued innovation for the more than 8.6 billion flight searches Expedia customers conduct every year. Expedia offers Upgrade Options for multiple carriers in North America and Europe as well as pre-paid, checked baggage offerings on certain sites around the world. Commenting on the agreement, Greg Schulze, senior vice president Global Tour and Transport at Expedia, Inc. said, “Expedia’s commitment is to deliver an exceptional air shopping and booking experience by making it easy for travelers to find exactly what they want. Amadeus helps Expedia to be the very best place to shop for flights.” Expedia is a major online travel player. We are excited to expand our partnership and to continue working together to power innovative travel experiences to delight consumers worldwide,” says Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Amadeus