AirDepartment.com has introduced True Dynamic Packaging, a new online booking tool that allows hoteliers, tour operators and vacation rental property management companies to offer airfare, car rentals and activities along with lodging at their properties

Published: 01 Dec 2005

AirDepartment.com has introduced True Dynamic Packaging, a new online booking tool that allows hoteliers, tour operators and vacation rental property management companies to offer airfare, car rentals and activities along with lodging at their properties

As per a statement from the company, powered by EzRez Software,
AirDepartment.com
has a
connection to Pegasus and can instantly display live rates (published or
net rates) and availability via the Hotel's existing CRS without any
set-up or on-going maintenance. If a hotel does not have a connection to
Pegasus via their CRS or does not want to process the room reservation
in this fashion, rates and availability can also be managed via an
extranet or via online revenue management tools such as EzYield and
RateTiger's RTAllocator, says the company.

Richard Getz, vice president - sales and marketing for AirDepartment.com
said, "Hotels
are investing in Search Engine Optimization for the sole purpose of
driving bookings directly at the Hotel's website and away from the third
party websites. However, if a Hotel's website only offers booking of
accommodations online, visitors to that website are going to look
elsewhere to buy their airfare and car rental...and when they do,
they'll be just as likely to buy the whole package from the other
website. And that package may...or may not...include that Hotel. Even if
it does, the Hotel just got a lot less revenue for that reservation
since they probably sold it at a significant discount. Our service,
while separate, is a compliment to a property's existing room only
booking engine."

AirDepartment.com
instantly
turns a hotel's website into a complete travel planning resource for its
clients without incurring the upfront and ongoing costs required in
owning and controlling a customized dynamic packaging solution.
Additionally, the high costs of staff for fulfilling and servicing
commercial air ticketing and accessing GDS systems to do so are
eliminated, says the company.

Getz said, "Consumers prefer to book travel online. And when traveling
involves flying, consumers often check their preferred hotel or vacation
rental property online for rates and availability, but hold-off on
booking their accommodations until after they've purchased their
airfare. Why? Because they don't know what it will cost them to get
there. That's why travel packaging is so popular...consumers have a
better idea of the total cost of their trip before they buy it."

Referring to dynamic packaging, Getz says most major hotels & resorts
are already doing it

"They've turned their websites into full-service online travel agencies.
Of course, they only offer accommodations at their own properties. Our
True Dynamic Packaging service provides the same value to the
independent Hotel and Vacation Rental Property community and helps level
the playing field by offering travelers who want to book packages online
the ability to do so, thus enhancing the Hotel's brand awareness and
improving customer loyalty."