Tripadvisor Adds Airline Ratings to Flight Search
By Tripadvisor, PRNETuesday, January 11, 2011
LONDON, January 12, 2011 -
- New Feature Provides Candid Traveller Feedback on Airlines - First Flight Search Engine to Display Fare with Baggage Fee on Initial Results Page
TripAdvisor(R), (www.tripadvisor.com/) the world's largest travel
site*, today announced that it's giving travellers More Flyerpower(tm) with
the launch of airline ratings on TripAdvisor Flights, (
www.tripadvisor.com/Flights) the site's flight meta-search engine. The
new feature allows travellers to receive candid feedback on airline
experiences from other fliers and provide their own airline ratings, while
searching for flight options and low airfares on TripAdvisor.
TripAdvisor Flights now features eight airline rating categories covering
various aspects of the flight experience that can be rated by travellers on a
scale of one to five:
- Baggage Handling - Do bags make it through smoothly or get lost in the shuffle? - Check-in Experience - Is check-in a breeze or a daunting experience? - In-Flight Amenities - Can travellers expect seatback entertainment and in-flight Wi-Fi or hours of checking their watch? - In-Flight Service - Is flight staff friendly and attentive or rude and neglectful? - Punctuality - Are flights often on time or routinely delayed? - Reasonableness of Fees - Does the airline make fees clear and reasonable or do they add a significant hidden cost to the price of a ticket? - Seat Comfort - Can travellers expect a comfy ride or will they need to schedule an appointment with their chiropractor? - Value - Is the total flight cost a good value or will it empty a traveller's wallet?
When travellers conduct a flight search on TripAdvisor Flights, they are
now able to quickly view and compare the traveller ratings for different
airlines by clicking on the carrier name and see what percentage of fliers
would recommend the airline to others. In addition, travellers can filter
search results by minimum rating and add airline ratings of their own, as
long as they are signed in as a TripAdvisor member. Using the new airline
ratings feature, travellers can more easily find the airline and flight that
best fits their travel needs.
"For more than a decade, TripAdvisor has been the leader in enabling
travellers to access and share trusted advice on hotels, restaurants,
attractions and vacation rentals," said Bryan Saltzburg, general manager of
TripAdvisor Flights. "With the launch of airline ratings, the millions of
travellers who use TripAdvisor Flights every month will now be able to get
useful feedback on how airlines stack up against each other in terms of fees,
value for the money, service, punctuality, baggage handling and a number of
other factors to help ensure they have the best flight possible."
Added Transparency for Airline Fees
In addition to the launch of traveller airline ratings, TripAdvisor
Flights has added a new level of transparency to airline fees by becoming the
first flight search engine to display fee information in the initial search
results. Now, when travellers run a flight search on TripAdvisor Flights, the
site automatically displays the cost of their flight including the cost of
one checked bag at the top of the results page.
TripAdvisor's first-of-its-kind Fees Estimator also helps travellers
understand the complete cost of a flight upfront, allowing them to include
airline fees for checked baggage, in-flight entertainment and onboard meals
and drinks, in their flight search results.
"Travellers can rest easy knowing that we search the most flight options
and the lowest airfares available for them," continued Saltzburg. "With the
launch of airline ratings and exposed baggage fees on TripAdvisor Flights,
we're giving travellers even 'More Flyerpower' as they plan their trips."
The airline ratings feature is available starting today on TripAdvisor
Flights in the US and the UK. Travellers can try out the new feature at
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/flights.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor(R) is the world's largest travel site, enabling travellers to
plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real
travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features
(including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and TripAdvisor Trip Friends)
with seamless links to booking tools.
TripAdvisor(R) Media Group, operated by TripAdvisor LLC, attracts more
than 50 million unique monthly visitors* across 17 popular travel brands**.
TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world,
with more than 40 million unique monthly visitors***, 20 million members, and
over 40 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 27 countries
worldwide****, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also operates
TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism
industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. The division
includes Business Listings, which allows hoteliers to connect directly to
millions of researching travellers, and Vacation Rentals, which helps
property managers and individual home owners list their properties and
showcase hotel alternatives.
TripAdvisor Media Group websites have been recognised as top travel
resources in 2010 by Condé Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine
and Travel + Leisure.
TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are
operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).
TripAdvisor, More Flyerpower and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or
registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property
of their respective owners.
(c)2011 TripAdvisor LLC. All rights reserved.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Media Group Sites,
Worldwide, August 2010
** In addition to TripAdvisor, The TripAdvisor Media Group of websites
includes: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com,
www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com,
www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk,
www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveller.com,
www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com,
www.smartertravel.com, www.travel-library.com,
www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com and
www.kuxun.cn.
***Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August
2010
**** TripAdvisor sites operate in 27 countries worldwide:
www.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.co.uk,
www.tripadvisor.ca, www.tripadvisor.it,
www.tripadvisor.es, www.tripadvisor.de,
www.tripadvisor.fr, www.tripadvisor.jp, www.daodao.com,
www.tripadvisor.in, www.tripadvisor.se,
www.nl.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.com.br,
www.tripadvisor.com.tr, www.tripadvisor.dk,
www.tripadvisor.com.mx, www.tripadvisor.ie,
www.tripadvisor.com.au, www.tripadvisor.com.sg,
www.tripadvisor.co.kr, www.no.tripadvisor.com,
www.pl.tripadvisor.com, www.th.tripadvisor.com,
www.tripadvisor.ru, www.tripadvisor.com.gr/,
www.tripadvisor.co.id and www.tripadvisor.com.ar.
For further information please contact: Laurel Greatrix, TripAdvisor lgreatrix@tripadvisor.co.uk +44(0)777-801-3639
For further information please contact: Laurel Greatrix, TripAdvisor, lgreatrix at tripadvisor.co.uk, +44(0)777-801-3639
Tags: January 12, London, TripAdvisor, United Kingdom