Instead, customers are forced to figure out extra fees, wade through fine print, and understand industry terms like the difference between a deluxe and a standard room, in addition to educating themselves about destinations, flights and hotels, Harteveldt said.
“Travel companies expect the consumer to behave like a travel agent,’’ he explained. “The question I always ask these guys is, ‘Could your mother-in-law use your website without having to call you for help?’ The answer is always ‘no.’ ’’
In fact, Harteveldt said a growing number of consumers appeared to be interested in using an offline travel agency, if they could find one.
“The fact that there are more people now who would consider using a good offline travel agent is telling me people are saying, ‘Enough already,’ ’’ he said.
Frustrations with various aspects of the travel experience are showing up in other research as well. In late June, J.D. Power & Associates released its annual airline survey, which found that customer satisfaction had declined for the third consecutive year. The Power survey asks travelers about issues like the courtesy of gate agents and flight crew, aircraft cleanliness, frequency of in-flight updates, ticket prices, and fees.
And fare cuts have not yet helped improve airlines’ images.
“Actually, passenger satisfaction with costs and fees is down from last year,’’ said Dale Haines, senior director for the travel practice at J.D. Power, pointing out that fees for checked bags or services like booking by phone can wipe out any savings on the ticket price.
“Compared to most industries, the airlines continue to underperform,’’ said Claes Fornell, a business professor at the University of Michigan.
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