Priceline.com introduced Trip Builder, a booking platform
that enables users to buy multiple products -- including flights,
cars, hotels and alternative accommodations -- in one transaction, taking
advantage of lower prices enabled by bundling.
"You can book a very complicated trip in a single
transaction, or you can book completely different trips in a single
transaction," said Devon Nagle, head of communications for Priceline.
Previously, Priceline users could bundle a flight and hotel;
a flight and car; or a flight, car and hotel. The flight portion of a bundle
was required. By bundling together travel products, users typically saved money
thanks to privately negotiated rates. According to Nagle, that averaged $240
for a flight-hotel bundle. Users were previously limited by only being able to
book one trip at a time, as well.
Now with Trip Builder, users can bundle any number of trips
(for example, Nagle said, a user could sit down and book their entire year of
travel in one transaction). They can also bundle together any number of
products, like hotels and alternative accommodations, for a single stay. The
requirement that a bundled package include a flight has been eliminated.
"It's a much more creative way for people to book
travel," Nagle said.
Trip Builder was introduced because of the changing nature
of travel, Nagle said. He said consumers are interested in booking more than a
simple roundtrip flight and single hotel.