SAN FRANCISCO -- Preview Travel, an on-line agency here, is running
a radio commercial in major U.S. cities that tells consumers
"Travel on your own terms" and "Don't go to a travel agent."
The inference from the commercial is that the consumer's best
interests will not be uppermost in the mind of a traditional travel
agent, nor will an agent necessarily be available when the consumer
wants to book.
A Preview spokesman said the commercial builds on the company's
consumer research, which found that people who book with Preview
want more control over the booking process and want to book at
times when many agencies are closed, such as on weekends. "It does
poke fun at the traditional travel agency channel," he said.
According to a transcript provided by Preview, the commercial begins
with a hapless consumer trying to tell an "agent" what he wants to
do, to no avail. The consumer says, "I really need a vacation on an
island," to which the agent responds, "Long Island's very
nice."
The customer asks specifically about Maui, so the agent
immediately puts him on "the red-eye" flight. When the customers
objects to the late departure, the agent says, "That flight's fine.
It says right here, you'll get free peanuts. Now let's get you a
hotel."
The agent selects "the Boogie Woogie Hotel right in the
airport." The customer says, "I was hoping for something near the
beach," but the agent says, "Oops. Gotta go. It's 5. I'm closed.
Call back Monday."
The commercial concludes with, "Don't go to a travel agent...
Travel on your terms." It mentions a Preview $100-dollars-off
promotion and urges listeners to go to the company's Web site,
www.previewtravel.com, or to Preview on America Online.
For their part, traditional agents are not amused. "This is
dirty advertising," said Bev Zukow, president of ASTA's Orange
County chapter and owner of First Travel of California, in Villa
Park. "We're going through enough without having to throw mud at
one another."
"Preview thinks they're going to provide more [customer] service
on line?" asked John Hawks, president of ARTA. "The No. 1 comment
we get back from consumers about online travel services is,
'There's no person to deal with.' "
Hawks said traditional agents really beat on-line services
"after the sale." "What if the view [from the hotel room] is not a
beach view one of the main highways of Honolulu?," he asked. "I
supposed then you'd have to get on your laptop and try to get
somebody to help you. On-line providers will never replace the
friendly local travel agency."
Transcript
The following is a transcript of Preview Travel's radio
advertisement, as provided by the on-line agency.
SFX: (Phone Rings/Pick-Up)
TRAVEL AGENT: Hi. Welcome to the wonderful world of travel. How
may I provide you with superior service?
CUSTOMER: Hi. I really need a vacation on an island.
TRAVEL AGENT: Oh. Long Island's very nice.
CUSTOMER: No. How about Maui?
TRAVEL AGENT: Maui. Maui. The Maui Special. You're all set. I
put you on the red eye.
CUSTOMER: (INTERRUPTS) Yeah.
SFX: (COMPUTER KEYBOARD STROKES)
CUSTOMER: Isn't there another flight? That's late.
TRAVEL AGENT: That flight's fine. It says right here, you'll get
free peanuts. Now, let's get you a hotel.
ANNCR: Tired of letting someone else decide when and where you
travel? Go to previewtravel.com for low prices on airlines, hotels,
rental cars, vacation packages, and cruises you can book right on
our Web site.
TRAVEL AGENT: Hotels, hotels. Ope, here's one. The Boogie Woogie
Hotel right in the airport.
SFX: (COMPUTER KEYBOARD STROKES)
CUSTOMER: Well, I was hoping for something near the beach.
TRAVEL AGENT: Oops. Gotta go. It's 5. I'm closed. Call back
Monday.
CUSTOMER: (INTERRUPTS) What?
SFX: (PHONE HANGS UP)
ANNCR: Don't go to a travel agent, do what 6 million other
people do. Go to previewtravel.com. Book your vacation package
before December 31st, and we'll give you a hundred dollars off. For
details, visit our Web site or see us on AOL. Previewtravel.com.
Travel on your terms.