02 July 2010

Budget airlines have the most popular travel sites

Travel companies account for one in four of the top 100 online retailers, according to latest statistics released by internet research company Experian.

Its Hitwise Hot 100 annual survey, which rates websites by how many visitors they attract, showed that the budget airlines had by far the most popular travel-related websites.

EasyJet was ranked as the most hit upon travel website, claiming 10^th position in the Hitwise league table, closely followed by Ryanair in 12^th place.

They were both well ahead of rival airlines with British Airways coming only 32^nd and Jet2, Flybe, bmibaby and Virgin Atlantic in 62, 71, 72 and 73rd place respectively.

Altogether there were 24 travel companies in the Top 100. Virgin Trains, Hoseasons and Haven have all dropped off the list this year.

Teletext fell 23 places in the league table, limping in at 98th. Expedia was ranked 16^th, eight places ahead of rival lastminute.com.

Thomson came in 14^th, Thomas Cook 23^rd  and First Choice 57th.

Although much has been written about the negative impact of the internet on the high street, Hitwise found that an increasing number of the top online retailers had bricks and mortar stores.

Four years ago only 23 of the top 50 e-retailers had high street shops, this year the number had grown to 33.

By Linsey McNeill

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  I am not surprised that EasyJet is the most hit upon site- most of the hits are probably from desperate fliers who want to amend their reservations! I have tried for 5 weeks to change the returnd ate on a paid up booking- and according to their website this ought to work very easily- with paying the required fees. Well - IT DOESN'T WORK! I can book and pay for new tickets without any hassle- yet if I try to pay for an amendment with the very same credit card- the site tells me that the card is incorrect/invalid/the banking link down and a dozen other excuses to not accept payment ! Even the callcentre can't do- and then they have the cheek to ask a fee for not being able to help !!?? I would gladly forfeit that ticket and pay for a new one as by now that is the 'cheaper' option- but it annoys me intensely that the money paid for the checked luggage on the 'old' date can't be used for the new traveldate- they want everything all all over again! This is daylight robbery and from now on I will not touch EasyJet again- and hope that many other people will follow suit!

  By Inge Beadle, Friday, July 2, 2010