Car hire meta-search goes live in Australia
Oodles Travel Search P/L recently launched Australia’s first car hire meta-search engine, Oodles.com.au. Internet users can now search and compare live prices and availability from the major car hire suppliers’ web sites on the one screen. Bookings are then made on the chosen supplier’s booking page avoiding the need to re-enter details. Hence the Oodles tag line, “compare with me… book with them”.
Oodles has developed three XML direct connects to the reservation systems of their car hire partners Avis, Hertz and Budget. Another three connections will go live early in 2006 for Europcar, Thrifty and Alamo.
Oodles have built on the success of travel meta-search engines in USA, such as Sidestep.com and Kayak.com, who search flights, accommodation and car hire.
Oodles believes it has taken meta-search comparative shopping to a new level by focusing 100% on car hire search and using a simpler & quicker comparison tool, the “Oodles Tab Matrix”.
When asked, “Why the name ‘Oodles’?”, CEO Steve Sherlock explained: “It’s not ‘searchengine.com’ – it’s Google, it’s not ‘auctionsite.com’ – it’s Ebay. We hope in time it won’t be ‘holidayautos.com’, it will be ‘Oodles.com’ – saving the consumer oodles of time and money on car hire.”
“Although the site is currently in beta-phase and initially for Australian locations only, the response from users has been quite encouraging,” says Mr. Sherlock.
Graham Muldoon
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