What Does the Online Travel Booking Process Look Like?
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Customers are getting more and more options when it comes to travel, which is making the hotel business very competitive on digital platforms. It’s easy to lose out if your website and booking engine don’t match. Let’s explore some ways to optimize your online travel booking process and make sure your customers have a smooth and seamless experience.
In a world that is becoming more digital, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a big part of the hotel room business is done online. People often go to the websites of travel agencies to get information ahead of time and to make reservations.
There are many benefits to booking online. The main reason for a hotel to have its own online hotel booking engine is so that it can get reservations without having to pay commissions to a third party. Online travel agency (OTA) means that the hotel will make more money directly.
A secure, self-service platform that lets your guests book through your website at any time and from anywhere, without help from staff. This makes sure you never lose a booking because you don’t have enough staff. For international travelers, that means they don’t have to worry about time zones when making reservations. Also, online booking tools make the booking process more professional and say a lot about your brand and services.
The Online Booking Process
The main goal of an online booking system is to let people book and pay for themselves on your website. All of the back-end management features are just a huge bonus.
So, you might be interested to know how the online booking process looks to guests. Because if they can easily follow the steps, you’ll be able to get more direct bookings and make twice as much (or more) money.
As technology improves and gets more modern, most hotels now let people book rooms online. But it can be hard or confusing for people who have never booked a hotel online before to do this. But the steps below will help people who have never booked a hotel online understand how it works and book a room quickly and correctly.
Choosing a travel service
When you go to the websites of the big travel agencies, you can see on the top bar that they offer different services, like planes, hotels, car rentals, packages that include both planes and hotels (like a tour) to help customers save time on travel, and other services. First, you should decide what kind of service you want. For example, you might want to book a flight or find a hotel for your trip.
Selecting travel dates and destinations
After you choose a service like a flight or hotel that works for you, you can see in the middle of the screen that you have a lot of options. You should think carefully about when you will arrive and when you will leave. Don’t forget to set a firm and good date for your trip.
You should also think about what the weather is like there and what big events or festivals are going on to help you find more interesting things to do on your trip. One more thing to keep in mind about choosing a fixed time: if you book a hotel room, you must check out on the same day so you don’t mess up the plans of the next person who booked a room at the same hotel as you.
Choosing specific travel options
You should find the right room type for your trip based on how many people will be going. Because there are so many options for how many people are going, the reservation system can suggest suitable room types without any trouble or worry.
The website will show you everything you need to know to book a hotel room, including the address, a picture, an introduction, a list of room prices, the amenities, and the rules of the hotel. Which hotel do you like? You can choose your arrival date, your departure date, your room number, the number of adults, and the number of children. After that, click Done or Find.
Choose the right room rate, look at photos and the room’s features, and think about adding an extra bed. Click Book Now to keep going.
Entering passenger information
After you choose the hotel where you want to stay and decide whether you want to book through a travel agency or directly on the hotel’s website, you can book a hotel online. After that, you’ll click “booking” and fill in some basic information about yourself, like your first and last name, phone number, email address, the room number you want to book, the type of room you want to book, how many people will be staying there, etc.
Making a payment
With the growth of the internet, travel agents now offer more ways to pay for hotels that are booked online. You can pay with a bank card through online banking, a credit card, an e-wallet, or at a cash collection point, among other options. With different ways for customers to pay, goods are also easier to buy.
When you book online, you may get a discount if you pay with a certain e-wallet or a credit card from a certain bank. So, you should check to see if there’s a way to pay that helps you save the most money.
If you are going on a long trip and need to stay at a hotel for several days, you can pay for the room for the first two or three days before you get there. The rest of the stay will be paid for when you get there. But not all travel agents or hotels let you do this, so before you pay, you can call and ask.
Reviewing and confirming booking details
After you pay for your online hotel reservation, the system will send you a confirmation email. A booking confirmation receipt and a booking code are often sent to the booker’s email or phone number these days. When you check into the hotel, this reservation code is one of the most important pieces of information you’ll need.
P/s: If you’re looking to take your hotel’s online booking process to the next level, you might want to consider using the WordPress travel booking engine payments gateway add-on. This powerful tool enables you to seamlessly integrate payment gateways into your booking engine, making it easier and more convenient for your customers to pay for their reservations online. In this introduction, we’ll explore the benefits of using this add-on, as well as some tips for getting started.
Carefully check the confirmation receipt
Lastly, it’s your job to double check the confirmation receipt to make sure all the information is correct. This includes the check-in date, check-out date, agreed room rate, number of rooms, booking information,…
When everything is right and your online hotel booking is done, all you have to do is wait for the day, pack your bags, and go!
Real example of an online booking process
John and his wife, Mayar, stop in London for two days before going on vacation to Mozambique. John convinces Mayar that taking a bus tour is the best way to see more of the city since they don’t have much time.
Choosing a flight on Delta Air Lines' website
The best time for their trip will depend on what they want to do and what they need. John can go to the website and type in the basic information about the trip, such as the date of departure, the date of return, and the number of people who will be going. This will show him which flights are available on that day.
Searching some available information
Before booking a room on the website, John can find out some information, review the comments of bloggers or other customers on the website to check the brand’s reputation. By searching for keywords on google like “best bus tour in London”, or “impressive places to visit in London”, .. will have a lot of articles appearing with the website that they trusted booking to make their trip before.
Begin booking and Make a Reservation
John returns to their website, selects the bus trip, clicks “Book Now,” and then follows the on-screen instructions.
- Fill some information about your time travel including your arrival date, return date and the number of people joining your journey
- Compare the price and information of each service, for example, compare the prices of hotel A and hotel B, find out about the location, about the service and other amenities.
- Make a reservation and fill in some payment method information
- Reviewing and confirming booking details. It can be sent via email or SMS
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Booking
Advantages
Reservations can be made at any time on travel website
With online scheduling platforms, your company is accessible every day of the week, 24 hours a day.
To reserve a golf time, go anywhere. In other words, your clients can book a table whenever it works for them. Consumers spent more than $450 billion online in 2017, and this figure is only going to rise. Furthermore, research has shown that having something available right away when browsing for goods or services significantly boosts the number of purchases or appointments.
You can attract more customers who want to make an appointment or a tee time online.
Convenience and ease of use
By accessing a reputable travel website, you can search for any information and can rely on the 24/7 support or a virtual assistant. A room may be reserved at any moment. All your wishes and plans are available in the search engines without spending too much time traveling to a live travel agent to book or pay for services.
Ability to compare prices and reviews
When you book a room online, you’ll find there are plenty of choices. Before booking, you need to research and find reputable websites, have many people to choose from and feel satisfied after your trip because of good service. You can also freely compare the prices of other travel agents to find the services that suit your needs.
Disadvantages
Potential for technical issues and errors
If you book during the tourist season, there will be more bookings, so there may be some errors such as a slow website or problems that need to be refilled. For each situation, there will be different solutions and remedies. It is important that you better book at times when other people are resting.
The wrong booking system could make your job more difficult.
The proper online booking platform will make it simpler to accept, handle, and expand your bookings, whereas the incorrect one may make it more challenging to do so. If visitors find it difficult to make reservations, a poorly designed reservation system may even have the unfavorable effect of degrading customer service. Therefore, it’s crucial to take your time and thoroughly select your provider.
Conclusion
It is now simpler than ever for travelers to plan and schedule their trips thanks to the travel industry’s increasingly streamlined and effective online booking process. There are numerous online booking platforms accessible to customers, each with their own distinct features and advantages, for everything from flights and hotels to vehicle rentals and activities. Travelers can easily research and compare prices, read other travelers’ reviews, and make their travel arrangements with just a few clicks thanks to the ease and flexibility that online booking offers.
