Monday, December 8, 2008

Online bookings break the $1million mark

I still get a thrill from opening up my email and finding a confirmed on-line reservation notification.

From a perfectly formed email I have the guest name, address, phone number, room type, in/out dates, tariff....and their credit card number!

8 December 2008,
Press Release: Jasons Travel Media


Jasons Travel Media commission-free online bookings break the $1million mark

The month of November saw the commission-free online bookings on Jasons websites soar over a million dollars.

The Jasons commission-free booking websites are comprised of Jasons, Holiday Guide and MANZ (Motel Association of NZ).

Jasons purchased Holiday Guide in June 2007 and the online booking facility went live in on Jasons.com mid February of this year. In that short time the three Jasons websites have delivered over $10.6 million of commission-free accommodation sales to accommodation providers.

Over 39,900 individual commission-free online transactions have been made, saving them over $1 million in commission payments (based on an average of 10% charged by some online booking engines). The uptake of operators utilising the booking engine has grown a spectacular 79%.

Jasons.com allows travellers flexibility in communicating with the operator– they can choose to use the booking function for immediate confirmation or they are able to contact the operator by sending an enquiry form or by looking up the phone number.

Matthew Mayne, recently appointed CEO of Jasons Travel Media Ltd says” Jasons has chosen to charge a low-cost flat fee for online travel bookings which means transaction costs for the operator are free. It allows the operators to put their best price forward without having to factor in commissions.”

“Jasons is now taking the next logical step by introducing online bookings for the activity sector, due to go live during December,” says Matthew. “We are confident that the activity operators will be pleased to be a part of the commission-free booking environment as it will be a refreshing change for them.”

Jasons Travel Media Limited is a public company, listed on the NZAX board of the New Zealand stock exchange. It publishes the websites www.jasons.com, www.holidayguide.co.nz, www.dutymotel.co.nz and www.roomsearch.co.nz; and 68 different free printed travel guides annually, covering New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.

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