Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

by D Widner

Most travelers on luxury vacations will eventually, at some point, end up on a plane. For many, the experience of flying is a harrowing one and often seen as the downside of traveling anywhere. But flying does not have to be such a painful experience. Thanks to electronic ticketing, most of the once painful processes are a thing of the past. Lost or stolen paper tickets and long check-in waits, are no longer a necessary part of air travel. Here are some tips that will make your flying experience as smooth as possible by taking advantage of these progressive steps in travel technology.

Using an E Ticket

Whether you’re flying to board your cruise ship for your luxury world cruise or to end a guided tour, e-tickets are the new way to fly. An e-ticket is an electronic ticket storage note that is held on the airline’s computer. This means that all you need is a photo ID to board instead of a paper ticket. The e-ticket can’t get lost, forgotten or stolen, and your travel plans can be changed without the need to print and receive a new ticket. This is usually the best and easiest way to travel aboard airlines. Always ask for an e-ticket if one is not offered. For the latest luxury world cruise deals go to http://www.amtcruises.com.

Online Check-In

You can simplify the airline check-in procedure during your luxury travel vacation by checking-in online. Although not all airlines offer this service, travelers should find out if it’s available and take advantage of it. You can check-in online at least 24 hours before your scheduled flight. There are a number of benefits to checking-in online. These advantages include the chance to select your preferred seat in advance, get your frequent flyer mileage added to your account and inform the airline how many bags you will be checking. Being able to do all of this before you arrive will save you time at the airport. Most of the time, you will be able to print your boarding pass. If not, write down all the information given to you at the end of the online check-in process. Plus, the airline will usually provide a special boarding pass lane for those who have already checked-in online. Get help planning your next luxury travel vacation at http://www.amtvacations.com/american-express-tours.html.

These new airline procedures were invented to consolidate the ticketing process. In the past, airline tickets were a huge hassle to both travel agents and travelers alike, the electronic or e-ticket system has eased the difficult process. Online check-ins have made obtaining your boarding pass simple, saving you time and the airlines money. These new protocols are making your luxury vacation much smoother. Learn more about AMT American Express Travel at http://www.amtvacations.com/world-wide-travel-leader.htm.
About the Author
Virginia Morgan writes tourism and travel articles for AMT American Express Travel, The Internet’s premier resource for American Express Vacations. Serving customers online since 1996.

By David Bain

The Internet offers an effective means for developing a single and sustainable electronic infrastructure for information gathering and business transactions for both travelers and suppliers. It is an ideal method for people to source information on travel. It is an essential for travel-related Websites to offer useful, pertinent and easy-to-find information alongside a booking facility if appropriate.

It can be used to fully research a destination, book all aspects of the holiday including travel and communicate others who have the same ideas or have been through similar experiences. It gives travelers an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast everything on offer before they make a purchase.

The information available online is continually being reformatted and presented in a more logical, easy-to-use and read format. The volume of consumers that rely on this information to make travel-related decisions will therefore continue to rise. In addition, features and benefits of using the Internet to research and book holidays are improving and being added to all the time. For example, consumers no longer have to receive printed tickets from the travel operator. They simply print out any information that they require themselves after they receive it automatically via email.

The ‘Net’ has meant that people can now easily plan trips for themselves. This has not only opened up a greater amount of discounts available to the general public, but also given people the fun and enjoyment of planning and booking their own trips.

Prior to the Internet, travel agents were the primary source of information and facilitating bookings within the travel industry. However, the onset of Net popularity has seriously impacted upon the future success of a telephone or face-to-face based travel agency. The Internet now allows individuals the ability to plan and book their own trips. It has revolutionized the travel industry as a whole and instigated a trend away from the customer using a travel agent.

There are four Internet business models that can be applied to the travel industry. The business models and examples of businesses within them are as follows:

1) The merchant model, which brings buyers and sellers together. It could be argued that this model is effectively an online travel agent. Websites in this business model category include Travelocity who have recently purchased LastMinute.com and Expedia – an offshoot from Microsoft.

2) The advertising model, providing valuable travel information whilst generating revenue through various adverts. The significant advantage of this model is its low cost base. A website in this business model that provides information on the UK is TREKtheUK.com.

3) The direct model allows the service provider themselves to deal directly with the general public. First of all, British Airways is the longest established and has a large marketshare and conventional competitive advantage. Secondly, EasyJet have established the Internet as being key to their core competency.

4) The community model is one of the longest established operating models on the Internet without having a history of generating a significant revenue stream. Two websites reviewed that fall into this category are Lonely Planet – based upon the books that have been published for more than thirty years, and VirtualTourist.com – a community of individuals who have a passion for travel.

Although it can be argued that some websites are using a mixture of several business models, it is interesting to acknowledge that just because a business generates the majority of its revenue online, it doesn’t mean that conventional business models can’t be applied to them.