Big travel sites best for online deals

By Brad Foss
Associated Press

NEW YORK — The three largest online travel companies offered the best airfares and services in a Consumer Reports study that also raised questions about whether air travelers receive unbiased information on Web sites.

Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity are better than their smaller competitors for ease of use and finding the most inexpensive flights, Consumer Reports says in the June issue of its travel newsletter.

But these industry leaders still need to improve in customer service, impartiality and the protection of consumers' privacy, the report said.

Expedia yielded the highest percentage of lowest-fare flights, the report said. But many search results either did not come close to the user's requested departure time or required out-of-the-way stops.

Travelocity listed the most affordable and "viable" itineraries, meaning travelers would fly with a single carrier, have fewer connecting flights and spend less time at airports during layovers.

Consumer Reports said it had "reasonable doubts" regarding biases stemming from marketing arrangements among the airlines and the online travel companies, which receive bonuses for meeting sales targets for individual carriers. The magazine said federal regulation of the industry was "the only way to ensure fairness."

Orbitz often found cheap and viable flight itineraries. But the 1-year-old site, formed by the nation's five largest carriers, often failed to turn up less expensive fares offered by smaller carriers.