Study Reveals Where to Find the Cheapest Flights Online
Announcement posted by ZUJI 29 Oct 2004
Australian travellers looking for great travel deals online have been assisted today with the release of a price comparison report conducted by leading Internet research company Nielsen//NetRatings. The report, which compared prices across five top-ranking online travel websites, found that ZUJI Australia consistently returned the lowest fares for popular overseas travel destinations.
The Nielsen//NetRatings study compared prices by searching for the lowest return economy flight to 10 international destinations departing from five locations across Australia. Price comparisons were carried out once a week until late August, with a booking lead-time of forty days.
In its methodology, Nielsen//NetRatings designed the study to reflect the users experience in looking for the best deals online.
Analysing the results of the study, Nielsen//NetRatings grouped the five online travel providers into two categories. The first category was for websites that searched for the cheapest fares but did not specify availability. In this category, ZUJIs Open Dates search function was found to consistently offer the lowest fares for travellers.
Within this category, ZUJI Open Dates (flexible dates of travel) was also found to provide the lowest fares for flights departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.
As the Nielsen//NetRatings report noted, Of the five providers in this report ZUJI performed the best in terms of offering the lowest priced flights to online travel customers who requested open fares.
The second category was for travel websites that searched for the cheapest fares as well as showing real-time availability for specific dates of travel. In this, ZUJI Fixed Dates was found to be the least expensive overall, as well as for flights departing from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Based on the aggregate of fares to all of the overseas destinations from the five locations, ZUJI Open Dates was found to be between 16% and 18% less expensive than the two providers in the first category. In the specified availability category, ZUJI Fixed Dates was also found to be less expensive than the two other providers.
In its analysis of the customer experience of using the five providers, the Nielsen//NetRatings report noted that ZUJI Open Dates was one of the most user-friendly online systems, ZUJI offers a feature whereby the online user can check flights for three specific airlines at a time, this is very useful.
Australians are savvy consumers who demand choice, control, convenience and above all value when they purchase travel, said Jo OBrien, General Manager for ZUJI Australia.
We have long believed that ZUJI provides great flight, hotel and other travel products, and great value pricing. This external research validates this. ZUJIs success rests in the fact that we offer consumers complete transparency on pricing - when you want to see a wide range of options, compare alternatives or search for best price: come to ZUJI, said Ms OBrien.
ZUJIs Open Dates function is designed for budget-conscious travellers who do not have set travel dates in mind for travel. By using this option customers can find the best available price, and then check for availability as a second step, she said.
ZUJIs Fixed Dates function has been designed for travellers who know when they want or need to travel. Consumers enter the dates and ZUJI shows a range of alternatives from lowest to highest fare, said Ms OBrien.
Unlike many other online players, ZUJI presents airline fare alternatives that are available, and can be booked immediately online, saving travellers significant time and frustration, and eliminating the need to search and review lots of fares that are unavailable for some periods of travel.
About the Nielsen//NetRatings Price Comparison Report
The Nielsen//NetRatings Online Travel Price Comparison Report was commissioned by ZUJI and was conducted once a week over four separate periods in August 2004. The overall objective of the report was to compare online travel providers and find which provider offered the cheapest flights to online customers. The five travel providers analysed in the report were ZUJI, BestFlights, Webjet, Travel.com and Flight Centre.
Nielsen//NetRatings focused on overseas travel only, developing a price comparison for the lowest return economy fare to ten destinations and about twenty airlines departing Australia. Points of departure analysed in the report were Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Booking lead time was forty days in advance, and when a fixed return date was required, the date three weeks from the date of departure was used. No surcharges, government taxes or airport taxes were included in the analysis.
Nielsen//NetRatings grouped the five providers into two categories:
*Lowest fares without specified availability - ZUJI Open Dates, Best Flights and Flight Centre
* Lowest fares with specified availability - ZUJI Fixed Dates, Webjet and Travel.com
Based on the aggregate of fares to the ten international destinations over the four-week period from the five departure points in Australia, ZUJI Open Dates was found to be 18.57% less expensive than Flight Centre, and 16.38% less expensive than BestFlights in the first category.
In the second category, ZUJI Open Dates was found to be less expensive than Webjet and Travel.com based on these same measures.
Destinations analysed in the report were: London, Singapore, Paris, New York, Rome, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Auckland, Vancouver, Bangkok.
Please note: Nielsen//NetRatings recognises that the functionality of each online travel site is different and thus produces a different user experience. However, within the realms and constraints of the study Nielsen//NetRatings believes the outcome of the report to be representative.
The Nielsen//NetRatings study compared prices by searching for the lowest return economy flight to 10 international destinations departing from five locations across Australia. Price comparisons were carried out once a week until late August, with a booking lead-time of forty days.
In its methodology, Nielsen//NetRatings designed the study to reflect the users experience in looking for the best deals online.
Analysing the results of the study, Nielsen//NetRatings grouped the five online travel providers into two categories. The first category was for websites that searched for the cheapest fares but did not specify availability. In this category, ZUJIs Open Dates search function was found to consistently offer the lowest fares for travellers.
Within this category, ZUJI Open Dates (flexible dates of travel) was also found to provide the lowest fares for flights departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.
As the Nielsen//NetRatings report noted, Of the five providers in this report ZUJI performed the best in terms of offering the lowest priced flights to online travel customers who requested open fares.
The second category was for travel websites that searched for the cheapest fares as well as showing real-time availability for specific dates of travel. In this, ZUJI Fixed Dates was found to be the least expensive overall, as well as for flights departing from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Based on the aggregate of fares to all of the overseas destinations from the five locations, ZUJI Open Dates was found to be between 16% and 18% less expensive than the two providers in the first category. In the specified availability category, ZUJI Fixed Dates was also found to be less expensive than the two other providers.
In its analysis of the customer experience of using the five providers, the Nielsen//NetRatings report noted that ZUJI Open Dates was one of the most user-friendly online systems, ZUJI offers a feature whereby the online user can check flights for three specific airlines at a time, this is very useful.
Australians are savvy consumers who demand choice, control, convenience and above all value when they purchase travel, said Jo OBrien, General Manager for ZUJI Australia.
We have long believed that ZUJI provides great flight, hotel and other travel products, and great value pricing. This external research validates this. ZUJIs success rests in the fact that we offer consumers complete transparency on pricing - when you want to see a wide range of options, compare alternatives or search for best price: come to ZUJI, said Ms OBrien.
ZUJIs Open Dates function is designed for budget-conscious travellers who do not have set travel dates in mind for travel. By using this option customers can find the best available price, and then check for availability as a second step, she said.
ZUJIs Fixed Dates function has been designed for travellers who know when they want or need to travel. Consumers enter the dates and ZUJI shows a range of alternatives from lowest to highest fare, said Ms OBrien.
Unlike many other online players, ZUJI presents airline fare alternatives that are available, and can be booked immediately online, saving travellers significant time and frustration, and eliminating the need to search and review lots of fares that are unavailable for some periods of travel.
About the Nielsen//NetRatings Price Comparison Report
The Nielsen//NetRatings Online Travel Price Comparison Report was commissioned by ZUJI and was conducted once a week over four separate periods in August 2004. The overall objective of the report was to compare online travel providers and find which provider offered the cheapest flights to online customers. The five travel providers analysed in the report were ZUJI, BestFlights, Webjet, Travel.com and Flight Centre.
Nielsen//NetRatings focused on overseas travel only, developing a price comparison for the lowest return economy fare to ten destinations and about twenty airlines departing Australia. Points of departure analysed in the report were Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Booking lead time was forty days in advance, and when a fixed return date was required, the date three weeks from the date of departure was used. No surcharges, government taxes or airport taxes were included in the analysis.
Nielsen//NetRatings grouped the five providers into two categories:
*Lowest fares without specified availability - ZUJI Open Dates, Best Flights and Flight Centre
* Lowest fares with specified availability - ZUJI Fixed Dates, Webjet and Travel.com
Based on the aggregate of fares to the ten international destinations over the four-week period from the five departure points in Australia, ZUJI Open Dates was found to be 18.57% less expensive than Flight Centre, and 16.38% less expensive than BestFlights in the first category.
In the second category, ZUJI Open Dates was found to be less expensive than Webjet and Travel.com based on these same measures.
Destinations analysed in the report were: London, Singapore, Paris, New York, Rome, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Auckland, Vancouver, Bangkok.
Please note: Nielsen//NetRatings recognises that the functionality of each online travel site is different and thus produces a different user experience. However, within the realms and constraints of the study Nielsen//NetRatings believes the outcome of the report to be representative.