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Selling the vacation experience, not price

June 19, 2006 |

Booking travel arrangements online is no longer just about finding the cheapest flight, printing out the boarding pass and going on your journey. "It's not about price," says Travelocity's Michelle Peluso. "It's about the experience."

Michelle Peluso explained Travelocity’s philosophy and the direction in which the travel industry is heading at the 43rd annual Colorado Ski Country USA conference this week at the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel. About 150 Colorado ski executives and others involved in the ski industry attended the three-day event.

Travelocity, now in its 10th year, has changed considerably throughout time.

“We really didn’t have the ability to sell the complete travel experience,” Peluso said.

Booking travel arrangements online is no longer just about finding the cheapest flight, printing out the boarding pass and going on your journey. “It’s not about price,” Peluso said. “It’s about the experience.”

The company’s approach—that price shouldn’t be the determining factor for online travel—is controversial, Peluso said.

She said the focus has shifted to “making sure consumers realize the magic of travel.” The company no longer looks at travel as a mere commodity with a certain price tag.

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