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Walkabout: Fight to the Death
Are the days of the travel agent numbered?
By DAFFYD RODERICK
September
22, 2000
Web posted at 2:30 p.m. Hong Kong time, 2:30 a.m. EDT
This week Ebookit.com launched Asia's first real online travel booking site,
offering flights, hotels and car rentals. Sure others have claimed to take us
there before, but they've offered such a limited array of flights that they just
weren't worth using. Ebookit claims to be the real thing.
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But with the advent of the same technology that powers Expedia.com in the United
States, are the days of the travel agent numbered? In celebration of the
Olympics and in a quest to answer this question, I pitted a flesh-and-blood
travel agent against Ebookit. Fight fans, take your seats.
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In one corner, wearing the red trunks, weighing in at--well, she wouldn't tell
me--is Teresa Cheung of Nanlung Travel, my travel agent. In the opposite corner,
in the orange and white trunks, is Ebookit. This should be an interesting
matchup. Cheung has years of experience behind her, a knowledge of my travel
needs, a quick finger on the phone and is an expert touch typist. She also seems
uncannily capable of getting me high season tickets cheap, the way I like 'em.
Ebookit is brand spanking new at this, just rolling out the gates in Singapore
and Hong Kong. But it has staff that you'd call experienced: the chairman, Steve
Miller, helped fire up Dragonair for its big regional matches, and co-founder
Jonathan Hague has been covering marketing for Cathay Pacific and United
Airlines. Plus the other travel, technology and finance heavyweights behind the
site. So Ebookit is more contender than pretender.
But enough talk, let's get ready to ruuuuuuuuumble. Cheung charges out of her
corner first, undaunted by the sheer mass of her opponent. "Ebookitdotwho?" she
snarls as she types in my request. Hong Kong to London, November 15, returning
on November 20. I hear a clatter of keystrokes in the background and a
comforting rustle of paper. She's clearly in her element here. I can hear her
breathing, but it sounds like she's got this under control. "I can get you there
two ways. Through Singapore for $695 on Singapore Airlines, or on board Cathay
Pacific direct for $1,033 plus tax," she says. Elapsed time from the ring of the
bell until she hung up her gloves: 2:33.23. That's not her personal best, but
it's definitely going to be tough to beat.
Ebookit is definitely coming out a bit slower, conserving its strength. Perhaps
the web connection at my office is busy because everyone's looking at porn? I
fill in my request, Hong Kong to London, November 15, and hit enter. Uh oh...the
beast in the orange shorts appears confused, bewildered...A screen pops up,
London where?, it wants to know. It offers me the London Metro Airport, London,
USA or London Biggin Hill AIrport. I just wanna go to London, dammit. I choose
Biggin Hill, although I'm quite sure I want Heathrow. A screen says it's not
available. I try another option, London, U.K., and it I get another apology.
We're late in the fight and Ebookit is staggering around like George Foreman in
the Rumble in the Jungle.
Wait a minute, the big fella appears to have been roused from his stupor. I've
plugged in Heathrow, U.K. and Ebookit charges like a mad bull. It gives me a
choice of three airlines, Gulf Air, Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific. The Gulf
Air flight goes through Abu Dhabi and it only costs $653, shaving a few dollars
off Teresa's price. But Virgin and Cathay, both direct flights, come in at a
whopping $1437. Ouch! Blood drips from Ebookit's nose, it's eyes roll up into
its head as it drops to the mat. Elapsed time: 12:32.41.
Folks, this one is over by a knockout. The winner, on elapsed time and overall
cost effectiveness, is Teresa Cheung, a genuine live human being. In the final
analysis, Ebookit did just not have the moves to keep up with the nimble
footwork and phone prowess of Cheung. But, with the team behind it and no true
cyber rivals, Ebookit looks like it will be back for a rematch.
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