Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Independent Travel Web Sites Remain Flat in Online Reservation Bookings

Hotwire.com ranks highest in customer satisfaction for third year in a row with independent travel Web sites.

by Staff
November 26, 2008
2 min to read


While the percentage of travelers making online airline, rental car and hotel reservations has increased 15 percentage points during the past year, bookings for independent travel Web sites have increased by only 1 percentage point since 2007, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study (SM).

The study, which is now in its fourth year, measures customer satisfaction with online booking for airline, hotel or rental car reservations made on seven major independent travel Web sites. Among the six factors that were measured during the study were competitiveness of price; ease of booking; usefulness of the information on the Web site and availability of booking options/travel packages.

Ad Loading...

The study finds that while 70 percent of travel reservations were booked online in 2008—up from 53 percent in 2007—only 16 percent were made through independent travel Web sites. Additionally, consumers who booked their travel using an independent Web site were considerably less satisfied compared with 2007, with satisfaction scores declining by 17 points on a 1,000-point scale to 785 in 2008.

For a third consecutive year, Hotwire.com ranks highest among independent travel Web sites, performing particularly well in competitiveness of pricing and ease of navigation. Priceline.com follows Hotwire.com in the ranking, also performing particularly well in competitiveness of pricing.

Additionally, the study finds that an independent Web site’s mix of travel services—how much of the site’s business is split between airline, rental car or hotel bookings—also impacts satisfaction scores.

More Rental Operations

Two execs hold up a sign with Southwest and CarTrawler logos

Southwest Airlines Selects CarTrawler For Its Car Rental Booking Platform

The platform is designed to allow customers to compare and book rental vehicles more easily during the travel booking process.

Read More →
Speaker John Healy on stage with a podium, screen, and red curtains in the background.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueMay 27, 2026

Cross-Pressures, Evolving Trends Drive 2026 Rental Car Industry

A combination of cautious economic behavior, shifts in the rental vehicle market, and technological influences are shaping car rental operator decisions.

Read More →
Award winner on stage with presenters in front of yellow curtain.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueMay 27, 2026

Government Affairs Executive Wins Leading Rental Car Industry Award

Robert Muhs started in the car rental industry with Avis Budget Group two years before the first International Car Rental Show.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
The rental car team at the Green Motion franchise office near the Maputo International Airport in Mozambique.

Green Motion Expands Its African Presence with Mozambique Launch

This new rental car outlet reflects the growing demand for reliable transportation and the emphasis on sustainable travel across the continent.

Read More →
Photos of CEOs Colm Brady and Francois Kruger on a blue background and above a headline.
Telematicsby News/Media ReleaseMay 22, 2026

RentalMatics, GeoInt Partner On Rental Car Speed Tracking Tech

Rental operators can now detect and act on speeding while vehicles are still on rent, thereby reducing fines, admin workload, vehicle wear, and safety risks.

Read More →
NextPass 407 ETR

NextPass Expands Toll Payment Service to Highway In Toronto

Fleets and consumer can use a transponder-less option when traveling between Canada and the U.S.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A black Jeep is displayed at the Zubie-Bosch-TSD exhibit during the International Car Rental Show.

Zubie, PurCo Integrate Rental Damage Detection With Telematics

The combination brings actionable vehicle insights into PurCo’s PurInspect platform, improving damage detection and operational efficiency for rental fleets.

Read More →
50 states map showing LOR rates for each state with different shades of light to dark green

U.S. Length Of Rental (LOR) Declines Slightly in Q1 2026

LOR related to insurance claims overall continues to trend downward, but ongoing market and economic conditions could affect future results while the industry deals with staffing and productivity challenges.

Read More →
Illustration of a driverless futuristic front seat/dashboard view of other cars on a freeway with city skyline on horizon.

Hertz, Uber Deepen Roles In Self-Driving And Driver-Led Fleet Services

The business arrangement connects demand with scalable fleet management services and supports a range of mobility uses.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A tech collage of electronic devices against a computer chip blueprint map.
Rental OperationsMay 1, 2026

Why Car Rental Can No Longer Run On Workarounds

The shift from branch-based software to connected operations is turning rental technology into strategic infrastructure.

Read More →
Ad Loading...