What are the worst travel websites to use?
#16
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Radisson. Both their hotel website and even more so their app are awful. Hard to navigate, outdated graphics, dead links and a complete refusal to embrace any new technology.
#17
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY, USA
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Too many clicks to get data. E.g., my return date should automatically be later than my from date. I shouldn't have to click on the >> 10 times to get to Dec.
Open up too many browser / tabs. TripAdvisor sucks at this. Every hotel click opens a new tab.
Too fancy, fonts too large, too many scrolls up and down...etc. In other words, give me something straight forward and simple. Like Google Flights.
Open up too many browser / tabs. TripAdvisor sucks at this. Every hotel click opens a new tab.
Too fancy, fonts too large, too many scrolls up and down...etc. In other words, give me something straight forward and simple. Like Google Flights.
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,320
That's not accurate:
(underline mine)
IF OP's asking Siri, "what are the worst travel websites to use?", that would be another story.
Research, including "classroom situation", that involves human subjects now has to obtain Institutional review board (IRB) approval.
In OP's case, s/he may be qualified for Exempt status or Expedited review. Still, the IRB review can't be exempt. Since OP's working on a college project, the professor/instructor should have given proper guidelines and/or advice for students to complete such class requirements.
(underline mine)
IF OP's asking Siri, "what are the worst travel websites to use?", that would be another story.
Research, including "classroom situation", that involves human subjects now has to obtain Institutional review board (IRB) approval.
In OP's case, s/he may be qualified for Exempt status or Expedited review. Still, the IRB review can't be exempt. Since OP's working on a college project, the professor/instructor should have given proper guidelines and/or advice for students to complete such class requirements.
#19
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
According to the Office for Human Research Protections (part of the US Department of Health and Human Services), only activities which are "a systemic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge" need to go before Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). A simple classroom assignment like the one here is exempt.
Quotes from Chart 1 on this Page: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations.../index.html#c1
Yet, even if it were, asking a simple question asking for examples of poorly-designed websites still doesn't require IRB approval because it doesn't involve "intervention or interaction with the individuals."
IRB is designed to protect human subjects from physical or emotional harm. Clearly, no one responding to the OP's question is at risk of physical harm. As for emotional harm, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no one here is going to suffer even the slightest bit of emotional harm just by discussing their least favorite travel websites. If that type of person even exists, she or he really should be visiting a travel website that routinely involves discussions of the inadequacies of other travel websites.
#20
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#21
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: St Petersburg, FL, USA
Posts: 2,252
I will second Trivago. It intentionally passes along prices which are not the lowest, but seems to try to direct you to Expedia-related sites.
Oh, and any site that promises a "price match guarantee". None of them do. It's the biggest bait-and-switch and I cannot believe experienced travelers on this site actually use that term without irony or mocking.
Oh, and any site that promises a "price match guarantee". None of them do. It's the biggest bait-and-switch and I cannot believe experienced travelers on this site actually use that term without irony or mocking.
#22
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
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Just an FYI for anyone that may have found this thread or read about it in the TalkMail - OP has had no activity on FT - not even looking at it - since 7 minutes after posting this query.
I would avoid long-winded responses unless there is some sign of OP coming back to actually view/respond to the already-posted answers.
I would avoid long-winded responses unless there is some sign of OP coming back to actually view/respond to the already-posted answers.
#23
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Just an FYI for anyone that may have found this thread or read about it in the TalkMail - OP has had no activity on FT - not even looking at it - since 7 minutes after posting this query.
I would avoid long-winded responses unless there is some sign of OP coming back to actually view/respond to the already-posted answers.
I would avoid long-winded responses unless there is some sign of OP coming back to actually view/respond to the already-posted answers.
It isn't a "pain point" issue for me, but I will cite the whole RoomKey mess as a personal pet peeve.
#24
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
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#25
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: OSA, TUS
Programs: ANA, JAL
Posts: 19
Rakuten and Jaran in Japanese can really difficult for a few general and a few Japan only issues
First off is once you make a booking in a hotel they automatically sign you up for a ton of mailing lists unless you remember to uncheck them.
Some hotels required you to write something into the comments like if you need to use the parking lot or not. Sometimes they require a comment but have no question to be answered so you fill in with the obligatory "yoroshiku onegaishimasu "
Last big issue is the booking "plans" which are a common thing on Japanese sites. Do you want a room smoking, semidouble, with breakfast and a prepaid cash card for the conbini next door that costs 20 bucks more? For a leasure traveler it makes no sense but for a business traveler on an expense account it does. Having to sort through the options can be tough if your not a native speaker and/or have travel experience .
Also the English sites sometimes don't offer the cheapest rooms. Sometimes for the best! Haha
Good luck with your research.
First off is once you make a booking in a hotel they automatically sign you up for a ton of mailing lists unless you remember to uncheck them.
Some hotels required you to write something into the comments like if you need to use the parking lot or not. Sometimes they require a comment but have no question to be answered so you fill in with the obligatory "yoroshiku onegaishimasu "
Last big issue is the booking "plans" which are a common thing on Japanese sites. Do you want a room smoking, semidouble, with breakfast and a prepaid cash card for the conbini next door that costs 20 bucks more? For a leasure traveler it makes no sense but for a business traveler on an expense account it does. Having to sort through the options can be tough if your not a native speaker and/or have travel experience .
Also the English sites sometimes don't offer the cheapest rooms. Sometimes for the best! Haha
Good luck with your research.
#26
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 74
If they accept bookings from EU users, that's illegal. Just report them to the GDPR commissioner in any EU country for which you speak the language (Belgium are best at dealing with non-EU countries)
#27
Join Date: Nov 2005
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I think you can have a field day at http://paradisewithaview.com/
http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/ could be a backup candidate.
More mainstream, https://www.ryanair.com/us/en/ is a colorful mess.
Too bad you're limited to travel sites - http://arngren.net/ is a UX Master's thesis in waiting. .
http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/ could be a backup candidate.
More mainstream, https://www.ryanair.com/us/en/ is a colorful mess.
Too bad you're limited to travel sites - http://arngren.net/ is a UX Master's thesis in waiting. .
#28
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 19
I do not like sites like Amoma and Otel that provide their own descriptors for the types of hotel rooms on offer. Their descriptors do not align to the hotel's descriptors. It makes it impossible to understand what room you are booking.
#29
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 31
LifeMiles Worst Travel Website
LifeMiles.com
is the Worst Travel Website
not to mention their horrible services
is the Worst Travel Website
not to mention their horrible services
Hi all, I'm a university student working on a project for a prototyping class. Our assignment is to find a travel-related website, identify 7 pain points, and redesign it to be more usable. As someone who doesn't travel much, I'm coming here to get first-hand accounts that will hopefully point me in the right direction. What are the worst websites you've used in terms of user experience?
Thanks!
Thanks!