TWO new Philippine B2C online travel brands have surfaced this year focusing on ticket search and aggregation, with planned expansions into hotel booking.
Muranglipad.com’s web engine search will offer fare comparisons, allowing users to locate the cheapest fares across all Philippine carriers and Jetstar, according to Margarita Cabrera, marketing manager of Triplestar Travel and Tours, a sister company of boutique carrier Seair International.
Currently, the website offers a voice link leading users to a voice operator, while a full launch of the service is expected by November. Cabrera said Triplestar’s presence will also expand to Muranghotels.com later.
Muranglipad promises preferential rates for travel companies and user payment options as VISA/Mastercard, cash and payment deposits through Cebuana Lhuillier, a local pawnshop chain.
The other OTA, Tripmoba.com, a sister company of Universal Holidays and American Express Transnational, was launched in June. It focuses on PAL, PAL Express and international airline ticketing, but not on Philippine LCCs, according to president Zaki Delgado.
“We can search all of the major airlines at once; customers can see the best prices, best options from multiple airlines,” he said.
The option to pay for Philippine travel tax (1,620 pesos, about US$38) for travel out of Manila and Cebu will be added this month, and bookings capability for hotels at a later time, Delgado added.
It has more payment gateways than others, including Globe Telecom’s mobile cash gateway called G-Cash.
