Online booking habits changing

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.-- The percentage of travelers making online airline, rental car and hotel reservations has increased 15 percentage points during the past year, according to a survey by J.D. Powers and Associates.

But bookings for independent travel Web sites have increased by only 1 percentage point since 2007, according to the survey, in its fourth year.

The survey found that overall, 70 percent of travel reservations were booked online in 2008, up from 53 percent in 2007. But only 16 percent were made through independent travel Web sites. Consumers who booked travel using an independent Web site also reported being less satisfied compared with 2007.

Sites run by airlines, rental car companies and hotels often guarantee lowest prices, which makes them attractive for consumers.

Prices contributed to the decrease in customer satisfaction with independent travel Web sites, but so did problems with excessive content, pop-ups and having to download new software in order to book, the survey found.

For a third consecutive year, Hotwire.com ranked highest among independent travel Web sites, followed by Priceline.com.