Comments on: Whoever wins in tax war, guests will still pay the bill http://www.consumertraveler.com/traveler/whoever-wins-in-tax-war-guests-will-still-pay-the-bill/ The last honest travel site Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:20:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert http://www.consumertraveler.com/traveler/whoever-wins-in-tax-war-guests-will-still-pay-the-bill/comment-page-1/#comment-17654 Robert Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:07:25 +0000 http://www.consumertraveler.com/?p=21857#comment-17654 "That assumes the big three online travel agencies likely to be affected by these court cases — Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity — are the only places where you can buy discounted hotel rooms. They aren’t. Not only are there hundreds of other Web sites that sell bargain rooms, but don’t forget off-line, human travel agents who can still find a great hotel rate" You're comparing apples and oranges here. Travel agents usually are NOT reselling hotel rooms the way the OTAs are. When a travel agent is involved travelers normally pay a hotel directly and the travel agent is the booking agent. The hotel pays the travel agent. OTA's collect money from travelers and then the OTA's mark up their cost and pay the hotel. The hotel does not compensate the OTA the way it does a travel agent. That is a HUGE difference. Hotel taxes taxes are noramlly is based on what is paid by the traveler and it is dishonest that the OTAs pocket the difference without disclosure. “That assumes the big three online travel agencies likely to be affected by these court cases — Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity — are the only places where you can buy discounted hotel rooms. They aren’t. Not only are there hundreds of other Web sites that sell bargain rooms, but don’t forget off-line, human travel agents who can still find a great hotel rate”

You’re comparing apples and oranges here. Travel agents usually are NOT reselling hotel rooms the way the OTAs are. When a travel agent is involved travelers normally pay a hotel directly and the travel agent is the booking agent. The hotel pays the travel agent. OTA’s collect money from travelers and then the OTA’s mark up their cost and pay the hotel. The hotel does not compensate the OTA the way it does a travel agent. That is a HUGE difference.

Hotel taxes taxes are noramlly is based on what is paid by the traveler and it is dishonest that the OTAs pocket the difference without disclosure.

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