Online services: The online companies that are popping up to help consumers make bookings such as agonda.com.sg often provide a level of service unmatched by the major companies, making aspects of travel that much simpler.
It is like driving a Formula One car. Before you have the time to breathe, another sharp bend jumps up right in front of you.
That is how I have been feeling the past few weeks or so. Before I can ever get my life totally back on track, it is time to make yet another visit to National University Hospital in Singapore for my next meeting with my surgeon there. The schedule has been set, so I know when I will have to be there.
Don’t we all love that thing we call “email”? It has enabled me to request a schedule without having to pick up the handset.
Two things that I need to take care next: Flights and accommodation for my wife and me. By now, many of you must be familiar with the services that allow us to make online bookings. You must know, too, that we can easily find promotions from budget airlines such as AirAsia, Jetstar and Tiger Airways on their respective websites. If we make the booking very early, the fares can be as good as free.
But, beware, too. These budget airlines may charge extra for a lot of things. First, the promotional prices do not usually include the applicable taxes, which can actually be much more expensive than the fare itself. Second, some airlines strictly limit the amount of luggage you can carry onboard.
Or you are asked to specify whether you will be carrying 5, 10 or 15 kilograms with you — and then they charge you accordingly. Some airlines even charge you if you want to choose your seats. So the most important thing to look for is the final charge.
Among the many online hotel bookings, however, I have found one that provides great service: www.agoda.com.sg. As you also know, there are a lot of budget hotels in Singapore, which can finding the right one a tedious job.
My wife and I have decided to find one that is close to Novena Church in Novena. This church is known to have given miracles to those suffering from serious illnesses and, being a Catholic, my wife plans to go there as often as she can. Also, because we have no idea how long we will have to stay in Singapore, we want to make sure we will be staying somewhere affordable. We do not care much about luxury accommodation for obvious reasons.
With the help of Agoda, I found a budget hotel that meets my requirements. It is located in the Newton/Novena area, within walking distance of the church and the Novena MRT station. The good thing is that it also has Wi-Fi, although I have to pay extra for that.
There are also reviews that we can read — much like the reviews on books on amazon.com. Being budget accommodation, this particular hotel has very tiny bathrooms, as many of the reviewers mention. This is good to know in advance, as it tells me what to expect before I get there.
What I really like about Agoda, however, is the responsiveness of their sales and marketing staff.
When I first made my booking, I made a mistake in specifying my date of arrival. While I should have chosen Oct. 25 from the dropdown list, I inadvertently chose Sept. 29. Becky, the contact center specialist, was very helpful and she amended my booking according to my instructions.
We only had to communicate by email, which saved me from telephone charges. If I want an instant response, I could use the chat facility, as shown in the accompanying screen shot.
Today, making flight and hotel reservations is very cheap and easy. But if you want to make an online booking, plan your trip carefully. If you want to fly on Oct. 19, for example, make sure it is the day that you are free and ready to travel. The budget airlines are very quick in slapping on a heavy penalty if you change the date of your booking. The budget hotels will also charge you certain fees if you cancel your booking.
Remember that they will charge your credit card before they confirm your bookings. In my case, it is unfortunate because the date for my daughter’s graduation was announced one month after I made my reservations. As a result, I had to pay almost double for the flights compared with what I would have had to pay initially.
Agoda and many other great online services certainly pay a lot of attention to the customer experience. Abundant, snazzy but confusing features no longer impress us, the customers. Clear and logical step-by-step procedures are more important for the success of an online service.
And thanks to great and user-friendly online services, I no longer have to worry about how we are going to Singapore and where we are going stay over there.
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