TravelMole Q&A with Travelsupermarket.com director Chris Nixon-,--M.

TravelMole Q&A with Travelsupermarket.com director Chris Nixon-,--M.: "TravelMole Q&A with Travelsupermarket.com director Chris Nixon
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Continuing our regular series, Linda Fox quizzes travelsupermarket.com director Chris Nixon on the price comparison market.

Q: How does price comparison work?

A: We go out to the providers live so the price you see should be the one you get. All we are doing is shortening the journey for the user. We're not a travel agent and never intended to be one. There are two sides to the coin � the supplier and the consumer and we're trying to bring them together. Rates change all the time and we are like a portal where you come to find information, which is accurate and up-to-date. Consumers never book with us. They enter their search information and then check our database of existing suppliers and then use XML as well as screen-scraping technology to grab 'live' prices.

Q: Is price comparison always about finding the lowest price?

A: There is a common misconception that it is all about price but the real thing is the value element. People want to see what is available in the market place. The real time element is also important. A lot of sites show 'from' prices and then taxes and service charges are added on but travelsupermarket.com is about comparing like with like and it is about showing the final price. The customer gets the best value for what they are looking for and that is not necessarily the cheapest. Consumers just want to know what is out there and whether it is worth it.

Q: Given their initial reluctance are suppliers now looking more favourably on price comparison/metasearch sites such as travelsupermarket.com?

A: We like to think of both consumers and suppliers as equally important. If a consumer comes to"