Online travel sites know who’s a Mac and who’s a PC—and who's going to spend more

[gateley]

Last year, Orbitz tracked people’s online activities to test out a little experiment: Do Mac users spend more on travel than PC users? Turns out that on average, Mac users lay out $20 to $30 more per night on hotels and go for more stars, according to the Wall Street Journal. As a result, the online travel site shows these users different, more expensive travel options first. To avoid inadvertently paying more, sort results by price.

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-you-didnt-know-about-online-travel-sites/?trkid=NL-13-092812&epid=E09078C3-EF3B-4085-8C58-CD0F5F27730E

[Egalitarian Thug]

1. And Linux users just bypass their sites and save even more. K&R n/t

[BlueStreak]

2. This is put out by the association of travel agents

If you click though the various tips, they are all things that criticize online bookers in favor of TAs.

I think people are generally unaware that there are still a million or so professional travel agents working out there. They are actually quite a significant force. Many of them are very good at finding ideal travel options at a better price than the average person might find on their own.

[gateley]

3. I saw that as I continued to click through, but this little tidbit is still good to know,

and it's a good reminder to always sort by lowest price first.

ETA I've had some exceptional travel agents and it was always well worth the fee.

[BlueStreak]

5. AFAIK, it is only Orbitz

I don't see anything wrong with it. They are just trying to offer the products they think would be most appealing to each customer. They are not charging Apple users a higher price, just giving them more of a look at upscale hotel options.

[gateley]

6. I don't have a problem with it, but it's good to know for the times when $$$ is

the absolute determining factor -- and for poor Mac users, like me!

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. Good. n/t

[Initech]

7. Easy way to avoid this - just book straight from the airline and avoid crappy middle man sites like Orbitz.