Door-to-Door Travel and Multimodal Search: Finding and Booking a Complete Trip

Summary

Trips, whether for leisure or business, have never been about traveling between airports. A travel itinerary generally contains multiple elements, and air transportation is not the only means to get from point A to point B. In many parts of the world, alternative transportation options via rail, ferry or public transportation can be used instead of, or in addition to, air travel. While today's online travel process has its roots in the traditional global distribution system (GDS) booking flow and focuses on air, hotel and car, these travel components have never encompassed the complete trip. As frequent business travelers know, transportation both to/from the airport and in-destination can be costly and confusing, especially for complex trips to unfamiliar destinations. Over the last few years, multimodal search engines have emerged that allow travelers to compare or combine traditional air travel with other forms of transportation, such as rail, ferry and public transport, all within a single search. In addition, some multimodal search providers have added the ability to evaluate complete door-to-door itineraries, including the "last mile" (e.g., transportation directly to/from the traveler's home or accommodations).