There were sixty six million passengers flying domestic during 2011, a record high in the history of Indonesian aviation history. The figure, revealed by Anthonius Thedy, Managing Director of TX Travel, at the grand launch of Tiket.com implied something bigger. Indonesian people have a higher purchasing power and have a lifestyle that is more colorful. For many people, this is a lifestyle revolution and this wave is captured well by Tiket.com and similar startups.
Twenty years ago, it would be difficult to imagine this kind of condition. Flight is a favorite mode of transport which can be cheaper than train tickets with much shorter travel time. Development of technology (Internet) coupled with the rise of the middle class in Indonesia creates the kind of consumers that crave for entertainment and stress relieve from urban hustle.
Bali, of course, is a favorite tourist destination, but who would have thought that Raja Ampat in Papua would be a remarkable phenomenon? Lombok, Derawan, Karimun Jawa, Mentawai and many more places in Indonesia also offer fantastic natural beauties that attract tourists (including foreign) to visit them in droves. Not to mention cities like Bandung or Yogyakarta which offer a range of unforgettable cultural attraction.
If we’re on our way to the office and want to make travel arrangements for some time in the near future, how can the conventional travel agent help us choose an appropriate hotel and flights in such a short time? Conversation over the phone may be one way but it’s pretty hard to imagine choosing a hotel based on mere suggestions from a travel agent.
Tiket.com is an Internet-based business that captures this phenomenon. Manned by a bunch of young people who have passion in e-commerce and traveling, it’s trying to make it easier for users who require entertainment solution in one place. In addition to easier access, Tiket.com also provides easy payment with the support of payment system with high security level.
Not just booking plane ticket or hotel room, Tiket.com also helps us buying movie or concert tickets. The most important thing achieved by this kind of service is free of physical queue. No need to stand for hours and waiting in line only to face disappointment of unable to get tickets to watch your favorite band.
Feature that distinguishes Tiket.com with other similar services is the guarantee that it can provide the most affordable price. If there are other services that clearly offer lower prices, Tiket will match the price, of course, with certain terms and conditions. In addition, there is also Hotel Deals which gives information on special discount provided by hotels through Tiket.com within a limited period.
The more we use these services, we earn greater Tiket points. These Tiket points if collected can be used to obtain additional discounts when making purchases. It is interesting that daily deals model and loyalty programs are implemented simultaneously by Tiket.com.
With the fact that the use of online travel site in travel activities in Indonesia has yet to reach 20% of the total industry, the future of such sites is certainly very bright. Who will be victorious is dependent on experience offered by each service. Ease and convenience are key words for anyone who is plunged in this area.
Of course, nothing is perfect. Technical problems which resulted in disruption of access to Tiket.com on D-Day is not something “not impossible” to occur in the online service like this. Such risk is definitely there, but how to overcome the technical team and to mitigate. Small obstacles such as this would not dampen the revolution of middle-class lifestyle in Indonesia.