12/16/96 LET THE BEST TRAVEL DEAL FIND YOU

LET THE BEST TRAVEL DEAL FIND YOU

NUMEROUS SITES ON THE Web offer bargain-price airline reservations, some auctioning last-minute seats to the highest bidder. A service called TravelBids has just started up to let consumers auction their business to travel agents.
Here's how it works: First, you shop around by phone for the best rate you can find on an air ticket or even a full packaged tour. You make a reservation but don't pay--yet. Then, you post the reservation's confirmation number, price, and expiration date at TravelBids' Web site (www.travel bids.com). Now, travel agents all around the country can evaluate the deal and bid on handling it at a discounted price. The minimum bid is a 6% discount, which agents would take out of their commission fees. Finally, the winning agent takes over the reservation, pays with your credit-card number, and sends you the tickets by overnight mail.
Travelers pay $5 to sign up and $5 per posting; agents pay $5 to register and $5 per winning bid. The service is co-sponsored by the Association of Internet Users Inc., a small-business trade group in Boulder, Colo., and Data Security Insurance Inc., an insurer.
EDITED BY JOHN W. VERITY