TOURISM

Brochures for Clients: Travel agencies have an especially difficult task when they try to stand out from their competitors. They can’t lower their prices, for instance, because their service is free to travelers anyway.

So agencies must compete by finding better ways of serving customers. To that end, McDonnell Douglas Travel Co. in Irvine has started inserting into airline ticket jackets an informational brochure that gives some basic information about the destination city.

The brochure tells travelers about the costs of taxicabs, shuttles and buses to get from airports to the city. Restaurants where patrons using Diners Club cards can get a discount are depicted on a map. The map also shows the airport, highways and hotels.

“This is a simple and inexpensive way to help MDTC’s travelers, designed as a very convenient replacement for bulky guidebooks,” MDTC President Greg Judd said. “It’s something we haven’t seen other travel agencies do.”