Remember that trip to Maui? Soon your travel site will too

I visit my favorite travel website, ExpOrbelocity.com, in anticipation of planning a long weekend. My personal electronic travel agent at ExpOrbelocity.com greets me by name and asks me where I’d like to go. “Somewhere warm,” I say.

Within seconds, my electronic agent makes suggestions based on my previous trips and travel preferences that I specified way back in 2009.

“How about the new Ritz-Carlton at Hana, Maui? You’ll be on your preferred airline, United, in Seat 4A on Flight 123 leaving LAX at 5 p.m., arriving Maui at 7 p.m. I can pull the miles for the upgrade from your account. I see your anniversary is coming up. Is Ashley joining you?”

“Yes,” I type.

“Excellent. 4B is available, and you have plenty of miles for the upgrade. Total cost for four nights is going to be $4,000. Shall I book it for you?”

“I was hoping to keep it under $2,500. And closer to home.”

Seconds later: “We could do four nights at the Westin Regina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. You stayed there in 2011 in Room 805 and rated it four stars. Total cost, $2,290. Or, I found a great deal at.... “

“No, that’s fine,” I type. “Book it. Same room.”

“Very well. I’ll put that on your Mastercard. Shall I book airport transportation for you for pickup at your home address?”

“Yes,” I type.

And with that, my trip is booked. All this in 10 more years? Sound farfetched? Think again, say industry insiders.

After all, it’s been only a decade since the Internet travel revolution began. Travelocity this month celebrates its 10th birthday; Expedia’s 10th is in October. Orbitz is the baby of the big three online travel agencies and will be just 5 in June.

And although the change in travel consumer behavior has been profound, it has not been complete. Sixty-eight percent of business travelers and 59% of leisure travelers used the Internet to plan some aspect of their travel in 2005, according to a study by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell/Yankelovich Partners, an Orlando, Fla.-based travel research firm. And those numbers were relatively unchanged from the previous year, portending a leveling off in Internet travel planning.

“Every new technology eventually reaches a natural state of market penetration,” the survey said. Still, industry folks think that innovation in technology and customer support will drive more travelers to their sites.

Online travel agencies are attempting to reinvent themselves. They are looking to use technology and add customer-service enhancements that will make the online travel experience more akin to how a really good travel agent works.

“We’re very focused now on our customer championship campaign to build that loyalty over the next 10 years,” said Barry Vandevier, Travelocity’s chief technology officer, who has been at Travelocity 9 1/2 years.

Besides enhanced customer-service offerings, online travel agencies and other travel websites are looking to leverage the data they are collecting on our travel habits. They are learning the hotels we like, our favorite airlines, our price sensitivities.

“Amazon already has similar capability,” said Bill Bernahl, managing director of United .com. It can suggest books you might like based on previous purchases. Travel is moving in that direction.

“There will be a lot more emphasis on personalization, remembering what trips you’ve taken,” said Mitch Truwit, chief executive of Orbitz. “Customers want information, inspiration, advice.”

Sounds a lot like an electronic travel agent.

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James Gilden writes the Daily Traveler blog at latimes.com/dailytraveler.