Much of what happened online in the year 2000 made it more difficult, not easier, to plan and shop for travel. Some of the best sites became even better through redesign and a greater emphasis on customer service. In some areas, however, such as vacation planning and packaging, so many new sites jumped into cyberspace that it took a lot of surfing to separate the valuable from the worthless. And the gems that one surfer uncovered might be missed by others.
Some new sites are noteworthy because they are unusually informative and helpful.
You can even book a flight on the same day. But SideStep does not survey travel discounters, whose unpublished air fares are often far below the others. When you state your preference, you'll be linked to the appropriate company's Web site to complete the sale and get bonus frequent-flier miles if the company offers them for online reservations. You'll file a personal profile with SideStep that tells whether you're entitled to organizational, military or senior discount. I was offered 15 four-star hotels in New York for two nights, Jan. 16 to 18.