Travelocity launches free concierge service, but does it matter?

Facing stronger competition from disruptive travel startups like Airbnb and the behemoth of Priceline/Kayak/Booking.com, Sabre-owned Travelocity is looking to up its game with extras. Today the company announced that it would launch a new concierge service, offering restaurant reservations, driving directions, tickets to local events and more. The service, it says, is free for users who book flight-plus-hotel packages through the site.

Travelocity claims that it is the “first online travel agency to offer such a service,” although other startups in addition to Airbnb, such as Luxury Retreats, have also moved into concierge services; and in fact as a reader has pointed out, Expedia has also been offering a Local Expert service for similar needs.