Travel clubs have long been a staple of thrift’s serving the senior market. With 38% of households age 55-64 and 21% of 65+ owning a computer , the Web is becoming a cost-effective way to market to older adults.

Use the Web to supplement your existing travel club, or as a venue for travel services and/or information aimed at younger customers. Be realistic though. You cannot hope to compete with well-funded travel-oriented Web sites. Here are four ways to cost-effectively incorporate a travel theme within your Web:

•  Offer flight tracker from TheTrip.com (see #13).
•  Offer cobranded airfare information and reservations such as that offered by Microsoft Expedia. Even travel giant American Express recently folded its own online travel reservation in favor of a co-branded program with Microsoft.
•  Guided links to travel services.
•  Build a local travel agent database. Travel agents would be encouraged to post specials and last-minute bargains on your Web at no charge (banking relationship could be required). Use the database structure described in #9 to minimize your involvement. You could also handle payments on your server, so users could purchase the specials with a click of a button.

American Express has discontinued its online travel reservation service in favor of Microsoft Expedia’s new associates program (effective 1/22/98) www.americanexpress.com/travel