Last week, the new YellowPages.travel was finally launched. The new travel-savvy search site allows users to search leading travel websites such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline, Kayak, HotWire, SideStep, TravelZoo and other major travel websites side-by-side (and on one screen) without having to search each website individually.

YellowPages.travel has found the solution for travelers that are tired of searching over a dozen or more travel websites looking for bargains. A tool that enables users to enter their travel and flight information once and have the results pages of the major travel sites placed on one screen.

For travelers that want to search only two websites side by side, the site offers a feature called “Search Both” where any two travel websites are placed side by side on one screen. (This technology was obtained from a subsidiary company called SearchBoth.com, in which Google and Yahoo are placed side by side on one screen.) Isn’t that a cool?

“Most people initially think we are similar to SideStep and Kayak, but we’re not, said Matt Richards of YellowPages. They do not search the top 12 travel sites. They are travel aggregators and make a business out of aggregating the individual airlines websites.

Travel aggregators (which include Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, SideStep, Kayak and others) all negotiate different prices and availability with their suppliers, the airlines and hotels. Each of them will show different prices and availability for the same search.

According to Richards, there are 12 top travel sites in total, and American consumers are searching between 2 to 6 travel sites before making a decision. It’s a tedious process that entails having to enter information over and over again.

Why not search one site that searches them all and avoid going through each website one by one? YellowPages.travel is more of a tool than anything else, adds Richards. If the major travel sites search the independent airlines and hotels while negotiating different deals with each one, then who is searching the major travel sites? This is where YellowPages.travel comes in. Even if you use SideStep or Kayak, it doesn’t hurt to see the results of the other top 10 travel sites either.”

In addition, they will also offer a business directory for travel related businesses. Similar to YellowPages.com, YellowPages.travel is equally as comprehensive but specifically targets the travel industry.

When you think about it there is so much opportunity to provide consumer value with vertical and niche sites. The YellowPages publishers are positioned to take a leadership role in this arena. They just need a kick in the ‘you know’ to get creative and explore the myriad of revenue possibilities.