"Our research shows us that if a customer has a poor Web experience, this will carry over to the company reputation and ongoing loyalty," Golesworthy said in a statement on the company's Web site.

"There are many companies that clearly could do better in respect for the customer and thus protection of their brands, their image and customer loyalty. On the other hand, this has opened the door for forward-thinking companies to stand out and carve increased market penetration by better addressing customer concerns. The travel industry is going through a period of major changes. The Web is -- and will continue to be -- one of the bigger drivers."

According to the Customer Respect Group's Web site, the organization draws its conclusions by "constantly interviewing representative samples of adult Internet users and by benchmarking actual practices of more than 2,500 corporate websites across a spectrum of industries."