As High Capacity and Prices Continue into Summer, Travelocity Answers Most Common Questions on How to Save
SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 29, 2007–With recent summer data showing 2007 travel volume comparable to 2006, along with domestic air fares reaching their highest level since 2000 (according to the Department of Transportation), consumers are left with questions on how to beat the odds this season. Travelocity is sharing a few insider secrets to help travelers avoid the predicted price pinch on summer trips.
“It’s about shopping smarter, not harder,” said Simon Bramley, vice president of flights. “Even in spite of rising summer airfares both domestically and internationally, travelers equipped with the right tools can still manage their budget this year. There are countless booking tools available that many consumers are still unaware of but could save shoppers hundreds on a single trip.”
As Memorial Day marked the start of summer for many, Travelocity identifies some common travel debacles along with a few helpful solutions to conquer the busy season.
Summer Snag:
— How can I protect myself in a period of high capacity,
minimizing my likelihood of getting bumped from a flight this
summer?
Solution:
— Book early!
— Consider booking for off-beat travel days, Sunday – Thursday,
when there is less traffic.
— Travelocity’s “View Seats” tool lets customers view available
seats on a flight before booking, to determine if they’d
prefer another flight that isn’t as crowded.
Summer Snag:
— I want to make sure I get the best price, but how do I know
when it’s time to snap up a great deal?
Solution:
— The “Seats Left at This Price” feature lets Travelocity
shoppers know when there are three or less seats left at the
quoted fare on a flight – informing shoppers that the fare
they found may soon be gone.
Summer Snag:
— I’m on a tight budget but with airfare, hotel, car rentals and
more, my vacation tab is quickly adding up.
Solution:
— Utilize alternate or near-by destinations for flights, cars,
and hotels.
— Book packages as opposed to independent trip components.
Travelocity’s “Dynamic Packaging” Flight+Hotel product
revealed an average savings of $220 when customers book their
flight plus hotel together.
— Search for hotels that have a low price guarantee.
Summer Snag:
— With continued high prices expected for 2007, I need to plan
my trip based solely on price, with timing or destination
being secondary.
Solution:
— “Flexible Date Search” lets consumers find the lowest fares
filed by airlines and available date options through an
interactive calendar.
— Consider off-peak destinations where rates are lower than
other times of the year, often meaning a better value by
upgrading to a fancier hotel.
— Travelocity’s “FareWatcher(R)” service tracks round-trip
airfares for up to five city pairs and notifies subscribers by
e-mail when the fare drops.
Summer Snag:
— With my hectic schedule, I may not know until the last minute
if I can even get away for a summer vacation.
Solution:
— Travelocity’s specially-negotiated “Last Minute Deals”
(http://travelocity.lmdeals.com) are low-priced weekend
getaway packages from more than 150 North American departure
cities. Select a combination of flight, hotel, car rental, and
added extras, available from 14 days to three hours before
departure. Also, try www.lastminute.com.
Summer Snag:
— Because of tightened airline restrictions and high capacity it
has become nearly impossible to redeem my frequent traveler
rewards.
Solution:
— Travelocity “Rewards MasterCard(R)” card eliminates the
hassles of redeeming miles / points as users can earn double
or triple points for travel, as well as points on everyday
purchases. There are no blackout dates or travel restrictions
and travelers can redeem as few as 5,000 points for $50 off
bookings.
— Travelocity’s “VIP Program” is the first major online travel
agency loyalty program that gives its most loyal customers
access to a range of perks and discounts that don’t come with
fine print and red tape. It could take as little as two
transactions to become a VIP.
Summer Snag:
— I know where I want to go but have limited information on
what’s available once I actually arrive.
Solution:
— Travelocity’s “ExperienceFinder(SM)” planning tool
(www.travelocity.com/experiencefinder) lets you customize a
trip based on interest. Rich Internet applications have opened
up a new way of interacting with information that makes
features like trip planning by categories and themes, planning
and shopping through photo albums, video galleries, and rich
maps come to life.
Summer Snag:
— It’s the season for family reunions but I have family members
from all over the country, making it difficult to coordinate.
Solution:
— Travelocity’s “Meet Me In… (R) ” booking feature eliminates
scheduling and communication challenges and allows consumers
traveling from two departure cities to meet in a common
destination through convenient, deeply-discounted packages.
About Travelocity
Travelocity(R) is committed to being the traveler’s champion — before, during and after the trip – and is the only online travel company that guarantees not just the price, but the entire travel experience – see www.travelocity.com/guarantee for details. This customer-driven focus, backed by 24/7 live phone support, great prices and powerful shopping technology has made Travelocity the sixth largest travel agency — booking $10.1 billion in travel worldwide in 2006. Based in Southlake, Texas, Travelocity also owns and operates Travelocity Business(R) for corporate travelers, lastminute.com, a leader in European online travel and ZUJI, a leader in Asia-Pacific online travel. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation, a world leader in travel commerce. The Roaming Gnome is a trademark of Travelocity.com LP.
CONTACT: VOLLMER PR
Andrea Collins, 212-715-2222
andrea@vollmerpr.com
or
Amanda Borichevsky, 972-488-4790
amanda@vollmerpr.com
