CheapOair Announces Top Destinations for Valentine’s Day 2017

Booking data shows warm weather destinations lead the list for popular romantic getaways

 

CheapOair®, a leading flights-focused hybrid travel agency, today announced its most popular North American destinations for 2017 Valentine’s Day travel. Orlando, FL, Las Vegas, NV, and Ft. Lauderdale, FL lead the list of this year’s top places to visit. In addition, CheapOair’s data shows that average airfare prices have decreased dramatically since last year, with an average 18% reduction.

This year, travelers are taking the opportunity to celebrate with that special someone in warmer climate destinations. The list of top cities is dominated by hotspots in Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Mexico, California, and Puerto Rico.

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“With the average fare for the weekend coming in under $300, a quick Valentine’s Day trip is easily accessible for consumers seeking a romantic getaway,” explains Tom Spagnola, CheapOair’s Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations. “With the lower airfares, people are able to jet away to warmer locales and escape the winter weather this holiday.”

Four cities have seen over a 20% decrease in airfare versus the previous year. Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ saw the largest decrease, dropping about 26% compared to 2016, with Los Angeles, CA and Orlando, FL trailing behind, decreasing by 25% and 22% respectively.

By consistently monitoring travel trends, CheapOair’s mission is to educate and aid consumers and travel professionals in both planning their travel accommodations and staying current on the most popular destinations. With a portfolio of products, including rate and schedule information from 450 global airlines, CheapOair is a great way to book the travel that’s right for you.

 For more information, please visit www.CheapOair.com, www.cheapoair.com/mobile, or our social media pages, www.Facebook.com/CheapOair and www.twitter.com/cheapoair.

 

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a next generation concierge travel agency (online/traditional) that enables consumers to book travel online, on its award winning mobile app, by phone or live chat. CheapOair bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified agents available to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and many car rental companies worldwide. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair’s broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less or go to www.cheapoair.com or call 1-646-738-4820).

 

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CheapOair Announces Top Cities for Lunar New Year 2017 Celebrations

Online Travel Agency Identifies Best Cities For Ringing in the Year of the Rooster

 

Visiting East Asia may be the most authentic way to experience the Lunar New Year, but there are plenty of places to ring in the Year of the Rooster in the United States. CheapOair®, a leading flights-focused hybrid travel agency, has identified the top cities across the country where Americans can go for over-the-top celebrations, award-winning parades, and traditional dragon dances.

Los Angeles, California

On February 4th, Los Angeles will celebrate the Lunar New Year with the 118th Annual Golden Dragon Parade. This parade is the highlight of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Southern California and attracts over 100,000 spectators every year.  It features over two dozen floats and marching bands, firecrackers, and plenty of confetti. 

New York City, New York

The Lunar New Year in New York City consists of several days of celebrations including multiple parades.  The Firecracker Ceremony kicks off the start of the New Year on January 28th with dancing dragons and drummers performing at the Sara Roosevelt Park. The main event is the Lunar New Year Parade and Festival on February 5th, which attracts nearly half a million spectators each year to the Chinatown neighborhood in Manhattan. 

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago‘s Chinatown neighborhood is over 100 years old and still maintains its commitment to fostering the Chinese culture and traditions. This year’s parade takes place on February 5th and will feature the famous 100-foot-long dragon costume brought to life by traditional dancers. Attendees can also expect to see marching bands accompanying a myriad of colorful floats.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is known as one of the oldest and largest celebrations outside of Asia. The parade began in the 1860’s when the Chinese population in the city was rapidly growing and wanted to celebrate share their culture with other residents. Today the parade attracts over 1 million spectators and has been recognized as one of the top ten parades in the world by the International Festivals and Events Association. This year’s parade will be held on February 11th and will include elaborate floats, lion dancers, Chinese acrobats, and the signature 268- foot Golden Dragon.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston’s Chinatown is the third largest Chinese community in the United States and is known to host an authentic celebration with lion dances, drums, firecrackers and more. Food vendors and local restaurants also serve traditional Chinese New Year dishes specifically for the occasion. This year’s celebrations are scheduled for February 12th.

For more information about booking travel to these destinations, please visit www.CheapOair.com, www.cheapoair.com/mobile, or our social media pages, www.Facebook.com/CheapOair and www.twitter.com/cheapoair.

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a next generation concierge travel agency (online/traditional) that enables consumers to book travel online, on its award winning mobile app, by phone or live chat. CheapOair bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified agents available to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and many car rental companies worldwide. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair’s broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less or go to www.cheapoair.com or call 1-646-738-4820).

 

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CheapOair takes home two Gold Awards from AVA Digital Awards

Online Travel Agency receives recognition for excellence in website and app design and development

CheapOair, a leading flights-focused, next generation concierge travel service, was recently honored at the AVA Digital Awards for its creative excellence in web-based production for the CheapOair website and mobile app.

Gold-site-bug (1)The AVA Digital Awards are sponsored and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international organization consists of several thousand production, marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, and freelance professionals. AVA Digital recognizes outstanding achievement by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design, and production of media that is part of the evolution of digital communication.

“We are thrilled to receive this award recognizing the efforts of our mobile and web development teams,” said Daniel Lizio Katzen, SVP of Product and Revenue at CheapOair. “The CheapOair website and mobile app are designed to be a seamless tool for booking travel while providing an excellent customer experience.”

This award is the first for CheapOair in 2017, but is just the latest in a list of prestigious awards from 2016 for excellence in website, mobile web, and mobile app design including the Interactive Media Awards, the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, and the Stevie Awards.

 

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a flights-focused hybrid travel service that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (http://www.cheapoair.com, 1-646-738-4820) bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified travel agents available to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair’s broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries at above the industry average. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less.

Fareportal adds Michael Stacy to Board of Directors

ID90 Travel CEO brings valuable experience to Online Travel Agency board

Fareportal, a high-tech, high-touch travel company that powers a next generation travel concierge, announced that travel industry veteran, Michael Stacy, has joined the Board of Directors. Stacy is CEO of ID90 Travel, a leading airline employee travel portal providing over 22 million airline employees and eligible members with exclusive travel discounts.

“Fareportal has done a terrific job of blending a great online experience for booking flights with giving customers the support of well-trained travel agents,” said Stacy. “This differentiation is important in an age of increasing airfare choices, and I look forward to working with the entire Fareportal team in its next phase of growth.”

Stacy brings extensive knowledge of the travel technology business and has been a leader in the industry since the late 1990s. His career began during the very early stages of development at Travelocity.com. He rose to become Senior Vice President of Marketing, helping the company go public and subsequently be acquired by Sabre Holdings. Stacy later became President of CheapTickets.com, where he led the company to first-time profitability and helped parent company Cendant complete the purchase of Orbitz.com.

Before joining ID90, Michael served as CEO of Groople.com, an online startup company devoted to group travel. During his tenure at ID90 Travel, Michael has raised venture capital financing and brought the company to first-time profitability.

“We are honored to welcome Michael Stacy to our Board of Directors,” said Sam S. Jain, CEO of Fareportal. “His extensive knowledge and proven success in the travel technology business is sure to have a positive impact on the direction of our company. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset as we continue to expand our business.”

In addition to serving on the Fareportal board, Michael is a Director of the non-profit African Food and Peace Foundation, which is a trailblazing philanthropic community investing in groundbreaking education for women and girls in Uganda.

About Fareportal

Fareportal is a high-tech, high-touch travel company that powers a next generation travel concierge service. Utilizing its innovative technology and company-owned and operated global contact center, Fareportal has built strong industry partnerships; providing access to over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and hundreds of car rental companies that serve millions of customers every year. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands, including CheapOair and OneTravel, Fareportal provides its airline partners with access to a broad customer base that books high-yield international travel and add-on ancillaries.

Snowbirds are Traveling South in 2017 to Escape the Cold of Winter

CheapOair’s Booking Data Shows Florida and Mexico Lead Tropical Getaway Destinations for the 2017 Winter Season

 

Only a few weeks into winter, CheapOair®, a leading flights-focused hybrid travel agency, is already seeing patterns of travelers heading to warmer climates. The agency announced today the most popular domestic and international destinations for people trying to escape the cold during the early months of 2017.

Florida was the most booked state with five cities ranking in the top 10 domestic destinations, including Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Meyers, Tampa, and Miami. Average ticket prices these cities were all under $300. Additionally, prices to these cities were, on average, 4.34% lower compared to the same period in 2016.


Snowbird Destinations 1

While most cities on both the international and domestic lists are popular for their tropical climates, Denver, Colorado, a popular winter destination with world-class skiing and snowboarding, ranked 10th on the list of domestic destinations.Mexico led the international list with Cancún, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and San José del Cabo in the top 10 international destinations. The average ticket price to these cities was $451.61, 9% lower than the same period in 2016.

CheapOair’s data also found that January was the most popular month for travel to the highlighted destinations as passenger numbers taper off as spring approaches.

For more information, please visit www.CheapOair.com, www.cheapoair.com/mobile, or our social media pages, www.Facebook.com/CheapOair and www.twitter.com/cheapoair.

*To create the list, CheapOair analyzed bookings made from October 1, 2016 – January 4, 2017 from gateways in cold weather states. Cold weather states included in the query include: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

 

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a next generation concierge travel agency (online/traditional) that enables consumers to book travel online, on its award winning mobile app, by phone or live chat. CheapOair bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified agents available to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and many car rental companies worldwide. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair’s broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less or go to www.cheapoair.com or call 1-646-738-4820).

Fareportal Continues its Tradition of Charity with Successful Holiday Season Giving

Online Travel Agency brings holiday cheer to charitable organizations at home and abroad

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Nepali child receives solar-powered lights and school supplies

Sam S. Jain, the founder and CEO of Fareportal, has always believed in the importance of giving back to the community, and the 2016 holiday season was no exception. Beginning on Giving Tuesday, CheapOair, a leading flights-focused concierge travel service and Fareportal brand, kicked off its holiday campaign with a video documenting a recent trip to bring solar-powered lights to school children with limited access to electricity.

CheapOair provided funding for transportation, logistical support, and manpower to deliver over 1,000 Luci® lights provided by MPOWERD, Inc. to a Nepalese community devastated by an earthquake in 2015. The video was posted on Facebook on Giving Tuesday and to date has received 668,000 views, 900 shares, and 14,000 likes.

To accompany the video, the brand encouraged followers on social media to nominate friends and family who regularly go above and beyond to give back to the community. Each day from the beginning of the campaign through December 24th, CheapOair rewarded a deserving nominee with a $50 CheapOair gift card.

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Fareportal employee delivers toy to child at Covenant House

In the second phase of the campaign, CheapOair launched another video following the Manhattan Girls Chorus on a day of caroling at retirement homes throughout New York City. To reward the chorus’ efforts to spread the holiday spirit, CheapOair donated $2,000 to help the chorus continue its mission of focusing on musical excellence and the development of confident young women. The video was posted on Facebook on December 21st and has received 168,000 views, 1,000 shares, and 3,000 likes to date.

Fareportal has a longstanding commitment to helping the local community, especially during the holidays. The company continued this tradition through various initiatives with local charities including longtime partner Covenant House. This year, Fareportal employees surprised members of the Mother & Child Program at Covenant House with toys for each of the children. In the spirit of giving, the company also donated $5,000 to help provide every young adult in Covenant House’s New York City program with a gift card for the holidays.

“Giving back is a large part of our company culture here at Fareportal and we try to do a little extra during the holidays to help those in need.” said Jain. “We hope through our volunteer efforts and charitable donations we are able to make a measurable difference in communities both close to home and around the world.”

In addition to participating in company-sponsored events, Fareportal also supports and encourages employees take on causes of their own. This year, Fareportal organized donation boxes encouraging employees to contribute used coats for New York Cares and linens and hygiene items for the Bowery Mission.

About Fareportal

Fareportal is a high-tech, high-touch travel company that powers a next generation travel concierge service. Utilizing its innovative technology and company-owned and operated global contact center, Fareportal has built strong industry partnerships; providing access to over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and hundreds of car rental companies that serve millions of customers every year. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands, including CheapOair and OneTravel, Fareportal provides its airline partners with access to a broad customer base that books high-yield international travel and add-on ancillaries

CheapOair Announces List of International Destinations on the Rise in 2017

Booking Data Shows Mexico, Western Europe and Southeast Asia are hot destinations for the upcoming year

CheapOair®, a leading flights-focused hybrid travel agency, today announced its list of ten international destinations on the rise in 2017. While the top four destinations remained the same from 2016 (Manila, Philippines; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Cancun, Mexico; Bangkok, Thailand), many destinations are expected to see a significant increase in visitors in 2017. Additionally, CheapOair’s data showed the average ticket price for international travel has decreased by 8% compared to the previous year.

To create the list, CheapOair compared the number of passengers who booked 2016 travel during the July through November 2015 period to the number of passengers who booked 2017 travel during the same time period in 2016. CheapOair compared passenger numbers to over 1,200 international gateways.

 

CheapOair’s International Destinations on the Rise in 2017

City Rank for 2017 travel Rank for 2016 travel Position Change
Cebu, Philippines #5 #11 +6
Guadalajara, Mexico #8 #20 +12
Mexico City, Mexico #11 #18 +7
London, England #17 #35 +18
Barcelona, Spain #23 #39 +16
Madrid, Spain #31 #71 +40
Phnom Penh, Cambodia #34 #68 +34
Amsterdam, Netherlands #40 #95 +55
Rome, Italy #46 #83 +37
Kathmandu, Nepal #56 #118 +62

Mexico While Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and San Jose de Cabo still hold top spots on the list as #2, #6 and #7, respectively, Guadalajara and Mexico City both broke into the top 15. This movement indicates that Mexico is an emerging destination, and not just for their beaches. Plus, the current exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and Mexican Peso makes travel to Mexico a very affordable travel option for 2017.

Mexico City, the nation’s capital and 5th largest city in the world, has become a global hotspot known for its innovative cuisine, progressive art scene, and over 150 museums preserving Mexico’s rich history. If Mexico City sounds a little daunting, Guadalajara is a great alternative. Undergoing a cultural renaissance, Guadalajara offers traditional Mexican culture alongside a burgeoning culinary scene and a mellow artistic ambiance.

Western Europe The top of the list in 2016 was dominated by South and Central America and the Caribbean. However, in 2017, there is a resurgence of Western European destinations including London, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Rome. Recent financial analysis shows that the Euro is at its lowest compared to the dollar since 2003 and it’s possible they may reach parity in 2017. This is great news for American travelers that have been holding off on a trip to EU countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, or Italy. European vacations in 2017 could be cheaper than they’ve been in over 14 years.

Southeast Asia – Thailand and Vietnam have become popular destinations in recent years, but Cambodia is now beginning to make a name for itself. Phnom Penh jumped 34 spots to position #34 on the list. Visitors to Cambodia can expect a vast range of attractions including traditional Khmer culture and architecture dating back to the early 9th century, idyllic beaches on the southwest coast and museums that give a firsthand look at the country under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime from 1968-1999.

Cebu, Philippines broke into the top 5 to compliment Manila holding strong in first place. The Philippines have long been treasured as a beach destination, but the nation comprised of over 7,000 islands offers much more than just sand and surf. Though certain areas of the Philippines can be difficult to reach, the country also offers thick forests, volcanoes, waterfalls, cold and hot springs, excellent diving and more.

Nepal – Despite facing a devastating earthquake in 2015 which halted tourism to the region, Nepal is rebuilding and ready to welcome visitors once again. Ranked #118 in 2016, Kathmandu has regained 62 positions and is now ranked #56. Aside from being a launch pad for Himalayan excursions, Kathmandu offers travelers nearly 2,000 years of history including ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples.

For more information, please visit www.CheapOair.com, www.cheapoair.com/mobile, or our social media pages, www.Facebook.com/CheapOair and www.twitter.com/cheapoair.

 

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a next generation concierge travel agency (online/traditional) that enables consumers to book travel online, on its award winning mobile app, by phone or live chat. CheapOair bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified agents available to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and many car rental companies worldwide. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair’s broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less or go to www.cheapoair.com or call 1-646-738-4820.

 

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