Fareportal and Karhoo Announce Partnership to Bring State-of-the-Art Mobility to CheapOair and OneTravel Customers Across the World

Fareportal, the technology company behind leading travel brands CheapOair and OneTravel, and the global mobility platform Karhoo have recently announced a new partnership to offer smarter, seamless mobility solutions for travelers.

“By partnering with Karhoo, our CheapOair and OneTravel customers will have the ability to book e-hailing and taxis from anywhere in the world through Karhoo’s integration with 3K fleets around the world. Customers will have the opportunity to use this product as a way of getting around their destination city, whether it be for leisure or business purposes through simple to use mobile functionality,” said Christopher Cialino, Senior Manager of Supplier Relations at Fareportal.

A core focus of Fareportal is to be there for customers throughout their whole trip, from planning to returning home. Fareportal customers will be able to add e-hailing and taxi transfers to flight tickets and hotel bookings before their journey, or e-hail a ride on the app right at the moment when they need it, delivering a truly door-to-door travel experience.

“We at Fareportal envision this partnership bringing us one step closer to providing further value to our customer needs and supporting them throughout their entire journey when booking with us,” said Sam S. Jain, Fareportal Founder and CEO.

This service is enabled by Karhoo’s platform, the world’s largest digital marketplace for ride-hailing, aggregating a range of the best-licensed taxi and for-hire fleets, and while doing so, supporting many small businesses throughout the world.

“We are very excited to work with Fareportal to be able to supply their millions of customers with e-hailing delivered through competitive pricing and multiple vehicle types to choose from on Karhoo’s open marketplace,” remarked Nikolaj Køster, Karhoo, VP, GM Americas.

Karhoo’s technology allows travel brands to develop state-of-the-art ride-booking and e-hailing experiences on their sites and apps, including fleet selection (based on price, pickup ETA, and vehicle type), driver tracking, and in-app payment.

The service will roll out later this year.

 
About Fareportal
Featuring a suite of brands with a 42-year history, Fareportal is a technology company that powers leading hybrid travel agencies like CheapOairOneTravel, and Travelong. Fareportal’s unique hybrid business model bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional travel agency by providing a convenient online booking capability as well as a 24/7 personalized trip booking experience arranged by hundreds of trained and certified travel agents in multiple countries and in multiple languages.

About Karhoo
Karhoo brings licensed fleets around the world together with global travel operators and local authorities to create smarter mobility solutions for travelers and citizens. Its platform provides simple integration options (API/SDK/white label) allowing partners to natively offer e-hailing and pre-booking through their website and apps. Karhoo is backed by Groupe Renault as part of their mobility-as-an-industry initiative and employs 250 employees in 7 countries, including 50% in R&D.

Learn more on karhoo.com

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COVID-19 is Changing Travel and CheapOair Has Insight on What to Expect in the Future

As the world of travel is heavily affected by COVID-19, CheapOair, the flight focused online travel agency, has identified several trends in changing consumer behavior.

“There is no question that the travel industry has had to realign itself at lightning speed these past few months. We are seeing new patterns in customer habits that are reflective of how society has been changed by COVID-19,” remarked Sam S. Jain, Founder and CEO of Fareportal.

One of the clearest illustrations of COVID-19’s effect on consumer travel is the age of those choosing to take flight during a pandemic. According to CheapOair’s data, bookings for individuals 18-24 years old have risen 29% since March, while there has been a 27% decrease in the number of people over the age of 65 planning air travel.

Interestingly, there has also been an uptick in solo travelers, with an 8% increase of people opting to fly alone as compared to the totals of pre-COVID-19 travel data.

“It’s clear that anyone who is perceived to be more ‘at risk’ is erring on the side of caution. We want to see the travel industry invigorated but what’s most important is that we all take strides to ensure that passenger health and safety is the number one priority,” continued Jain.

With the cost of a domestic airline ticket down an average of $66, more people may be tempted to travel as they adjust to the world amid a pandemic, and airlines are making many adjustments to maximize passenger safety.

“Most airlines have implemented precautionary measures which will increase consumer confidence.  We observe airlines are increasing capacity, which is a signal of growing consumer demand.  We believe leisure travel will rebound more quickly than business, as customers take advantage of lower prices and better deals for travel, and we are anticipating an ongoing increase in the number of people traveling in 2021,” said Jain.

 

About CheapOair
CheapOair is an online travel agency that specializes in providing cheap flights and great last-minute flight deals for travelers worldwide. Consumers can book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone (1-646-738-4820), or live chat. Part of Fareportal‘s family of travel brands, CheapOair bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional agency with certified travel agents available to help find discount flight tickets to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram to learn how to travel the world for less.

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CheapOair Offers Insight on How to Take a Fun and Safe Family Summer Vacation

CheapOair, the travel experience experts, know that more than ever, safety is paramount as the world begins to slowly open to travelers. With summer fast approaching, many families are wondering if their usual summer vacations will have to wait. The good news is that people who have been isolating with their family should be safe traveling with them.

“Most Americans have been quarantined with immediate family, so there’s not that much of a difference traveling with the immediate family who you have been quarantined with,” said Dr. Davidson Hamer, Professor of Global Health and Medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health and School of Medicine.

How families travel will look very different though and CheapOair has tips and tricks that will help folks have a memorable and, above all, safe summer vacation experience.

Visit National Parks
The United States boasts 58 national parks that cover over 84 million acres of land, leaving plenty of room for social distancing.

“Being outside or in a well-ventilated area is ideal for helping to control the spread of the virus. Visiting national parks and exploring hiking trails is a great way to vacation,” remarked Dr. Hamer.

Although, before hitting the road it’s essential to thoroughly research because several parks are only partially opened and have increased safety guidelines. The National Park Service Public Health page is a good starting point.

Visitors should also expect less resources to be available to them at the park sites, so it’s best to come fully prepared with first-aid, food, and any other supplies you may need.

The Closer, the Better
You don’t have to go too far to get away. In fact, staying local might be the best bet for most families. Luckily, there are thousands of beaches, hiking trails, lakes, and parks within a couple of hours from home for most Americans. It may even be plausible to use vacation home rentals in nearby towns for a change of scenery if the host has properly adhered to hygiene guidelines. When looking for a local vacation spot, it’s best to pick somewhere that has very few shared facilities. The more space and privacy a family has minimizes the risk of getting sick.

Stay Informed
It’s very important to research the intended destination before departing as different states and territories may have varying rules and restrictions. The CDC recommends checking with state and local health departments for making any traveling decisions.

No matter where your summer vacation destination ends up being, check CDC guidelines, and state and local policies.

“Different areas of the country saw COVID-19 peak at different times with different intensities. “While we may see the transmission of the virus substantially decrease during the summer, we’re expecting a resurgence in the fall so it’s important to remain diligent in hygiene practices and social distancing,” said Dr. Hamer.

 

About CheapOair
CheapOair is an online travel agency that specializes in providing cheap flights and great last-minute flight deals for travelers worldwide. Consumers can book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone (1-646-738-4820) or live chat. Part of Fareportal’s family of travel brands, CheapOair bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional agency with certified travel agents available to help find discount flight tickets to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to learn how to travel the world for less.

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