Not a Beach Lover? CheapOair Shares Memorial Day Destination Ideas

Memorial Day is finally here, and Americans are ready to celebrate.  Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows over 60% of Americans have now received the vaccine and worries about getting out and about are continuing to diminish.

Heading to the beach or lakeside is a long-time favorite for many Americans.  But there are those that enjoy non-water recreational activities.  With that in mind, CheapOair  is offering a few suggestions for things to do over Memorial Day Weekend, for those who do not want to visit the beach. 

New York City
After a tough 2020, New York City is back.  Most of the Big Apple’s renowned attractions, from the Met to MoMA, from Macy’s to the Empire State Building…are once again open for business.  And Central Park has always been there waiting for exploration.  Visit NYC: The Official Guide for updates on what’s open in New York City.

Mystic, Connecticut
This small, laid-back town is an affordable option for a weekend escape.  If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll enjoy the sea-to-table restaurants located around the coast.  There is also the famous Mystic Pizza, seen in the 1998 film of the same name.  Things to do include the Mystic Seaport Museum, the Mystic Aquarium, or just strolling around this charming, historic town.

Palm Springs, California
Book a cheap domestic flight to California, grab your swimsuit, and enjoy the magical ambiance of Palm Springs.  If fitness is your thing, head to the Indian Canyons to spend the day hiking or biking through the desert.  To honor the occasion of Memorial Day,  the Palm Springs Air Museum will be paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice with their annual Flower Drop and Air Festival.  This event includes a tribute ceremony, followed by the dropping of red and white carnations from a vintage plane.  Music, food, and activities for the kids are also part of this two-day celebration.

“It’s gratifying to see people get excited about travel once again, and we wish everyone a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend,” says Werner Kunz-Cho, CEO of Fareportal, the company behind online travel agencies CheapOair and One Travel.  He continues, “In the US, we’ve gone from a high of over 300,000 new covid cases per day in early January of this year, to just over 16,000 as of May 24th.  We want everyone to get out there and explore new adventures but urge continued adherence to CDC recommended covid safety protocols to get these numbers down as low as possible.”

Please note: With COVID-19 still prevalent, be sure to check local travel regulations and notices for any restrictions, rules, and safety guidelines that may be in place. For additional information please visit the CDC website for up-to-date health and wellness information. 

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, 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 travel agents available 7 days a week to help find great prices on flight tickets to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips.

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CheapOair Launches Cultural Heritage Travel Page on Miles Away Blog

As part of their initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in worldwide travel, CheapOair has launched a first-of-its-kind page on the company’s Miles Away blog dedicated to spotlighting Cultural Heritage Travel. 

The page debuted with an in-depth article on Stephanie Jones, a leading cultural heritage tourism thought leader who has introduced award-winning innovations and sustainable tourism initiatives that leverage cultural heritage as an economic driver in underrepresented communities and neighborhoods. Stephanie is the founder of some of the most innovative tourism initiatives that are designed to create diversity, equity, and inclusion in the travel industry, such as the National Blacks in Travel & Tourism Collaborative (BTT), Black Cultural Heritage Tours, the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance (CHEA), Culture OnShore, and the National Cultural and Heritage Tourism Summit.  Stephanie is also a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

“Travel is a big economic driver. Shedding light on cultural heritage tourism allows our customers to enjoy great travel experiences, and at the same time contribute to the economies of the diverse communities they visit,” said Werner Kunz-Cho, CEO of Fareportal, the corporate owner of online travel agencies CheapOair and One Travel

CheapOair is also supporting the Black Cultural Heritage Tour’s U.S. road trip to connect with and share the stories of Black and Brown-owned businesses and attractions. Future stories on the page will include spotlights on the businesses, people, and ways to experience cultural heritage throughout the U.S.

“This is an important initiative for CheapOair and we are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with Stephanie Jones as Black Cultural Heritage Tours is brought to life.  We view sustainable tourism and cultural heritage travel as the wave of the future,” commented Glenn Cusano, Fareportal Co-CEO and CFO. He continues, “We are committed to this program.  Our vision is that the Miles Away blog will provide useful information that allows CheapOair customers to add sustainability and inclusion into their travel planning considerations.”

“Black cultural heritage is everywhere in this country and the U.S. travel and tourism industry has an incredible opportunity to do a better job promoting it, as well as including small Black businesses and attractions in travel brands and DMOs’ tourism marketing strategies. CheapOair connected with us about partnering to expand awareness of Black cultural heritage assets and experiences in the U.S. We are pleased to be a part of their effort to amplify diverse travel experiences to their audiences,” said Stephanie Jones.

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, 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 travel agents available 7 days a week to help find great prices on flight tickets to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips.

About National Blacks in Travel and Tourism Collaborative
BTT is powered by the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance, Inc. (CHEA), a US 501(c)3 non-profit tourism development organization based in Washington, DC.  BTT works to create new game-changing initiatives and partner with industry allies to ensure Blacks in travel and tourism have equal access to opportunities to fully participate and profit in the global travel and tourism industry. Learn more at www.blacksintourism.org.

About Black Cultural Heritage Tours
Powered by Cultural Heritage Alliance for Tourism, Inc. (CHAT), Black Cultural Heritage Tours curates local, immersive Black cultural heritage tour itineraries, experiences, and connections to the people and places that have shaped communities from the past to the present. As the only Black-owned receptive tour operator in the U.S., CHAT’s focus on Black-owned businesses and attractions seeks to level the playing field for small Black businesses while creating transformative experiences for culturally curious travelers to learn about history and celebrate the rich diversity of Black culture in the U.S. and all over the world. Learn more at www.experienceblackculture.com.

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CheapOair Shares Latest Analysis on US Travel Trends

US-based travelers have almost doubled bookings to foreign destinations in April 2021, as compared to January 2021, according to data released today by leading online travel agency CheapOair.

CheapOair’s data shows a significant increase of 89%, with 7 of the top 10 destinations showing increases of more than 100%. 

“Vaccinations are continuing to roll out across the USA, so the American consumer is becoming more confident where travel is concerned. This, coupled with the stringent hygiene protocols put in place by airlines and airports worldwide, is fueling rising interest in booking airline tickets to global destinations,” commented Glenn Cusano, Co-CEO and CFO of Fareportal, the parent company of CheapOair and One Travel.

In April, US travelers’ top 10 destinations outside of the contiguous United States, ranked by percent of bookings increase, are Greece, showing a 337% increase in airline ticket bookings when compared to January numbers; Israel 259%; the Bahamas 203%; Jamaica 143%; the Dominican Republic 134%; Costa Rica 106%; Puerto Rico 103%; Mexico 95%; El Salvador 67%; and India 19%.

Cusano continues, “The most recent information from the CDC shows that 58.5% of Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. That is a 79% increase from slightly more than one month ago. Air travel numbers are moving upward, and we expect to see them continue to rise as summer arrives in the northern hemisphere.”

CheapOair reminds the public to maintain proper Covid-19 health and safety precautions while traveling.  For the latest country-specific information, consumers should check with the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs before departing for their destination.

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 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 travel agents available worldwide to help find great deals on flights to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips. 

About Fareportal  
Fareportal is a travel technology company powering a next generation travel concierge service. Utilizing its innovative technology and company-owned and operated global contact centers, Fareportal has built strong industry partnerships providing customers access to over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and hundreds of car rental companies around the globe. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands including CheapOair and One Travel, Fareportal enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone, or live chat. Fareportal provides its airline partners with access to a broad customer base that books high-yielding international and domestic flight, hotel, and other travel and add-on ancillaries. 

CheapOair Shares Safe Air Travel Tips

The latest numbers from the TSA show passenger counts more than 1 million per day every day since March 9th of this year.  This is good news for the travel industry and the traveling public.  But while consumers are increasingly ready for the excitement of travel to come back into their lives, heightened awareness of hygiene-related safety protocols should remain top of mind.

Airlines and airports worldwide have instituted protocols and requirements to help keep the flying public safe. To aid in continued safety vigilance, CheapOair is sharing their top tips for strategies to reduce the risk of infection while flying.

Tip No. 1:  Book to fly when it is the least crowded.  Flights leaving between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. often have smaller passenger numbers.  Earlier flights can be filled with deal seekers, and airports are traditionally the busiest between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.  Further reduce exposure to large crowds by flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, traditionally the slowest days of the week for air travel.

Tip No. 2:  Do not fly if you might be sick.  Your immune system is weaker when you are sick, so if you are feeling under the weather, put off travel to another day.

Tip No. 3:  Use Contactless Check-In at the airport, and everywhere else.  Check-in for your flight before you arrive at the airport, then use self-check to drop off your bags.  Download your boarding pass to your phone and sign up for text alerts to notify you of gate or schedule changes from your travel provider.

Click on the link above to read CheapOair’s full list of air travel safety and hygiene recommendations.

“It’s important for the public to understand that travel can be worry free where hygiene is concerned, as long as proper precautions are maintained.  We all know the value of wearing a mask and maintaining social distance.  Once you are at the airport, or on a plane, these simple practices can help you and your family enjoy their vacation with much less stress,” said Werner Kunz-Cho, CEO of Fareportal, the company behind online travel agencies CheapOair and One Travel.

Please note: With COVID-19 still prevalent, be sure to check local travel regulations and notices for any restrictions, rules, and safety guidelines that may be in place. For additional information please visit the CDC website for up-to-date health and wellness information. 

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, 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 travel agents available 7 days a week to help find great prices on flight tickets to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips.

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