Leading online travel agency, OneTravel, has released a summary of key travel trends, showcasing findings that occurred within the industry this past year, as well as a look at what’s on the horizon in 2018.

From the most expensive months to book airline tickets to the most popular destinations, key takeaways from 2017 include:

• The three busiest months for travel in 2017 were December, July, and August. The quietest months were February, April, and January.¹ Despite being a slow month, April was the most expensive while September and October were the cheapest.²
• In 2017, OneTravel saw an increase in popularity for travel to Asia destinations. The Philippines, India, China, Thailand, and Vietnam were all ranked in the top 20 most popular countries for the year, up from only three Asian countries on the list in 2014. Vietnam saw a significant jump of 21 spots over the three year period. In 2014, the up-and-coming Southeast Asian destination was ranked as the 37^th most popular country, but surged to number 16 in 2017.¹
• In 2017, travelers generally booked airline tickets just over a month ahead of their departure date, but the online booking site noticed there are still a few destinations where travelers prefer to plan ahead. Places where travelers consistently booked more than three months in advance include Iceland, Maldives, Madagascar, and Denmark.³

“After the record-breaking cold that hit the northern U.S. at the beginning of January, we saw a spike in bookings to warm weather destinations,” said Sanjay Hathiramani, Global SVP of Supplier Relations at OneTravel. “Our early data indicates that travelers will continue to head south in February and March as well.”

Florida dominates the list of most popular destinations in the U.S. with five cities in the top ten. Other warm weather destinations such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix also made the list.

Along with these top destinations for the first quarter, OneTravel’s data also revealed a few international cities that should expect to see more visitors this year than last. Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City moved up three rankings since last year, making it the second most popular international destination.

”OneTravel’s top five destinations, both internationally and domestically, typically remain fairly consistent, so this is a notable step up for Vietnam,” added Hathiramani. “Several other cities that travelers should keep an eye on in 2018 are Guangzhou, Dublin, and Auckland, as they also made significant jumps in the rankings.”

About OneTravel

OneTravel is a leading online travel agency that offers deals for savvy travelers seeking both quality and value. Part of Fareportal’s family of travel brands, OneTravel is recognized globally for providing one-stop shopping for all travel needs. Customers have access to millions of cheap flights including business class and first class airfares, hotel rooms, car rentals, and cheap vacation packages to top destinations around the world. Visit OneTravel’s social media pages at www.facebook.com/onetravel and www.twitter.com/onetravel. For an on-the-go travel concierge experience, download OneTravel’s app for Apple or Android

¹ Based on passenger numbers from 1/1/17 – 12/31/17

² Based on average airfare purchased from 1/1/17 – 12/31/17

³ Based on average number of days travelers book in advance of their departure date from 1/1/17 – 12/31/17

⁴ Based on the number of passengers booked to travel U.S. domestic and from the U.S. to international countries 1/1/18 – 3/31/18 compared to the number of passenger who traveled during the same period in 2017.

⁵ Based on the number of passengers booked to travel from the U.S. to international cities 1/1/18 – 3/31/18 compared to the number of passenger who traveled during the same period in 2017.

CheapOair®, the leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, has today announced its travel trend predictions for 2018.  By analyzing year-over-year data, and taking factors into consideration such as the economy, demographics of travelers, airline trends, and more, CheapOair is anticipating some interesting travel developments for the New Year.

According to recent reports by the FAA[1], industry revenue in 2017 is expected to finish out with about a 4% increase. CheapOair predicts that in 2018, the travel industry can expect to see even more growth that could approach 6%. With this growth and with travelers constantly looking for new ways to save money on airfare, fare unbundling will become more popular among both legacy and low cost carriers alike, giving travelers complete control over what benefits they are willing to pay for and omit, in order to find the cheapest prices for their flights.

Another trend that will continue to develop throughout 2018 is the rise of low-cost international travel, with International Basic Economy options. Three of the six legacy carriers have completed the implementation of Basic Economy on domestic routes which will continue to drive down market prices. Moving into 2018, some are expected to add these fares to international routes as well to compete with the rise of international low cost carriers.

Following the entrance of a new air carrier into the market, Hawaii will be a destination to look out for in 2018, with fares expected to be as low as $300 from the West Coast. Travel to Central America is expected to continue increasing as well, according to CheapOair’s booking data, as traveler numbers to destinations like Honduras and Nicaragua are up more than 70% over the past 5 years.  Additionally, it’s likely that travel brands will be using their mobile apps for more than just booking – focuses on unique elements such as trip planning tools, and check-in/check-out features will be a highlight in 2018.

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.

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

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a flight-focused, hybrid travel agency that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (https://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, 1 million 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.

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[1] https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation/aerospace_forecasts/media/FY2017-37_FAA_Aerospace_Forecast.pdf

Fareportal, a leading global travel technology company, is proud to announce that it’s locations in India are now ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is an internationally recognized accreditation for Information Security Management Systems to ensure that strict security measures

are in place within an organization to protect the privacy of customer data. Fareportal joins a small group of online travel companies to be certified as compliant with this standard. The evaluation for this well-respected certification was performed by external auditor, British Standards Institute (BSI).

“Being leaders in the travel industry, it is important for Fareportal to have the best information security policies and practices in place,” said Ankur Ahuja, Vice President of Information Security (CISO) at Fareportal. “By benchmarking security posture against recognized standards, like the ISO/IEC 27001:2013, Fareportal reflects its deep commitment to maintain customer’s data confidentiality which enhances the customer experience while booking with Fareportal.”

Continual advancement of security measures for online travel companies is critical in order to protect sensitive customer and partner information. The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification provides assurance to stakeholders that Fareportal is taking a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information.

Ahuja added: “This certification further helps Fareportal to gain competitive advantage and prevent ongoing and evolving cyber threats.”

“Our security teams in India worked hard to prepare for these audits and we are very proud to have passed the rigorous evaluation the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 has set forth,” said Sam S. Jain, Founder and CEO at Fareportal. “This certification ensures that our locations are operating in accordance with global standards and that we are keeping our customer’s data secure worldwide.”

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 450 airlines, 1 million hotels, and hundreds of car rental companies around the globe. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands including CheapOair and OneTravel, 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 travel and add-on ancillaries.

In the battle for consumers’ attention, travel providers have stiff competition.  Over the years, CheapOair.com, a leading seller of flights worldwide with almost $5 billion in annual sales, has quietly gained market share with a digital-heavy media strategy.

That’s now evolving, with the first Brand offering from the online travel agency. The company’s new tagline, “Go Ahead, Be Cheap” is an anthem, designed to give consumers permission to embrace their inner-cheapness.

“We spent a lot of time doing the research. Once completed, our path was clear,” says Kathi Moore, Vice President, Branding, for CheapOair.com. “Our name is quirky, it’s memorable. By using it as an asset, we are taking maximum advantage of what that means in terms of building awareness for the brand.”

In the new commercial, consumers are encouraged to understand that “cheap” means value.  A series of fun and appealing travel scenarios are supported by a clear copy direction and a friendly and accessible music track. :30 and :15 second versions of the spots, in both English and Spanish language, were written and produced by Manhattan-based, Rogue Producer. The English language versions began airing nationally in October.

Sam S. Jain, Founder and CEO of Fareportal, the corporate owner of the CheapOair.com brand, explains, “CheapOair.com has grown exponentially over the last decade. With “Go Ahead, Be Cheap” we are creating the foundation for the hyper-growth we expect in the next few years. Tactically, and technically, we are ready.  The next logical step for us is to reach out to the travel consumer with strong, branded messaging to increase our customer base.”

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 flight-focused, hybrid travel agency that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (https://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, 1 million 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.

About Rogue Producer

Rogue Producer is an independent production department that partners directly with marketers to outsource the execution of all production needs. Rogue created a new, industry model in which content production is decoupled from agencies to create a company that services all the production needs of clients, across all platforms, at a fraction of the cost.  Rogue is a cost-efficient, alternative production choice for companies and brands without the high overhead. Rogue takes creative ideas and works together with marketers to turn them into engaging forms of consumer communications.

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CheapOair data indicates passenger numbers to Latin America are up over 50% since 2013

CheapOair®, a leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, recently released analytics for travel from U.S. origins to Hispanic destinations. Just in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month, the online travel agency’s findings indicate that travel to Latin America is booming, with traffic up by 57% since 2013*.

Up-and-coming Central American countries saw

a significant increase in traveler numbers. Honduras and Nicaragua have seen visitor numbers up over 75% since 2013, while El Salvador and Guatemala saw even greater increases with numbers up 88% and 95%, respectively*.

The data shows that travelers to Latin America tend to take long trips, with an average stay of 19 days. The data also indicates that travelers to the southernmost countries of South America including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia had an even higher average stay of 24 days*.

Hispanic culture can also be found throughout the United States as it’s the second-fastest growing ethnic group in the United States behind people of Asian descent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are now eight states that have more than 1 million Hispanic residents – Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas.

Additionally, the CheapOair Miles Away blog has created a special page with content celebrating Hispanic culture. CheapOair is dedicated to creating an inclusive community and is proud to celebrate the diversity, culture, and history of people around the world.

*The data referenced compared year over year passenger numbers on flights from all U.S origins to Latin American countries from 2013 – 2017.  

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a flight-focused hybrid travel agency that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (https://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 rentals. 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.