Next generation travel company recognized for innovation in travel and tourism mobile technology

CheapOair, a leading flight-focused, next generation concierge travel service, was recently awarded a Gold Stevie by the American Business Awards for its innovative app development for both the iOS and Android operating systems.

The American Business Awards were created in 2002 to honor the achievements of organizations and professionals in the United States. It is one of the premier business awards organizations in the U.S. and features a variety of categories to recognize all areas of the workplace. The entries are judged by a panel of respected executives, entrepreneurs, innovators and business educators. More than 3,600 nominations from organizations in all industries were submitted for consideration in the 2017 competition.

“This award is very exciting as we have worked very hard this year to make our mobile app the most efficient in the travel industry,” said Sam S. Jain, CEO and Founder of CheapOair. “Our mission is to create the world’s best customer experience on all of our platforms and this recognition is a testament to our skilled mobile development teams’ ability to achieve this goal.”

The CheapOair app gives customers access to over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and hundreds of rental car companies on the go. The app is personalized to each user with a “Predictive Home Screen” that understands where the user is in the search process and provides contextually relevant options.  Additionally, with the integration of Apple Pay and Android Pay, customers can complete their transactions simply and safely without pulling out their wallet.

In the past year, the app made great leaps in functionality. Highlights include:

• Personalized push notifications for upcoming trips
• Integration with Apple Watch for a quick glance at itineraries
• A companion Apple TV app allowing users to browse destinations and add them to a Wishlist that they can later access through the app to book
• The convenience of selecting seats right from the app
• US-Spanish, Canadian, Mexican and Australian versions

“Each year the judges find the quality and variety of the nominations to be greater than the year before. The 2017 competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud,” said Michael Gallagher, President and Founder of the Stevie Awards.

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.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Online Travel Agency Partners with Non-Profit Organization to Clean Up Harlem Park

Fareportal, the travel technology company powering CheapOair and OneTravel, sent a team of volunteers this weekend to help clean Morningside Park in Harlem, New York City in celebration of Earth Day.

The volunteer event was one of the bi-annual city clean up events hosted by New York Cares , each of which can draw up to 4,000 volunteers across all five boroughs. For this event, Team CheapOair dedicated their time to removing invasive species and also to clearing branches, leaves, and litter from the park to get it ready for the summer months.

“It was great to see so many of our employees come out on their day off to help clean up Morningside Park,” said Kathi Moore, Vice President of Branding for Fareportal. “We are very appreciative of our employees’ dedication to making a positive impact in the local community.”

“As a global company, we are involved with charity organizations all over the world, but it feels good to work with charities doing amazing work right here in our hometown,” said Corissa Leong, Senior Vice President of People and Culture at Fareportal. “Not only are we glad to clean up our city, but we are thrilled to support the New York Cares mission of meeting critical needs in the community.”

Fareportal has a longstanding commitment to helping communities in need through charitable donations and volunteer work. The company is always seeking out new opportunities to get involved with charity organizations both at home and abroad.

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.

Data Shows Key Findings for Travel Trends, Average Price Points, and Fares Increasing After April 21st

CheapOair, a leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, announced today the top domestic destinations consumers are traveling to for Memorial Day weekend.  This year, the data shows that average airfare is down 16% versus last year, among other key findings.

Chicago, Illinois tops this year’s list of top Memorial Day weekend destinations followed by Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California.  Several other major U.S. cities rounded out the top 10, supporting CheapOair’s data that 83% of bookings made this year were to domestic destinations.

The average airfare cost for the holiday weekend this year is $492*, which is a significant 16% decrease from 2016’s average price of $570. Historical data trends also show that travelers should be mindful of their time and take advantage of booking as early as possible.  Airfare prices are predicted to remain steady until April 21^st but then begin to increase leading up to the holiday weekend.

“At the beginning of the year, airlines increased capacity to meet the increasing demand seen in 2016. In February and March, passenger traffic dropped by 4% causing many airlines to drive down prices in order to fill seats. With that said, travelers looking to book for Memorial Day should do so now, before prices potentially spike again at the end of April as demand increases for holiday travel,” said Tom Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations for CheapOair.

It’s important for travelers to closely monitor airfares throughout the week, as CheapOair’s predictions show that airfare prices drop on Tuesdays each week, and then steadily climb through the remainder of the week.  CheapOair also found that female users are continuing to surpass their male counterparts when it comes to wanderlust, as a whopping 16%* more women have booked Memorial Day travel over men as compared to 2016.

 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 more than 450 global airlines, CheapOair is a great way to book the travel that’s right for you.

Travelers can sign up to receive daily travel deals to various destinations, including the top spring break locations for 2016, by making a CheapOair profile at CheapOair.com. For more information, please visit CheapOair.com, CheapOair.com/mobile, or check out CheapOair’s Miles Away blog for travel tips and trends.

*The fares and data referenced are averages, calculated based on bookings made beginning January 1, 2017, for travel departing May 26 – May 29, 2017 and returning May 30 – June 1, 2017.

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.

Next generation travel company recognized as a top performer by Asian airline partner

Fareportal, the travel technology company powering CheapOair and OneTravel, has been awarded the Top Tier Supplier Award by China Eastern Airlines based on sales performance in 2016. This award is given annually to recognize the top sellers of China Eastern Airlines tickets during the previous year.

China Eastern Airlines operates non-stop flights to Shanghai from five North American gateways including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Vancouver and Honolulu.

“We are extremely honored to be recognized by China Eastern Airlines as a Top Tier Supplier,” said Thomas Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations at Fareportal. “Our ability to support our partners is a direct result of our investments in our staff, products, and technology offering a better experience for our customers and greater success for our partners.”

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.

Online travel agency identifies best cities and events to celebrate Irish-American heritage month

As the saying goes, everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so for those with Irish heritage or those who are just Irish for the day, CheapOair®, a leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, has identified the best cities for over-the-top celebrations, parades, and plenty of Irish pubs.

Boston, Massachusetts
According to 2015 U.S. Census data, 21.6% of people in the Greater Boston Area identify as having Irish ancestry and it is clear through their annual celebration that they are very proud of that heritage. The St. Patrick’s Day parade began in 1737 and runs through the traditionally Irish neighborhood of South Boston. The event is held annually on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day and features floats, marching bands, and bagpipe bands. In addition to hosting one of the largest parades in the country, Bostonians are known for their post-parade party. With more Irish pubs than any other U.S. city, parade goers are sure to find the party going well beyond the end of the parade with local pubs hosting live music and holiday food and beverage specials. This year’s parade will be held on Sunday, March 19th

Dublin, Ireland
Of course, there’s no better place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than in his home country of Ireland. Dublin, the nation’s capital, hosts one of the largest celebrations around the world with four full days of activities. An impressive parade, carnival, plus theater and musical performances headline the annual festival. The locals typically keep their celebrations low-key with modest expressions of their Irish pride, the tourist population can be found engaging in the debauchery that has come to be associated with the holiday in Dublin’s Temple Bar neighborhood. This year’s festival will take place from March 16th – March 19th with the parade on March 17th.

New York, New York
As with many cultural festivals, New York is known to hold the biggest and the best St. Patrick’s Day parade in the U.S. and also has the distinction of being the oldest in the world. The annual event held on March 17th attracts over two spectators and up to 250,000 participants. The procession up 5th Avenue can last as long as six hours and is only open to people marching on foot, no floats or cars are permitted. The parade first began in 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army. Today the parade features participants including bands, performers, public servants, social clubs and associations.

Savannah, Georgia
Despite being a smaller city, Savannah takes St. Patrick’s Day seriously with a celebration that rivals the major cities. The parade first began in 1824 by the Irish population that had settled in the area. Today the celebration draws over 300,000 spectators and features a parade, live performances, and street vendors. Since Savannah doesn’t have an open container law, parade goers can enjoy an Irish draught while still catching the parade. But, of course, remember to please drink responsibly.

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