Hybrid travel agency the first to offer travelers advanced seat reservation facility on Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines

NEW YORK, NY – Jun 16, 2015 – CheapOair, a leading hybrid (online/traditional) travel agency, announced today that it is the first distribution partner globally to offer an advanced seat reservation facility on Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. (SWISS), and Austrian Airlines, both on its site and through its contact centers.

“The goal of Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines is to ensure that the customer experience is memorable and stress-free,” said Don Bunkenburg, Managing Director Sales USA, the Lufthansa Group. “Offering a variety of booking options is one such way to attain this objective. Therefore, our partnership with CheapOair made sense in that it is an additional vehicle for our passengers to secure tickets and flights that they are content with.”

In an industry first, travelers will now be able to purchase the preferred Economy seats they want and decide exactly where they want to sit, selecting from mostly window and aisle seats. Travelers will be able to use the advanced seat reservation facility both on CheapOair website, as well as through its contact centers.

“CheapOair strives to make it effortless, affordable and enjoyable for our customers to book their perfect trip,” said Sam S. Jain, CEO of Fareportal, the parent company of CheapOair. “With the introduction of the wide range of seat options on flights on Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines, we are excited to provide our customers worldwide with an even smoother booking experience and the preferred seats they want.”

About Lufthansa
One of the world’s largest and most prestigious airlines, Lufthansa currently flies to 207 destinations in 76 countries, with hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. With the Lufthansa Group acquisition of Austrian Airlines, SWISS and a stake in Brussels Airlines, Vienna, Brussels, and Zurich were added as additional hubs and the entire Group flew a total of 106 million passengers in 2014. From its 21 North American gateways, Lufthansa — voted by Fortune as one of the five most admired airlines in the world — along with its Group members and Star Alliance partners, serve over 1,300 destinations worldwide. An industry innovator, Lufthansa has long been committed to environmental care and sustainability, operating the most technologically-advanced and fuel-efficient fleet in the world. Its long-haul fleet to and from North America includes the Boeing 747-8, as well as the Airbus A380. Currently, Lufthansa has over 272 new aircraft worth about USD 46 billion in list prices on order. Lufthansa is the largest European operator of the A380 and was also the launch customer for the new Boeing 747-8, the industries’ two most fuel-efficient passenger aircraft. Known for its premium services, Lufthansa continues to build new or upgrade existing lounge facilities across its worldwide network and will spend more than USD 3.7 billion in new products and services by 2016. In 2014, Lufthansa introduced its new Premium Economy Class which offers further comfort and more personal space. In the first quarter of 2015, Lufthansa will finish revamping its First Class, followed by the completion of its Business Class retrofit in the second quarter. By the end of the third quarter of 2015, the new Premium Economy Class will be installed throughout the entire fleet – bringing Lufthansa one step closer to becoming the first five-star airline in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, nearly the entire Lufthansa long-haul fleet is equipped with its onboard broadband wireless Internet service, FlyNet. For more information or reservations, visit www.LH.com

About SWISS
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s national airline, serving 106 destinations in 49 countries from Zurich, Geneva and Basel and carrying over 16 million passengers a year with its 95-aircraft fleet. The company’s Swiss WorldCargo division provides a comprehensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 120 destinations in over 80 countries. As “The Airline of Switzerland”, SWISS embodies the country’s traditional values, and is committed to delivering the highest product and service quality. With its workforce of 8,245 personnel, SWISS generated total operating income of CHF 5.2 billion in 2014. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

About Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines is Austria’s largest carrier and operates a global route network of approximately 130 destinations, being particularly dense in Central and Eastern Europe with 40 destinations. Thanks to its favorable geographical location at the heart of Europe, the company’s hub at Vienna International Airport is the ideal gateway between East and West. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group, Europe’s largest airline group, and a member of the Star Alliance, the first global alliance of international airlines. For additional information visit www.austrian.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or red blog

About CheapOair
CheapOair is the first hybrid (online/traditional) travel agency that enables consumers to book travel online, on mobile apps, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (http://www.cheapoair.com, 1-800-556-2345) bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified travel agents available 24/7 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.

Leading Online Travel Agency’s Weekend Data Shows Decreased Airfares

NEW YORK, NY – May 20, 2015 – CheapOair, the top flights-focused hybrid online travel agency, announced today the top ten destinations its consumers are traveling to for Memorial Day weekend. After a record breaking winter of frigid temperatures across most of the country, CheapOair’s data shows that a majority of travelers took advantage of the significantly low airfare costs available for the holiday weekend, to celebrate the unofficial start to summer.

“With the average fare for the weekend coming in slightly above $400, Memorial Day travel is easily accessible for consumers seeking a quick getaway,” explains Tom Spagnola, CheapOair’s Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations. “With the lower airfares, more people are traveling to not only the typical destinations like Florida and California, but as well as adventurous locales like the Philippines. The most substantial airfare change between 2014 and 2015 was reflected in bookings to Manila, Philippines, showing a 17% cost decline from the previous year. Of the top ten destinations, eight are domestic, including Las Vegas, Nevada; Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Miami, Florida.

Most Popular Destinations (2015 Avg. Roundtrip Airfare) 2015-14 Airfare Cost Change
1. Las Vegas, Nevada ($335.19), -1%
2. Orlando, Florida ($292.14), -7%
3. Los Angeles, California ($343.43), 1%
4. Fort Lauderdale, Florida ($292.53), -1%
5. Denver, Colorado ($289.98), 0%
6. San Francisco, California ($350.59), 3%
7. Cancun, Mexico ($476.17), -11%
8. Chicago, Illinois ($270.33), -12%
9. Miami, Florida ($321.01), -10%

The average prices above are based on bookings made on CheapOair.com between January 1 and March 23, 2015, for travel between May 21 and 25, 2015. Fares are roundtrip and include taxes and fees. Fares are based on historical data, and may no longer be available at the time of booking.

About CheapOair
CheapOair is a flights-focused hybrid travel agency 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 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.

Hybrid travel agency now offers travelers the option to book airberlin’s seats through contact centers and on its site

NEW YORK, NY – April 29, 2015 – CheapOair, a leading hybrid (online/traditional) travel agency, announced today that it is the first distribution partner globally to offer seat reservations for airberlin through its contact centers, as well as on its site.

“This service will enhance our partnership with CheapOair, providing our mutual clients an easy and convenient tool when booking their flights to Germany and beyond with airberlin. We endeavor to provide travelers the best available tools to simplify their overall travel experience from the time they book with any of our distribution partners to the time they board our aircraft,” stated Roberto Cuesta, vice president of sales and marketing, the Americas.

In an industry first, travelers booking airberlin flights on CheapOair will now be able to purchase their selected seats on both long-haul, as well as short- and medium-haul flights, offering greater comfort and more legroom for a small additional charge.

“CheapOair strives to make booking the perfect trip effortless, affordable and enjoyable through the relentless pursuit of technological innovation and superior customer service,” said Sam S. Jain, CEO of Fareportal, the parent company of CheapOair. “Working closely with airberlin, we are excited to bring our customers the ability to make seat reservations, for an even more streamlined booking experience.”

About airberlin
airberlin is one of the leading airlines in Europe and flies to 138 destinations worldwide each year. The second largest airline in Germany carried more than 31.7 million passengers in 2014. airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21% share in airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld® airline alliance. topbonus, the frequent flyer program of airberlin is one of the leading programs in Europe with more than 3.5 million members. The airline with the award-winning service operates codeshare flights worldwide with 20 airlines. The fleet is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe. Together with other airlines, airberlin belongs to Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand with which Etihad has been uniting shared activities since the end of 2014.

About CheapOair
CheapOair is the first hybrid (online/traditional) travel agency that enables consumers to book travel 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 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.