Travelong receives Million Dollar Sales Award from China Airlines

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Parent technology company Fareportal and its consumer travel brand CheapOair recognized for sales achievement

June 26, 2014

Travelong, a Fareportal company, announced today that it was awarded China Airlines’ Million Dollar Sales Award for the fifth consecutive year. The award recognizes the company for its sales, exceeding one million in 2013, and its achievement as an inventive business leader in the travel industry.

“This outstanding achievement is the result of close collaboration between Travelong and China Airlines,” said Wei-Tuan Chiu, general manager for China Airlines in the United States. “We look forward to reaching new milestones with Travelong in the year ahead.”

Through parent technology company Fareportal and its consumer travel brand CheapOair, Travelong works closely with the airlines to promote their products and services. The company’s continued success has been acknowledged by awards from numerous airlines including Qatar Airlines, LAN/TAM Airlines, Avianca Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Korean Air and Malaysia Airlines, as well as inclusion in Travel Weekly’s esteemed Power List.

“We are honored to receive this award for the fifth consecutive year,” said Sanjay Hathiramani, senior vice president of supplier relations at Travelong. “This achievement is a continuous testament to our growing business and ability to work closely with partners like China Airlines. We look forward to strengthening our airline partnerships and continuing to offer our customers the widest choice of air products.”

SOURCE Fareportal

CheapOair announces top 4th of July destinations

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Nearly 50 percent more Americans will travel abroad over the long weekend this year compared to last

June 17, 2014

CheapOair, an online travel agency serving customers online, by phone and mobile apps, today released data showing the top destinations where its customers will be traveling for the 4th of July. The CheapOair data shows fares to both domestic and international destinations are down, and has found that more travelers are choosing international destinations over domestic this year compared to last for the long holiday weekend.

“Travel to celebrate the 4th of July has historically been within the United States,” said Patrick Fragale, chief content officer at CheapOair. “This year, the data shows that nearly 50 percent more travelers, compared to last year, are using the long weekend to take their celebrations abroad to exotic destinations including Reykjavik and Grand Cayman.”

Travelers planning to vacation between July 3 and July 6, 2014 will find average airfares to domestic destinations including Boston, San Diego and Fort Lauderdale at $356.67 roundtrip. International destinations have also seen a huge increase in popularity this year, with average roundtrip airfare just $578.42 to destinations like Mexico City, San Jose Cabo and the Bahamas.

Most Popular U.S. Destinations with Avg. Roundtrip Airfare and 2014-13 Cost Change

1. New Orleans ($493.24) 15%
\n2. Seattle ($379.94) -23%
\n3. Boston ($353.52) -17%
\n4. Atlanta ($306.64) No change
\n5. San Diego ($332.82) -13%
\n6. Orlando ($332.60) -3%
\n7. Denver ($312.82) No change
\n8. Los Angeles ($384.53) -6%
\n9. New York ($344.64) No change
\n10. Fort Lauderdale ($289.91) No change

Most Popular International Destinations with Avg. Roundtrip Airfare and 2014-13 Cost Change

1. Puerto Vallarta ($497.74) New to list
\n2. St. Thomas ($416.64) New to list
\n3. Reykjavik ($513.00) New to list
\n4. St. Maarten ($324.74) New to list
\n5. Mexico City ($411.09) -32%
\n6. The Bahamas ($347.13) -14%
\n7. Cancun ($573.15) No change
\n8. San Jose Cabo ($538.01) -13%
\n9. Grand Cayman ($542.64) No change
\n10. London ($1,312.79) -4%

The average prices above are based on bookings made on CheapOair.com by June 9, 2014 for travel between July 3 and July 6, 2014. Fares are roundtrip and include taxes and fees. Fares are based on historical data, are subject to change, and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking.

SOURCE CheapOair

American Airlines group and Fareportal announce global, multi-year distribution agreement

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June 4, 2014

American Airlines Group and Fareportal announced a broad agreement to distribute American Airlines and US Airways content including ancillaries through Fareportal’s consumer travel brands CheapOair and OneTravel. This announcement extends and enhances the long-standing successful partnership between the companies. This is the first post-merger online travel agency agreement signed by American Airlines Group.

The agreement includes support for American Airlines Group distribution in all of Fareportal’s existing and future geographies, as well as through multiple channels and partners. Access to American Airlines and US Airways content will be available to Fareportal’s vast customer base in multiple countries.

“We are pleased to build on our existing and successful partnership, as Fareportal was the first company to integrate ancillaries in the booking path for both American Airlines and US Airways,” said Cory Garner, managing director – distribution and data commercialization, American Airlines. “American is committed to leading the industry in providing valuable choices to our customers around the world.”

In 2013, Fareportal became the first travel company to partner with American Airlines for the distribution of Choice Essential, Choice Plus, Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats, and US Airways for the distribution of ChoiceSeats. These successful programs have made it easy for Fareportal’s customers to enjoy many of the same value-added air travel services they have come to trust.

“Fareportal is focused on making it easy and effortless for our customers to book their perfect trip,” said Sam Jain, CEO of Fareportal. “Fareportal’s model provides a customized extension to our partners in order to differentiate their product offerings and enhance customer value and optimize revenue on a per seat basis.”

SOURCE Fareportal

CheapOair Announces Top Memorial Day Destinations

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NEW YORK, April 29, 2014

CheapOair, a leading travel agency serving customers online, by phone and mobile apps, today released data showing the top destinations where its customers will be traveling for Memorial Day weekend. After a long winter, CheapOair data shows that travelers are looking to escape to warmer weather, with a majority of sun and sand destinations seeing strong growth in ticket sales year over year.

“This is the perfect time of year to find affordable airfare deals to warm weather destinations,” said Patrick Fragale, chief content officer at CheapOair. “The data shows huge increases in bookings to destinations like Fort Lauderdale, San Jose Cabo and St. Maarten that are also seeing a decrease in airfare over last year’s Memorial Day travel dates.”

Travelers planning to vacation between May 23 and May 27, 2014 will find deals to popular destinations in Florida and California, with domestic airfare just over $300 roundtrip. International travel is also very popular, with short-haul flights to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean seeing an average airfare around $500 roundtrip.

Most Popular Destinations (2014 Avg. Roundtrip Airfare) 2014-13 Airfare Cost Change

  1. St. Maarten ($376.28) New to list
  2. Bermuda ($445.95) No change
  3. San Jose, Costa Rica ($464.27) -3%
  4. Cancun ($503.79) -14%
  5. Orlando, Fla. ($320.86) 8%
  6. San Jose Cabo ($619.84) -11%
  7. Puerto Rico ($448.04) 20%
  8. Mexico City ($383.42) -3%
  9. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. ($302.76) -9%
  10. San Diego, Calif. ($382.82) 16%

The average prices above are based on bookings made on CheapOair.com by April 21, 2014 for travel between May 23 and 27, 2014. Fares are roundtrip and include taxes and fees. Fares are based on historical data, are subject to change, and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking.

SOURCE CheapOair

CheapOair Announced as the First U.S. Travel Agency to Offer Ancillary Products for Air Canada

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NEW YORK, April 18, 2014

CheapOair announced today that Air Canada customers can now tailor their travel plans on CheapOair.ca with a variety of the airline’s ancillary products. After partnering with leading airlines like US Airways and American Airlines to sell their ancillary products on CheapOair.com, the brand became the first U.S. travel agency to offer these products to customers in Canada. The option to add extras such as seats meals and airport lounge access to a booking from CheapOair’s payment page gives customers extra freedom and control over their travel plans.

“We are proud to offer our customers the option to purchase Air Canada’s added value options on our site,” said Patriek Karayil, chief marketing officer at CheapOair. “Working with Air Canada to make its products available or sale on CheapOair.ca emphasizes our commitment to providing Canadian customers with more choice when planning and booking their travel.”

Air Canada’s products offer CheapOair customers the following:

  • Seats: Standard advance seat selection, preferred seats with more legroom
  • Meals: Onboard Café offers a variety of snack items on flights between 90 minutes and two hours and a fresh selection of meal items on flights of two hours or more
  • Maple Leaf Lounge access: Enjoy 21 award-winning lounges at all major airports in Canada and at key international locations, including complimentary light snacks and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages (including local beer on tap, cappuccino and espresso), Sony high definition televisions, complementary high speed internet access, Hewlett Packard business centers featuring color laser printing and PC workstations, conference rooms in select locations and cell-free quiet zones
  • On My Way™ travel service: Rebooking on any North American airlines, complementary meal allowance, hotel accommodation or ground transportation for any extended delay, and specialized call center assistance tailored to a customer’s needs.

CheapOair continually provides added value for travelers looking for extras like priority seats or the ability to change their plans at a moment’s notice, and priority access to specially-trained agents who are available around the clock to assist with unexpected travel needs.

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a top travel website for millions of travelers who expect more for less. CheapOair scans over 450 airlines in seconds to return guaranteed low prices on flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages, making planning and booking travel easy and hassle free. With support by phone and live chat, award-winning apps for iPhone and Android, and travel tips on Facebook and Twitter, CheapOair makes affordable travel possible anytime, anywhere. Book travel on http://www.cheapoair.com/ or call 1-646-738-4820.

Media Contact
Nick Papa
CheapOair.com
nick@cheapoair.com
\n646-556-7569

SOURCE CheapOair.com

Patriek Karayil Joins Fareportal Executive Board

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NEW YORK, March 1, 2014

Fareportal, a travel technology company that powers leading travel brands including CheapOair.com and OneTravel.com, announced today that Patriek Karayil has joined its team as the new Chief Marketing Officer. Karayil brings over 12 years of experience working at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies where he managed large, high functioning global organizations that focused on business strategy and online marketing.

“We are pleased to have Patriek Karayil join the company as Fareportal’s new Chief Marketing Officer,” said Sam Jain, CEO of Fareportal. “In addition to the wealth of knowledge and experience he has in the industry, his proven track record for gaining increased market visibility makes him a great asset to our team.”

As Chief Marketing Officer, Karayil will be responsible for the development of the company’s marketing and communications across all brands. This includes focusing on building CheapOair.com, positioning the leading online travel agency as a household name and ensuring its place in a consumer’s consideration set when booking flights and travel online, by phone, and/or via mobile app and tablet.

Prior to Fareportal, Karayil served as the Global Marketing Director at Dell where he ran a $1 billion online marketing operations organization, positively impacting 500 million customers. Additionally, he was the Chief Marketing Officer for Implantable Computing Labs, a startup he formed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has also worked in web marketing at National Instruments.

Karayil has an undergraduate degree in Engineering and Computer Science and is working towards his Master in Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SOURCE Fareportal

CheapOair Announces 10 Most Popular Spring Break Destinations

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NEW YORK, February 26, 2014

CheapOair, a leading online travel agency serving customers online, by phone, and mobile apps, today released data indicating where its customers are traveling for spring break. Destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean saw a significant increase in tickets purchased this year and a decrease in airfare cost between March 1 and April 15 over the same time period in 2013.

“There has been a strong interest in international travel this spring,” said Chris Cuddy, chief commercial officer at CheapOair. “Due in part to the harsh winter, destination like Puerto Vallarta and St. Thomas saw an exceptional increase in popularity, with travelers looking to go abroad finding great deals on CheapOair.”

Roundtrip airfare to Puerto Vallarta is averaging $592, down 4 percent over last year, while roundtrip airfare to St. Thomas, down 3 percent, is averaging $531. Cost of travel to both destinations is significantly less than $662, the average international airfare

Travelers looking for even better savings will find deals to U.S. cities like Denver and San Diego. Both offer flights under the domestic average, $330, as well as family-friendly attractions for both snow and sun lovers.

CheapOair’s Top Spring Break Destinations With Lower Fares in 2014

1.    Puerto Vallarta ($592)
\n2.    Denver ($248)
\n3.    Las Vegas ($313)
\n4.    San Diego ($313)
\n5.    St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands ($531)
\n6.    Seattle ($280)
\n7.    San Francisco ($305)
\n8.    Los Angeles ($307)
\n9.    San Jose Cabo ($518)
\n10.    Cancun ($540)

To be the first to know, visit http://newsletter.cheapoair.com/ and sign up to have CheapOair’s travel deals, tips and more sent directly to your inbox.

SOURCE: CheapOair

CheapOair Named Top Performing Retail Agency by Qatar Airways

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NEW YORK, February 12, 2014

CheapOair, a leading online travel agency serving customers online, by phone, and mobile apps, was named the Top Performing Retail Agency of 2013 by Qatar Airways. The award was presented to Sam Jain, CEO of CheapOair, and Sanjay Hathiramani, senior vice president of supplier relations, by airline representatives Lisa Markovic and Arun Vyas.

“This recognition is truly an honor and clearly demonstrates CheapOair’s sales activation through effective marketing promotions for Qatar Airways in 2013,” said Hathiramani, who manages CheapOair’s relationship with the airline.

“We are happy to recognize the exemplary partnership that has developed between CheapOair and Qatar Airways,” said Markovic. “Their marketing efforts have helped connect Qatar Airways with travelers as we expand our destinations across the United States.”

In the United States, Qatar Airways currently non-stop flies from Chicago, Houston, New York, and Washington, D.C. to Doha and onwards to over 130 global destinations. Later this year, Qatar Airways will add three new U.S. cities: Philadelphia (April 2), Miami (June 10), and Dallas/Fort Worth (July 1).

“With Qatar Airways increasing its presence in the United States, and with its recent entrance into the oneworld alliance, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with the airline and helping them to sell their quality product in the years ahead,” said Jain.

SOURCE: CheapOair

CheapOair Mobile App Gives Travelers Another Reason to Get Away With Its APP-Solute Getaway

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NEW YORK, February 10, 2014

CheapOair today launched a new mobile campaign, ‘APP-solute Getaway,’ that runs through June 2014 and offers travelers the chance to win a grand prize of 50 domestic U.S. flight vouchers. Entering is easy by downloading CheapOair’s free mobile app and following simple instructions.

“The APP-solute Getaway will show the value added by using our mobile app to book travel,” said Patriek Karayil, chief marketing officer at CheapOair. “Giving our customers the opportunity to win the flights that can easily be searched for and booked on the CheapOair app will reveal how easy it is to find airfare deals anytime, anywhere.”

Every month during the campaign, in addition to the grand prize of 50 domestic U.S. flight vouchers, CheapOair will give away an exotic vacation for two, including roundtrip flights and hotel accommodations, to a traveler who downloads the app. Destinations include:

  • Cape Town, South Africa on South African Airways
  • Sydney, Australia on Etihad Airways
  • Istanbul, Turkey on Turkish Airlines
  • Phuket, Thailand on Qatar Airways

CheapOair fans on social media will also be asked to share their travel photos and tips, with the best submissions published in a weekly roundup article on CheapOair’s travel blog. The fan content will show other travelers how to have affordable experiences in worldwide destinations, as well as how to find the best airfare deals. Fans who want to be featured can:

  • Tweet photos and/or travel tips to @CheapOair with the hashtag #APPsoluteGetaway
  • Instagram photos and travel tips with the hashtag #APPsoluteGetaway
  • Upload photos to the APP-solute Getaway tab on the CheapOair Facebook

“Through this campaign, we are giving our fans a platform to share the destinations they find compelling,” said Karayil. “Featuring them as the experts, we will be able to demonstrate how customers can use the CheapOair app to book travel to their favorite domestic and international destinations on over 450 airlines.”

The CheapOair app is available for free from the App Store and Google Play, or by visitinghttp://www.cheapoair.com/mobile. To enter the APP-solute Getaway, download the CheapOair mobile app and follow instructions. Terms and conditions apply.

SOURCE: CheapOair

CheapOair Announces Travel Highlights for 2014

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NEW YORK, January 6, 2014

CheapOair, a travel website serving customers online, by phone, and mobile apps, announced today its 2014 travel predictions. According to the leading online travel agency, travelers will see more affordable base fares to popular U.S. cities, airlines offering more value-added ancillary products, and continued growth in travel to international and more exotic locales.

“This will be a great year for budget travel,” said Mark Drusch, Chief Supplier Relations Officer at CheapOair. “Assuming fuel prices stay the same, we will continue seeing affordable deals to both domestic U.S. and international destinations – perhaps some even more reasonably priced than we saw in 2013.”

CheapOair’s 2014 Travel Trend Highlights:

  1. Customers will book trips on mobile devices. Travelers will be booking more trips via apps than websites in 2014. Noting a shift in booking patterns from desktop to mobile, CheapOair has optimized its mobile site and free, award-winning apps to meet the demands of travelers making quick, easy and hassle-free bookings, wherever they are.
  2. Low-cost carriers will offer more affordable deals. Due to the growth of airlines like Spirit and Frontier, customers will find more competitive prices with low-cost carriers. CheapOair recommends mixing and matching these airlines to find the best deals on airfare.
  3. Airlines will offer more bundled ancillaries. Bundling ancillary products main cabin seating options, same day flight changes, and Group 1 boarding will continue to help travelers get the most value out of their trip. CheapOair is the only major online travel agency that allows customers to add these products to their flights on American Airlines, US Airways, and more to come in 2014.
  4. Travelers will find deals to popular U.S. cities as a result of competitive pricing among airlines. In 2013, top booked domestic destinations included New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and Seattle. In the coming year, travelers will still find the most affordable deals to these locations by choosing from 450 airlines and even finding a cheaper flight to cities with more than one airport option nearby.
  5. Americans will be more adventurous in their travels abroad. More non-stop routes and competitive airfares will help travelers experience international destinations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, even on a budget.
  6. Exotic destinations will increase in popularity. Bookings to countries like Ecuador, Greece, Morocco, Tanzania and Turkey are up at least 30 percent year over year through Q4 2013 in comparison with Q4 2012. The allure of exotic scenery and foreign culture paired with low airfare deals will keep thrifty jet setters go on an African safari, relax on Mediterranean beaches, and more in 2014.
  7. Traveling within Europe will be more affordable. Low-cost carriers like London-based easyJet and Barcelona-based Vueling will offer cheap flights among main European cities, helping customers maximize their trip to the continent. CheapOair recommends flying into U.K. or Italian cities, with flights in and out of these countries (within Europe) offering some of the most affordable fares in 2014.
  8. Southeast Asia will see a boost in tourism. Destinations that showed a strong growth in 2013 include Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hanoi (Vietnam) and Naypyidaw (Myanmar). Travel within Southeast Asia on low-cost carriers like Jetstar can help travelers experience more destinations in one trip, from major, cosmopolitan cities to uncharted locales.
  9. More airline routes will make the Middle East more accessible. With more services to the Middle East, bookings to destinations like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran will increase in 2014. In the interest of having the maximum offering for its customers, CheapOair is one of the only OTAs to offer flights to Iran.
  10. Travel deals will be found in destinations where the U.S. dollar has grown stronger against foreign currencies. Countries with weak economies will potentially lower airfare to boost tourism, making it affordable for Americans to book flights abroad. Additionally, hotels, meals, and even tours and entertainment in those countries will be more reasonably priced.

SOURCE: CheapOair