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 Facebook, Twitter, 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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The latest numbers from the TSA show passenger counts more than 1 million per day every day since March 9^th 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 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips.

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Airline ticket sales illustrate growing confidence in visiting the USA

Some heartening news for the US travel industry, and the US economy, as leading online travel agency CheapOair sheds some light on interest in international to domestic airline tickets purchased through the end of March 2021. 

Overall, the indicators for incoming international visitors are very positive.  CheapOair’s data shows a global increase of 64% when comparing March activity to that of January 2021.

“The figures are really good news.  We all know that Covid caused a precipitous drop in the number of international travelers booking flights to the United States last year.  We believe there is a correlation between the great work being done in this country to get vaccines administered and the uptick in interest in travel to the US,” commented Glenn Cusano, Co-CEO and CFO of Fareportal, the parent company of CheapOair and One Travel.

Cusano continues, “Tourism means more than airline tickets.  Restaurants, hotels, tours and attractions, and retail sales in general benefit from the presence of our international visitors.  The latest CDC vaccination information shows that 32.6% of Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.  As those percentages increase, we expect to see further growth in international visitors to the USA.”

Increasing willingness to travel comes as welcome news for the hard-hit travel and tourism industry.

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 Facebook, Twitter, 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. 

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Flight booking innovation improves customer experience

Continuing a string of flight technology booking innovations, Fareportal, the travel technology company that powers leading online travel agencies CheapOair and One Travel is pleased to announce the launch of New Distribution Capability (NDC) to ensure customers purchasing tickets on any airline of the Lufthansa Group, which include Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Brussels Airlines, via Fareportal sites have access to their full range of products and services.

“We’ve always emphasized technical innovation at Fareportal and are therefore very pleased to be able to support our valued partner Lufthansa Group airlines in their NDC integration with a hybrid travel agency,” said Sam S. Jain, Fareportal CEO & Founder.

For Fareportal, this is the latest in a series of NDC integrations with major airlines.

“Lufthansa Group airlines are committed to constantly enhancing their customer experience, and so is Fareportal. NDC integration is part of that commitment. We’ll now be offering customers the ability to easily purchase seats, bags, branded fares, ancillary bundles, and “Continuous Pricing” price offers,” remarked Chema Alvarado, Fareportal Executive Vice President, Supplier Relations.

“We are excited to enter into this partnership with Fareportal fostering modern airline retailing to the benefit of our customers,” said Frank Naeve, Vice President of Sales, The Americas, Lufthansa Group. “Jointly we aim at developing a unique customer experience and are committed to shaping the industry with distribution innovation.”

The launch is scheduled for early April 2021, just ahead of the generally anticipated uptick in demand for travel expected by travel experts this spring/summer.

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. 

About The Lufthansa Group
The Lufthansa Group is a globally operating airline group. In its home market of Europe it plays a leading role. The Lufthansa Group is made up of the business segments Network Airlines, Eurowings and Aviation Services. All business segments are among the leading providers in their respective sectors. The Network Airlines business segment includes the airlines Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. Eurowings focuses on point-to-point traffic, especially on short-haul routes. The Aviation Services include in particular the business segments Logistics, MRO and Catering.