(ARA) – Travelers are finding the silver lining of the current economic climate is the availability of some incredible travel values. Hotel, airfare and vacation package prices are all down significantly from last year, helping to make travel more affordable than it has been in years.
As people get ready for holiday travel, GE is working behind the scenes to help protect them from the moment they step into the airport until they land at their destination. In addition to improving traveler safety, these technologies enable airport efficiencies, faster baggage handling and better plane monitoring to help keep travelers—and their luggage—on schedule.
A new survey of more than 900 American Express Travel agents suggests that travelers this holiday season are savvier than ever before, fulfilling their vacation plans in the midst of the current economic downturn by finding smart ways to save. Consumers are stretching their vacation budgets, seeking value in every aspect of their travel plans and cutting costs wherever they can through measures such as redeeming reward points to offset costs, taking shorter trips, visiting alternative destinations, staying closer to home and choosing less expensive hotels.
Travelers have new control over their travel plans thanks to a free offering from FlightView, the trusted resource for accurate and actionable flight information. FlightView now delivers the information travelers need to make more informed decisions related to arrivals, departures and connections customized for smart phones, PDAs and other handhelds that are a traveler’s lifeline.
Helping to offset airfares that are averaging $40 higher than last year, Travelocity and its hotel and cruise partners are offering the biggest sale in the company’s history. Starting today, the offering comes just in time to help customers stretch their travel dollar as they plan for the fall and holiday travel season. The Race to Savings runs through Nov. 15 and applies to hotel and vacation package stays through Jan. 15, 2009 and on select cruises through Dec. 2009.
Curaçao Now will wow consumers who are looking to plan a budget-friendly, entertainment- and activity-filled Caribbean vacation. In addition to a $100 per person airfare credit, Curaçao Now offers value-added deals from nearly 70 hotels and resorts, car rental agencies, attractions, museums and other tourism service providers. Visitors traveling to Curaçao between Aug. 15 and Dec. 15, 2008, or May 1 and July 1, 2009 can take advantage of these island-wide offers.
On the heels of Delta Airlines’ announcement to double checked baggage fees, along with negative reports that flight delays persist despite capacity cuts, luggage expediters are filling the gap for frustrated consumers. Leading luggage and goods expediter, The Luggage Club, is seeing business boom as travelers’ patience with unpredictable delays and lost luggage wears thin.
With gas prices maintaining never-before-seen levels and airlines simultaneously cutting flights, reducing perks and increasing fares, many consumers have been left to wonder if the days of cheap travel are over. Not so, says Cheapflights.com, the search engine that continues to make it easy for travelers with flexible schedules to find cheap deals to destinations around the world. In its just-published report entitled “Travelnomics: Getting a Good Deal in Today’s Economy,” Cheapflights offers easy-to-understand analysis and advice behind the multitude of challenges facing the travel industry. A number of strategies for consumers looking to score a good deal are also outlined in the report.
Need shopping tips for your first trip to Asia? Want to tell other travelers about the great flight deal you scored to Hawaii for New Year’s eve? Had a less-than-stellar hotel experience and want to warn future guests? Cheapflights.com Flights and Travel Forum message boards says they want to be your tour guide.
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