|
SideStep Launches Vacation Package Search
17 May 2005SideStep, Inc., the traveler's search engine, today announced the Beta release of its new vacation package service, which enables consumers to search multiple sites at once for vacation escapes to more than 90 popular destinations worldwide.
SideStep is the first travel search company to offer consumers choices from a variety of providers with a single click. This new service significantly simplifies a traditionally complex process. According to Gartner Group, while travelers check an average of 4.2 sites before booking a flight, they check 5.8 sites before booking a vacation package. With SideStep, travelers can now turn to a single site to explore and book travel packages.
This new vacation package service saves travelers money as well as time. For example, a recent SideStep search for an eight day trip for two from San Francisco to Orlando uncovered a flight/hotel package available at $489 less than the a la carte price. A similar search for a Cancun package offered an $829 savings.
SideStep's vacation search also delivers significant benefits to travel providers. Vacation packages offer attractive profit margins, and many travel providers are placing substantial emphasis on the sale of these products. With the introduction of vacation package search, SideStep will help its marketing partners to promote their most rewarding offerings. Partners include Vacation Outlet, Pleasant Holidays and Orbitz, with additional travel providers to be announced shortly.
"With more than 4.2 million unique monthly visitors, SideStep gives us access to an audience that is both sizeable and well-qualified," said Aaron Gowell, President and CEO of Vacation Outlet's parent company, NLG. "We're confident that our partnership with SideStep will yield a large volume of new customers for us and are excited to be part of the launch of this valuable new service."
"SideStep created and leads the travel search space, and this launch confirms our continuing commitment to innovation," said Russ Lemelin, SideStep's interim CEO. "Vacation packages offer notable savings to consumers and better margins for travel suppliers. Our new service serves both groups extremely well, and we anticipate rapid adoption among travelers and the companies that want to reach them."
PhoCusWright projects that online package sales will reach $10.3B by 2006, a 368% increase in three years. By that time, the research firm anticipates that 13% of all air, car and hotel sales booked online will be booked as part of a package.
SideStep helps consumers find outstanding travel values through SideStep.com and the SideStep(TM) toolbar, as well as through TravelFinds Specials(SM) and TravelFinds Spotlight(SM), the company's popular email newsletters.
About SideStep
SideStep -- the traveler's search engine -- brings compelling offers from numerous travel providers to more than 4.2 million consumers each month. The company has forged alliances with leading travel marketers such as JetBlue Airways, Continental Airlines, Hyatt Corporation, Best Western, National Leisure Group and Thrifty Car Rental. SideStep has been named one of TIME Magazine's "50 Coolest Web Sites" and declared "Best of the Web" by Forbes. The company is privately held and has raised more than $17M in funding from Trident Capital and individual investors. For more information, visit www.sidestep.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: SideStep, Inc.
Source: PR Newswire
All trademarks and copyrighted information contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Related Internet Articles
|
 | Unlimited Domain Hosting Only $10 a Month
Founded in 2002, Hostgator.com, LLC has quickly grown from its humble beginnings in Boca Raton, Florida into one of the most respected names in the web hosting industry. Renowned for exceptional customer support and unrivaled in terms of customer satisfaction, Host Gator is poised to take the lead in the highly competitive and densely populated world of web hosting providers.
For more information!
Click Here |
|
|
 | Got Root?! 1&1 Dedicated Servers starting at $99 mo.
We guarantee the highest product quality, top security, and unshakeable reliability. 1&1’s advanced Data Centers have been built from the ground up using the most advanced technology available, giving our global network a strength that is beyond doubt. The power and stability of 1&1’s systems allows us to be first to market with web products that are innovative yet dependable.
For more information!
Click Here |
|
|
 | Get a full dedicated server starting at just $29.95!
ServerPronto is a dedicated hosting subsidiary of Infolink, one of a few profitable Data Center Corporations in the world. From it's beginning in January 1999, Infolink served the "Value Orientated" segment of the Internet market. Not by offering a sub-standard product at a low price, but by offering a top-quality, feature rich product at an incredible price. Since the beginning Infolink has enjoyed dramatic growth while other's in the industry have suffered. We operate our own network in the USA and maintain redundant Fiber Optic Rings which allow us to directly peer with Tier 1 Internet Backbones.
For more information!
Click Here |
|
|
