With the help of extensive consumer research, Trip.com has been rebuilt as a full-service leisure travel Web site with round-the-clock access to live travel professionals. The new Trip.com provides value-minded consumers one easy location to research, plan and purchase their every trip, no matter when or where they are going.
At Trip.com, travelers can find a wide range of discounted travel offerings, including unpublished airfares at savings of up to 40 percent. Trip.com also offers significant discounts on first-class weekly resort accommodations through Cendant-affiliated RCI Holiday Network, cruises, and last-minute vacation packages -- all up to 60 percent off published rates. In addition, Trip.com is connected to the same booking systems used by travel agents, granting access to published rates on more than 500 airlines, 30 rental car companies, and 50,000 hotel properties. Trip.com online customers are guaranteed to find new deals every week.
Personalization Features and Access to Travel Professionals 24/7
Trip.com also provides travelers with a vast array of resources to help tailor each and every trip, based on personal preferences and interests, including 24-hour access to a team of highly experienced travel professionals at . Trip.com professionals are available to help with travel recommendations, answer questions about reservations and booking policies, and provide assistance during a trip should any changes or reservation problems arise.
Trip.com also helps online customers find new and interesting destinations with Trip.com's "Trip Coach," which recommends relevant locations based on a traveler's individual preferences, and selection from categorized travel profiles, including such classifications as Sports Enthusiast, Family Traveler, Culture Connoisseur, and Sight Seeker.
"At Trip.com, we know that people are as different as the trips they take, and we provide the inventory, technology and personal services to help leisure travelers plan and book every trip, regardless of when, where and with whom they're traveling," said Jacob Stepan, chief operating officer of Trip Network, Inc., which operates Trip.com. "We're working hard to build strong relationships with our customers as part of our long-term commitment to be the most-responsive travel site on the Web."
New Features Make Trip.com Easy to Use
To help ease the search and purchase processes, Trip.com synchronizes membership profiles with search criteria to pre-populate fields so personal data and preferences need only be entered once, saving time and effort. The new Trip.com includes advanced search and book options that help travelers locate the best-suited flights, matching their specifications for a preferred airline, class of service, passenger type (adult, senior, child), number of acceptable connections, seat preference, and multi-city ticket options.
With its simple design and more-intuitive page flows, Trip.com is now easier to navigate with faster load and response times. Additionally, in response to consumer demand, the new Trip.com allows visitors to search without registering, and enables users to modify their search without repeating the entire process. Trip.com registered members have the added benefit of saving searched itineraries in their personal TripBook(SM) for later purchase, or to share with family and friends via e-mail. As part of the site's expanded travel resources, TripBook(SM) also automatically delivers airport terminal maps, driving directions and weather information to a member's TripBook(SM), based on their planned destinations. Other travel resources include FlightTracker(SM), which offers access to real-time FAA flight data to track North American flights in progress, wireless notification of travel information, regional maps, and access to Fodor's destination guides.
"As an affiliate of Cendant, Trip Network, Inc. benefits from Cendant's family of travel brands, long-term supplier relationships, and unique media and marketing partnerships, which will only expand Trip.com's portfolio and features over the long-term," said Sam E. Galeotos, chairman of Trip Network, Inc., and CEO of Cendant's Strategic Distribution and Travel Services Group. "Trip.com rounds out Cendant's travel distribution initiative by creating a major online leisure travel portal with offline strength, that not only serves consumers, but also Cendant's travel partners by helping us to move supplier market share through new and expanded marketing partnerships -- an important proposition during this transitional period in the travel industry."
"Portraits" Ad Campaign Focuses on Each Individual Traveler's Needs
To propel the new Trip.com into the online arena, Trip Network, Inc. has launched an aggressive national advertising campaign today entitled "Portraits." Created by Grey Advertising's New York office, it features television, radio, print, and online ads with the slogan "There's Only One You." The campaign highlights Trip.com's ability to connect with individual users by offering a wide and unique product offering, great deals, and personalized results based on specific budgets, schedules, and interests.
"Our advertising campaign is built on one simple, but profound fact, which also drives our business goals," said Evans Gebhardt, chief marketing officer of Trip Network, Inc. "that for individual travelers, the most important trip in the world is theirs. At Trip.com we respect each customer's personal needs, and that's why we're telling consumers with confidence that no matter who you are -- at Trip.com, 'It's Your Trip.'"
To celebrate its launch, Trip.com is offering customers who purchase an airline ticket on the site from April 30 through May 13 an opportunity to win one of 10 free tickets being given away per day, provided by US Airways. The "Book Your Trip and You Can Win a Trip" sweepstakes rules are available at Trip.com. Trip.com is also offering an additional 10 percent off select airfares, available through May 6.
Trip.com is also participating in NBC's special 75th Anniversary's "Watch and Win" nationwide radio contest promoting the network's May 5 anniversary special. Trip.com will provide the top 25 grand-prize winners with airfare for two to Hollywood.
ABOUT TRIP.COM
Trip.com provides consumers with a vast array of travel inventory, including airline tickets, hotel accommodations, first-class weekly vacation rentals, rental cars, cruises and last minute vacation packages. Improved site usability, expanded personalization profiles, more discounted inventory, and fresh destination content are among many new features that enable value-minded travelers to utilize Trip.com to research, plan and purchase travel, in one easy location. Trip.com also has trained travel professionals standing by 24/7 through 1- for support and service. Created in 1996, Trip.com was acquired by Cendant Corporation CD in October 2001, as part of the company's acquisition of Galileo, and is currently operated by Cendant's independent affiliate, Trip Network, Inc.
ABOUT TRIP NETWORK, INC.
Trip Network, Inc. is a travel portal that is developing a marketplace of leading travel brands, services and partnerships to provide travelers access to a full portfolio of value options including airline tickets, rental cars, hotel, cruises and resort accommodations, and vacation packages, complemented by destination information and traveler resources. As an affiliate of Cendant Corporation CD, Trip Network commenced independent operations in March 2001. Through its affiliation, the Network is uniquely positioned in the competitive arena as it benefits from Cendant's collection of travel-related brands and services as well as the corporation's October 2001 acquisitions of Galileo, a leading global distribution system, and its subsidiary Trip.com, Inc., and Cheap Tickets, Inc.