Travelocity launches biggest hotel sale ever

September 03, 2008 | Online Travel

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.

With more than 4,000 hotel properties participating around the world, customers have a wide range of hotel choices, cruise offers and destinations. Details include:

- Approximately 500 properties offering 40-60 percent off package pricing;
- More than 600 cruise sailings with onboard credits of up to $100;
- More than 800 cruises will feature offers such as free stateroom upgrades and onboard savings books during the sale.

�A lot of consumers have been in limbo about their travel plans given the economy and news about high travel costs, but this sale truly offers a great opportunity to get back out traveling,� said Jeffrey Glueck, chief marketing officer of Travelocity. �Our hotel and cruise suppliers have really stepped up to the plate for customers by offering amazing discounts in top destinations around the world.�

Partners in popular destinations such as Cancun, San Francisco, Orlando and Las Vegas are offering amazing deals at properties ranging from 2-star to 5-star.

Even though the cost of airfare is up this fall, if travelers take advantage of Travelocity�s Race to Savings, they could easily make up for the increase. For example, flights to Cancun are up an average of 10 percent. However, if you book a stay in Valentin Riviera Maya which is offering a 47 percent discount as shown above, the savings more than makes up for the increased cost in airfare. Customers will know which hotels are participating because there will be a sale icon displayed in the hotel list (either when shopping just for hotels or when shopping for a package) and there will be promotional pages highlighting the sale on the Travelocity site as well.

Additionally, the sale coincides with the Roaming Gnome�s seventh appearance on CBS�s wildly popular The Amazing Race which debuts on Sunday, Sept. 28. In addition to the award-winning icon�s appearance on Americans� favorite reality competition show and the company�s deepest and most broad hotel discounts ever, customers and fans of the show will also have the chance to join the race�s action by participating in sweepstakes where they can win the same pit stop prizes as the actual contestants.

�Our integration and sponsorship in The Amazing Race has been very valuable to us in the past years. The focus of the show coincides with one of our core business values � encouraging the spirit of adventure through travel,� said Glueck. �This year�s integration will be better than ever as we�re giving viewers a chance to experience some of the same adventures as the winners with a sweepstakes.