TravelLeisureNews

Best Western Rewards Offer Marks Brand's 66 Years, 100-plus Countries

Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- THE WORLD'S BIGGEST HOTEL FAMILY invites members of its free global loyalty program Best Western Rewards to earn a free night. Marking the brand's 66th birthday and presence in over 100 countries and territories, the promotion will reward members who stay three separate times between February 6 and April 8, 2012 with a free night voucher, good at any BEST WESTERN, BEST WESTERN PLUS or BEST WESTERN PREMIER in the world until June 30, 2012. Register and view Terms and Conditions at www.bestwestern.com/spring.

"We continue to work hard to make Best Western Rewards the most valuable loyalty card in our guests' wallets," said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing and sales. "This free night is to thank guests for their repeat business, and to help them experience one of our three hotel types in the more than 100 countries where we serve travelers."

The Best Western Rewards spring promotion and related sweepstakes will feature heavily in the brand's social media channels this season (www.facebook.com/bestwestern and @TheBestWestern), as well as at the property level. Read more

Fun & free game gives players opportunity to win 50 dream vacations worth up to $15,000

Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbitz announces the launch of Orbitz 50 Faves, a fun and free Facebook game giving Orbitz fans the opportunity to win 50 handpicked, luxury vacations worth up to $15,000. Vacations range from cruising the Caribbean to vineyard hopping in South Africa. Orbitz 50 Faves kicks off today and runs through September 18. (1)

To play Orbitz 50 Faves, simply "Like" Orbitz on Facebook and begin bidding. To start, each new player will receive five bids. Every bid placed represents one entry to win. Players can check out the trips, look at what their friends have bid on, and then place bids on their favorite trips. Each day, players get an additional bid for every friend playing the game. The more friends the player has, the more bids they get and the greater their chances of winning. To further encourage players to invite more friends to play, six trips have been 'locked' and can only be 'unlocked' if at least 10 of a player's Facebook friends are playing the game.

"Orbitz 50 Faves is a fun, free, social game that gives players the opportunity to win one of 50 dream vacations worth up to $15,000. Players can significantly increase their chances of winning by encouraging their friends to play the game," said Chris Orton, president of Orbitz.com. "Players who work their social networks the best can end up with enough bids to place on all 50 trips, or increase their odds of winning a particular trip by placing more and more bids on it. The Orbitz 50 Faves game keeps Orbitz fans engaged and having fun while they compete to win a once-in-a-lifetime vacation." Read more

Free App Offers Real-Time Search, Intuitive Filtering, Gorgeous Graphics and Super-Simple Booking

March 24, 2011 – Expedia.com, the world’s leading online travel agency, on Wednesday announced the upcoming launch of Expedia Hotels, a free iPhone and iPod touch app developed to give travelers an intuitive, quick way to research, filter and book hotel rooms from their mobile device. This is the first app introduced by Expedia since the company acquired Mobiata, the mobile travel apps powerhouse, in November 2010. Expedia Hotels is the first in a series of mobile initiatives that the company will roll out in 2011.

"'Expedia Everywhere' is our new strategy with the world's most wickedly compelling mobile experiences designed to delight the earth's travelers with their ease of use, speed to book and rich features," said Scott Durchslag, president, Expedia Worldwide. "Expedia Hotels is the first of what will be many mobile apps developed for iPhone and Android. They will enable customers of the world’s largest online travel agency to easily book any our inventory of more than 130,000 hotel rooms worldwide, putting real time best prices and availability at the tip of their finger in moments."Read more

April 2010 – For an eighth consecutive year, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Series, will conduct its annual Ironman auction with eBay, designed to benefit a variety of charitable organizations worldwide. The Ironman Foundation has raised more than $3,500,000 through the initiative since its inception in 2003.

This year's auction will include four slots to the 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship taking place on Oct. 9 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The auction will begin on Sunday, April 25 and will incorporate four phases with one slot available per week. Each of the slots in the auction will begin with a minimum bid of $10,000. Read more

April 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Expedia.com announced that it has greatly expanded the company's Green Hotel program. The new program now offers more than 1,700 "green" hotels to travelers who prioritize environmental sustainability. These hotels are certified by a cross-section of organizations, including Green Seal, Green Key, LEEDS and STEP.

"At Expedia.com, we realize that green travel is an important offering to a dedicated, passionate set of travelers," said Tim MacDonald, senior vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. "By offering green-certified hotels, carbon offset options for flights and environmental travel tips, we offer a unique one-stop shop for the green traveler who is committed to traveling in a socially responsible manner."

Expedia.com's Green Hotels program, which launched in April of 2008, is now six times larger than last year. It now features more than 1,700 supply partners and over 80 green certification programs. Expedia.com has also partnered with TerraPass to create carbon offset bundles, based on distance flown, to fund clean energy and carbon reduction projects. Travelers can add a TerraPass to their flight by utilizing the "Travel Accessories" section of the trip customization page.

Expedia.com customers booking accommodations can save big when booking eco-friendly hotels as a package through Expedia.com. And as always, there are no flight booking fees, nor Expedia change or cancel fees when booking through Expedia.com.

For more information on Expedia's new eco friendly travel options, visit www.expedia.com/green.

SOURCE Expedia, Inc.

With Excitement of Winter Olympics Upon Us, Enjoy Some Snow Time Yourself at Cataloochee Ski Area

FEBRUARY 2009—As the Winter Olympics begin, reminding us of the fun and excitement of snow sports, now's the time to get in on the action. You don't need to spend an exhorbitant amount of money or an entire day just traveling to fulfill that need for speed.

Centrally located and easily accessible by car from many locales in the Southeast, Maggie Valley, North Carolina, is home to Cataloochee Ski Area. So don’t delay and miss out on one last weekend of great fun and runs on the slopes; log onto www.VisitNCSmokies.com today to find the perfect accommodations and any other information you'll need to make your trip to Haywood County, N.C., a memorable one.Read more

'Bookmark' Promotion Features Tips From Jeff Zbar (a.k.a. Chief Home Officer.com) in 2 million Copies of TIME, Fortune and Money Magazines, and Time Inc. Websites

October 26, 2009 – Home office, telework and road warrior technology tips from leading home-business and work-at-home expert Jeff Zbar of ChiefHomeOfficer.com will be featured in more than two million copies of TIME, Fortune and Money magazines and Time Inc. websites beginning this week.

In a unique promotional campaign for Marriott International Inc.'s Residence Inn brand, Zbar provides two dozen tips on remote work strategies, "cloud" computing and online security. The tips are presented on "bookmarks" bound into the magazines and linked to from the websites. Read more

Southwest Airlines and The St. Joe Company Enter Into Strategic Alliance to Land Jet Service at Region's Newest Airport; Carrier Plans Start-Up to Multiple Destinations in May 2010

October 21, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. today announces its intent to begin jet service from Northwest Florida's new international airport near Panama City, Florida in May 2010. The planned service is made possible through a strategic alliance agreement developed between Southwest and The St. Joe Company, one of Florida's largest landowners and real estate developers. The new airport will introduce daily jet service to the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast, providing Southwest Customers easy access to its stunning white-sand beaches and vibrant communities. For more information on the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast, please visit www.thebeachfla.com.

Southwest has not released specific service details, saying only that it will add at least two daily nonstop flights from Northwest Florida to four destinations across its 68 airport network for a total of eight daily nonstop flights when it begins service next year. Northwest Florida will be the first international airport to open in the nation in more than a decade. The new international airport is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in May 2010. Specific details on Southwest's fares and schedule will be available in December 2009. Read more

July 2009 – Want to hit the road – but don't think you can leave the job behind? Then take it along for the ride.

This summer, the "anywhere" office comes to life as Home Office Highway '09 reveals the technology, tools and strategies that make taking a vacation a guilt-free and productive adventure.

The two-week road show and social media event will bring "location independence" to the open road in a recreational vehicle equipped with the latest small office technology. Hosted and produced by technology, telework and home office columnist expert Jeff Zbar, the tour will take his family throughout the American South, visiting small towns and popular tourist destinations – and revealing just how productive a traveling family can be."In today's economy, many entrepreneurs and employees feel it's the wrong time to take a break," said Zbar, who will chronicle the adventure each day in blogs and videologues at HomeOfficeHighway.com. The trip will culminate in a presentation at Orlando's Disney Entrepreneur Center.Read more

June 1, 2009 – Enter the REAL. FUN. BEACH. Contest for a chance to win cash and prizes that include a vacation to Panama City Beach in Northwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico.

This summer, Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau is holding a contest and giving each winner $10,000 in cash and prizes, including customized beach vacations. There will be five winners in all for a grand total of $50,000 worth of prizes.

From Memorial Day, May 25, through July 31, 2009, you can enter this competition for a personalized vacation package to this destination known for family attractions, award-winning cuisine and 27 miles of sugar-white-sand beaches and emerald green waters. Every package includes a five-night stay in plush, waterfront accommodations, plus customized vacation experiences, cash prizes and more.Read more