As you might be aware, I am the PR representative for online travel comparison service Cheapflights in Australia and New Zealand.
In recent months, the Australian site has undergone a major overhaul, as part of new technology under the banner of the Momondo Group. Cheapflights and Momondo sites, collectively attract 17.5 million visitors a month plus more than 7 million people subscribing to their travel newsletters.
As a travel writer, I thought you might be interested in some of the new features of the site which you might be able to use when wanting to add airfare details to travel features or if you are in need for a short, sharp deal.
Also, there is a team of travel experts at Cheapflights.com who are willing to provide editorial comment on any travel topic – especially those relating to saving money on travel. Most of these people are based at Cheapflight’s head office in London but they understand the pressure of your deadlines and the inconvenience of the time difference between Australia and London so will prioritise any queries I direct to them. Alternatively, I am able to comment on behalf on the company on most matters – if you are after an ultra-quick turnaround.
Cheapflights was originally established as a consumer advocacy service in 1996 by UK travel journalist John Hatt. Since then, the service has grown to 12 international sites serving 25 countries. The entire Cheapflights team is aware of the need for a quick turnaround for quotes and information.
Some cool things about the new Cheapflights.com.au:
Quite simply, it looks awesome and is really easy to use. But the changes are not just cosmetic, the technology is fast and impressive – not to mention, cutting edge. Check out a summary of my experience from a search I did this morning whilst dreaming of leis and alohas.
It is totally free for consumers to use – no log-in or email collection prior to use – simply type in your search terms and then go. All bookings are made directly with the airline or travel agency.
All fares include fees and taxes so there are no hidden surprises.
New Cheapflights apps have been developed for Apple and Android devices. These can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, Google Play or here.
My experience, today, searching for flights between Brisbane to Honolulu 1-8 April, for a tropical Easter escape:
The site searches literally thousands of flight options to any destination on your chosen date of travel. On my search nearly 1600 flight combinations were searched with hundreds of travel agents/airlines and I was presented with a mind-boggling 65 pages of options – but I didn’t need to sift through them all to find a flight to book.
The search findings could then be sorted to my choice of:
Cheapest
Quickest
Smart value (best balance of cheapest and quickest).
Other search filters include:
Departure time
Flight duration
Airlines
Price
On my search:
the cheapest flight was $1373 with Jetstar and an average journey duration of 15hrs and 10 minutes.
the quickest flight was $6,396 (ouch) with an average journey duration of 11hrs and 25 minutes.
While Cheapflight’s Smart Value service (balancing best price with the lowest travel time) selected a fare of $1693 with multiple airlines with an average journey duration of 11hrs and 35 minutes.
But that’s not all:
The site features an array of hot deals and travel specials. The latest deals, which change regularly, can be found at www.cheapflights.com.au/hot-travel-deals
It also features general information about popular cities for Australian travellers (tailored to match what people are commonly searching). You can view an example at http://www.cheapflights.com.au/flights-to-London/ This section features tips on the best time to fly to the city (advising peak season and off season), an idea of average fares (from a choice of Australian airports) and details of how much common things cost in that city (e.g. beer, cappuccino, a litre of milk, pair of jeans etc) and more.
If there is ever anything I can do to help make your job a little bit easier, please let me know.
One thing I can’t help with however (and I wish I could) is with the provision of media flights so you can travel the world and regale us with your stories. Cheapflights doesn’t operate a travel agency or an airline, it is an online search tool, and therefore the best deals we can source are the ones you’ll find on the website.
Kind regards
Susan Sullivan
Cheapflights Representative (Australia & New Zealand)
Susan Sullivan, Public Relations for cheapflights.com.au Media Release
