The Beta release of SideStep’s new vacation package service, which enables consumers to search multiple sites at once for vacation escapes to more than 90 popular destinations worldwide, is imminent.

Published: 16 May 2005

The Beta release of SideStep’s new vacation package service, which enables consumers to search multiple sites at once for vacation escapes to more than 90 popular destinations worldwide, is imminent.

SideStep claims to be the first travel search company to offer consumers choices from a variety of providers with a single click, and believes that the new service will significantly simplify a traditionally complex process.

According to the Gartner Group, while travellers check an average of 4.2 sites before booking a flight, they check 5.8 sites before booking a vacation package. With SideStep, travellers can now turn to a single site to explore and book travel packages.

This new vacation package service evidently saves travellers 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 is also of benefit 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 intends to 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,” comments Aaron Gowell, President and Chief Executive Officer (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,” says 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 aims to help consumers find outstanding travel values through SideStep.com and the SideStepTM toolbar, as well as through TravelFinds SpecialsSM and TravelFinds SpotlightSM, the company's popular email newsletters.