Discount travel site Hotwire.com has introduced a new tool, TripStarter, that helps travelers more informed choices as they are beginning to plan a trip. The Hotwire TripStarter planning tool is the only online resource to offer historical air and hotel pricing data, helping travelers decide when and where to go on vacation and providing information on weather, local events and attractions for domestic and international destinations.

“With vacations, just as with life, timing is everything. Pick the right time, and you can enjoy significant savings on the cost of travel,” said Tim MacDonald, vice president of product at Hotwire. “Consumers are aware of the volatility of airline fares. What is less known is that hotel rates also vary dramatically throughout the year and impact the cost of a trip. Our customers can now use the Hotwire TripStarter tool and benefit from our deep expertise in discount travel and get maximum vacation value.”

New Tool Shows How Trip Timing Can Mean Dramatic Differences in Cost

The Hotwire TripStarter tool is ideal for customers who are in the early stages of planning a trip. For example, a traveler in New York City considering a summer vacation in Paris can see that airfares peak in June and July. However, they can also see that in May the temperature is mild, and average hotel and airfare rates are significantly lower, making May an affordable and pleasant time to visit the City of Lights.

The new feature informs trip planners by providing guidance on when is the best time to visit based on cost and weather, and what to do there, in one easy-to-use tool. With just a few clicks, customers can view both air and hotel prices for up to two years, along with weather and event information.
For travelers still deciding where they might want to go on vacation, the new Hotwire tool also provides recommendations on other places of interest based on customer preferences. For example, a couple planning to visit San Francisco may also see travel suggestions for Las Vegas, Los Angeles or San Diego.

Added MacDonald: “We know that choosing when and where to go on vacation can be time-consuming and stressful. With this new tool, Hotwire takes the mystery out of travel planning and helps travelers make smarter decisions by combining our deep understanding of pricing trends with relevant local information on weather and events.”

The Hotwire TripStarter tool is based on published airfare pricing and availability data from several airline global distribution systems, and hotel pricing and availability from published sources. Historical pricing trends are based upon the lowest available Internet retail rates. Airfare rates are total per roundtrip, including taxes, while hotel rates are based on the nightly room rate. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com/tripstarter.
——-