Trip.com
wants to bring out the spontaneity in you and help you get away this fall by offering a fantastic savings of $50 off already discounted Last Minute Trips through October 28, 2002.

Customers can choose from hundreds of Flight & Hotel, Flight & Rental Car, Flight & More, and Hotel & More packages, with savings of up to 60 percent. Travelers can plan their quick getaways based on a preferred destination, or based on desired activities such as going to the beach, taking the kids away or seeing the fall foliage. Other choices include international travel, luxury packages, and golf or gambling getaways. There are many departure cities to choose from, and purchases can be made from 14 days to three hours in advance of departure.

According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Trip Network, Inc., which operates Trip.com, two out of five Americans (39%) who purchase tickets closer to the time of departure are doing so because of the ease and speed of the Internet while 33 percent of them are doing it to simply be spontaneous. Twenty-two percent of respondents purchase their travel within 14 days of departure. The survey also found that the top two reasons why people are compelled to purchase travel at the last minute are because of the cost savings they can realize, either on individual components (39 percent) or on value-added packages combining more than one travel element (31 percent).

“Trip.com`s Last Minute Trips are the perfect tool to help customers get away, with great savings that make it nearly impossible to stay home,” said Evans Gebhardt, chief marketing officer of Trip Network Inc., which operates Trip.com. “At Trip.com, we`re giving customers even greater reasons to try Last Minute Trips - 50 of them actually, with $50 off.”

The Trip Network survey also uncovered the top-five, last minute dream destinations.

1 - Hawaii

2 - Caribbean

3 - Paris

4 - London

5 - Las Vegas

Through Last Minute Trips, the savings are exponential when compared to travel purchased separately. Below are a few samples of the great deals to some of the top destinations:

Hawaii
Visit the number one last minute dream destination of Hawaii from Los Angeles, arriving on Oct. 18, from as low as $407 per person, with three nights accommodations and round trip airfare. Purchasing a round trip flight to Honolulu from Los Angeles separately is currently $479 per person.

Caribbean

Or check out the number two, dream destination when you fly to the Caribbean`s Freeport, Grand Bahamas, from New York, on Oct. 18, from as low as $298 per person, with three nights accommodations and round trip airfare. A round trip flight from New York to Freeport, purchased separately, is currently $422 per person.

Las Vegas

Wager the money you save when you visit Las Vegas from Boston, departing on Oct. 26, from $415 per person, with three nights accommodations and round trip airfare. A flight booked separately is currently more than $500 per person.

Taxes and Governmental Fees. Additional charges for airfare portion of travel packages include but are not limited to: (i) Airport Passenger Facility Charges that range from $2-$18, depending on itinerary; (ii) Federal Segment Fees of $3.00/segment (takeoff/landing); (iii) Sept. 11 Security Fees of $2.50/enplanement originating at US airport (maximum $10); (iv) Travel Facilities Tax up to $13.20/round-trip for domestic flights beginning or ending in Alaska or Hawaii; and (v) applicable international taxes and fees up to $125 or more per round trip, depending on routing and destination. Total package price per passenger will always be displayed to you prior to final purchase.

Related stories on ITN

(29/07/2002) InsureMyTrip.com Announces New Site Addition

(18/06/2002) NickJr.com and Trip.com to Create New Travel Site

(12/06/2002) Trip.com to Launch Vacation Packages

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