USATODAY.com has announced the launch
of USATODAY.com Travel, a web site packed with information and tools to help
travelers take control of the travel experience, whether traveling on
business, for pleasure, or mixing the two.
 
The new website, found at www.travel.usatoday.com
, enables
business travelers to check for flight delays before leaving for the airport,
provides tips on maximizing frequent flier miles, and gives recommendations of
restaurants and things worth doing in leading U.S. and international business
cities.
 
When it comes time for a holiday, USATODAY.com Travel is also an ideal
starting point. Features include unbiased coverage of the best travel deals on
the Web, a vacation recommendation engine, and booking of air, hotels, cars,
vacations and cruises. Booking on the site is powered by Travelocity.com, a
leading online travel provider with fare information for more than 700
airlines, more than 55,000 hotels, more than 50 car rental companies, and
eight cruise lines.
 
“USATODAY.com Travel was built for the customer USA TODAY already knows
well—the traveler,” said Jeff Webber, senior vice president and publisher
of USATODAY.com. “By combining the best travel-planning tools with the
editorial content that USA TODAY is known for, we hope to help our customers
reduce the hassle and increase the fun of travel.”
 
The travel site was designed using research conducted with USATODAY.com
users and USA TODAY readers, who recommended a number of features they said
existing travel websites were lacking. The USA TODAY audience includes a high
proportion of frequent travelers.
 
Among USATODAY.com Travel`s exclusive features is “Today in the Sky,” a
real-time weblog of air traffic developments and news that can affect air
travelers. USATODAY.com`s air traffic reporter, Ben Mutzabaugh, monitors
weather, congestion and flight patterns across the country so he can warn
travelers of flight delays before they happen.
 
Regular columnists or contributors to the site include Joe Brancatelli,
Christopher Elliott, Rudy Maxa, Harriet Baskas, all of whom are leading
travelers` advocates or advisors. In addition, it features exclusive columns
by David Grossman, a former airline executive and frequent flyer who offers
behind-the-scenes looks at the travel industry.
 
The site offers 24-hour access to travel news, information and services,
while drawing on the insight and experience of USA TODAY, the traveler`s
trusted resource.

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