80% of respondents will travel more in 2010; friend and family visits top list of reasons

LOS ANGELES, June 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LowFares.com(TM), the travel comparison search site for cheap flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages, reported today that consumer travel planning is trending upward, even in the face of a continued sluggish economy.

Of the more than 20,000 LowFares.com subscribers surveyed, 82% indicated that they plan to travel more this summer than in 2009.

The survey results indicated:

• Destinations are selected most often -- 52% of the time -- for their proximity to family and friends.
• More than 90% of respondents said they will fly to their destinations.
• 73% planned to spend more or the same on vacations as they did last year.
• More than 80% said they made travel arrangements at least a month in advance.
• Close to 75% stated that they visit four or more travel websites before making a travel decision and purchasing airline tickets.

Greg Samson, General Manager of LowFares.com, said while the results are encouraging for the travel industry, there's a potential economic message in current consumer travel preferences. "While a number of recent surveys have indicated that people plan to travel more this summer, it's compelling to see that the primary motivation for this travel is to be near friends and family, more so than getting a deal or simply relaxing," he said.

"The fact that people are traveling to see friends and family perhaps speaks to their need to cut down on hotel costs while at their chosen destination."

Samson said before finalizing vacation plans, close to 75% of respondents visit four or more Internet travel sites. "Travelers are doing their research, and 80% are searching and booking well in advance."

"There seems to be broad recognition that the Internet is the place to go when planning a vacation, and using LowFares.com can save considerable time by quickly comparing well known travel sites and travel deals to pinpoint the best value."

Samson also noted that LowFares.com has launched a new Summer Travel Issue, a 15-week series that will deliver a wealth of information for consumers during the summer travel season. Each week will feature a new destination, with stories on cities that include Buenos Aires, Paris, London, Barcelona, Vienna, Los Angeles, Chicago, Anchorage, Portland, Austin, Montreal, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Adelaide, and San Juan. Fifteen major hotels will be profiled as "Hotel of the Week." Other features are "Travel Guide of the Week," a "Top 10 List of the Week" (fun travel round-ups including "Top 10 Hotel Bars" and "Top 10 California Wineries"), and a "Gadgets of the Week" feature.

The LowFares.com Internet survey was conducted among its subscribers from May 1, 2010 through May 31, 2010. More than 20,000 subscribers participated from a base of over 700,000.

About LowFares.com(TM)

LowFares.com, an Oversee.net company, is the leader in finding cheap flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. With more than 3 million unique visitors per month, LowFares.com offers an online experience that allows travelers to search multiple travel providers simultaneously.

About Oversee.net

Oversee.net® is the leader in Internet real estate, specializing in monetizing, registering, selling and developing domain names. The company provides an array of managed services to domain investors, corporations, and individuals across more than ten million web sites. Oversee.net owns one of the largest portfolios of domain names in the world. The company's unique optimized technology connects consumers and advertisers with highly relevant advertisements. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company's core brands include DomainSponsor®, SnapNames®, Moniker® and LowFares.com(TM). To learn more, please visit www.oversee.net.

SOURCE LowFares.com