2008-08-04 17:52:05 -
- Priceline.com Brian Ek, 203-299-8167 brian.ek@priceline.com Travelers who missed their first chance to book a Priceline Sunshine Guaranteed vacation package now have another opportunity. Today, priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) www.priceline.com announced a new Sunshine Guaranteed promotion for late Summer/Fall 2008 that will refund customers if rain ruins their vacation.
"We were pleased by the positive customer response this
summer to our Sunshine Guaranteed vacation packages, and we have decided to offer them again for late summer and fall travel," said Tom Trotta, priceline.com's Senior Vice President, Vacation Packages. "With schools back in session, fall can be an excellent time for a crowd-free vacation. We also recognize that rainouts may be a particular concern for some destinations during the peak hurricane season, and we have included many of these destinations in our new Sunshine Guaranteed promotion." Priceline's Sunshine Guaranteed promotion includes over 100 destinations in the U.S., the Caribbean, Canada and Europe. Destinations throughout Florida are included, as well as New Orleans, Hawaii, Nassau/Freeport, Costa Rica, Jamaica and San Juan.
Priceline also announced today that, so far, it has refunded nearly 200 packages for families and individuals whose rainy vacations qualified for Sunshine Guaranteed refunds. In addition to refunding 100% of the airfare, hotel and rental car, several of the payments included refunds for Disney theme park passes and other tours and attractions purchased as part of the Sunshine Guaranteed packages.
Hannah Singleton of Rockport, IN, was one of those Priceline customers who qualified for a Sunshine Guaranteed refund for her trip to Charleston, SC. "I purchased the package through Priceline because the price was fantastic and no other service was offering Sunshine Guaranteed vacations," said Ms. Singleton. "Now, because of the refund, I can take two vacations. Thank you, Priceline."
Under the Fall 2008 Sunshine Guaranteed promotion, customers who book a vacation package to any one of over 100 qualifying destinations in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Europe between August 4th and September 12, 2008 and travel between August 16, 2008 and November 16, 2008 will be eligible for a refund if their vacation is rained out.
There is no additional charge to book a Sunshine Guaranteed vacation package. Qualifying vacation packages must be 3-8 days in length. Travel must commence at least 12 days after a package is purchased. If it rains more than 0.50 inches per day on half or more of the days of a Sunshine Guaranteed vacation (including travel days), priceline.com will provide a refund for 100% of the cost of airfare, hotel, rental car and attractions and services components of the Sunshine Guaranteed vacation package.
Rainfall amounts are measured at the destination airport of the vacation package. The daily amount of rain that falls at the destination airport will be determined from measurements provided by the National Weather Service or other independent agency. Rainfall will also be audited by a private independent provider of weather information. Priceline.com will automatically check the rainfall for each customer and will issue qualifying refunds within three weeks of trip completion. Priceline.com also will provide vacationers with a customized link so they can track their rainfall online. Priceline's Sunshine Guaranteed promotion is being powered by WeatherBill (www.weatherbill.com).
Priceline's vacation packages service lets customers choose the exact hotel and airline flights they want. By booking their hotel and airfare together, they can save up to $325 over the cost of booking them separately. Customers can see flight times and airlines, as well as hotel pictures, descriptions, amenities and more.
In addition to their flights and hotels, Priceline's vacation package customers can book rental cars, airport transfers, tours and attractions. All vacation packages are covered by a best-price guarantee. If, within 24 hours of purchase, a customer finds a better price for the identical package, Priceline will refund 100% of the difference.
About Priceline.com(R) Incorporated
Priceline.com Incorporated (Nasdaq: PCLN) www.priceline.com provides online travel services in 21 languages in over 60 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Priceline.com operates Booking.com, a leading international online hotel reservation service, priceline.com, a leading U.S. online travel service for value-conscious leisure travelers, and Agoda.com, an Asian online hotel reservation service.
Priceline.com believes that Booking.com is Europe's largest and fastest growing hotel reservation service, with a network of affiliated Web sites. Booking.com operates in over 60 countries in 17 languages and offers its customers access to over 45,000 participating hotels worldwide.
In the U.S., priceline.com gives customers more ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises than any other Internet travel service. In addition to getting great published prices, leisure travelers can narrow their searches using priceline.com's TripFilter advanced search technology, customize their search activity through priceline.com's Inside Track features, create packages to save even more money, and take advantage of priceline.com's famous Name Your Own Price(R) service, which can deliver the lowest prices available.
Priceline.com also operates the following travel websites: Travelweb.com, Lowestfare.com, RentalCars.com and BreezeNet.com. Priceline.com also has a personal finance service that offers home mortgages, refinancing and home equity loans through an independent licensee. Priceline.com licenses its business model to independent licensees, including priceline mortgage and certain international licensees.
Get a Full Refund for Airfare, Hotel, Rental Car & More If Rain
Ruins Your Vacation