expediaca-blog

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Housekeeping

This couple takes it to the extreme. What would you do to save up to $500 on your trip?

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Congrats to Team Vancouver @nycsprintyvr #nycsprint

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Starting any minute now! #batterypark #nycsprint (at Battery Park)

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With hundreds of flights and thousands of hotels at your fingertips, Expedia.ca's new mobile app makes it easy to book travel on the go. So you can turn your next trip into an adventure.

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This grand-daddy of online travel booking sites first came out with an app in 2011, but released a major update just a couple of weeks ago, adding flight information and, even more interesting, flight booking to this attractive looking phone tool. You can choose from 130 airlines, with the app automatically selecting the cheapest options for you. Downsides so far include not being able to select your seat, not getting an automatic electronic boarding pass, and not being able to select what class of travel you’d like. But this is still a pretty powerful, and pretty handy app.

Bert Archer Travel Writer

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Winter-weary Canadians Dream of Ditching the Dark

TORONTO, ON – January 21, 2013– Forget the snow and bone-chilling temperatures – what makes Canadians most want to ‘escape’ winter doesn’t have as much to do with the weather per se as you’d think.  According to a survey conducted by Expedia.ca, Canada’s leading online travel provider, the number one reason why Canadians would like to travel to a sunny destination this time of year is to avoid the shorter days and lack of sunlight.

Fifty per cent of Canadians surveyed cited dark days as their major winter gripe – not surprising that given on average, Canadians get four to six hours less sunlight in the winter compared to the summer months.1 In fact, Canadians experience almost seven hours less daylight on Canada’s shortest day, December 21st, compared to the longest, June 21st, each year.2

Though Canadians are well-known to ‘migrate’ to warmer destinations during the winter months, of those surveyed, 61 per cent stated they have never taken an all-inclusive trip to a bright and sunny warm-weather destination to escape the winter season. This season’s icy grip on Canadians coast-to-coast may change that, with almost a quarter – 22 per cent – of respondents stating that they ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ will book an all inclusive vacation this winter.

“We were surprised to learn that so many of the Canadians we polled have yet to take advantage of the convenience and cost savings of an all-inclusive vacation,” said Sean Shannon, Vice President and Managing Director of Expedia Canada. “All-inclusive packages give travellers the peace of mind they need to enjoy a relaxing trip without having to worry about anything else. Convenience is key when it comes to travel and an all-inclusive vacation – or ‘fly and flop’ – allows travellers to focus their efforts on enjoying their vacation.”

What are Canadians escaping from?

While the dark, sun-less days of winter are the number one irritant, snow, sleet and slush also play a role in the desire to flee ‘old man winter’. Of those surveyed, 32 per cent are hoping to avoid the delays caused by driving in winter weather and 30 per cent want to escape the chore of shoveling snow.

In addition, other annoyances Canadians would like to ‘escape’ from this winter include:

Suffering from seasonal colds and flus (27 per cent)

Having to bundle up in multiple layers before going outside (25 per cent)

Dealing with high heating bills due to cold weather (23 per cent)

Waking up cold in the morning and fighting to stay warm all day, no matter where you are (21 per cent)

Riding in a freezing car that stays cold until your just about to reach your destination (20 per cent)

“We understand the challenges Canadians endure during the cold winter months because at Expedia.ca, we endure them too,” said Shannon. “For those who want a break from Old Man Winter, Our Escape Winter Promotion offers a wide selection of all-inclusive trips to sunny destinations that will help Canadians feel refreshed, recharged and revitalized – feelings that will hopefully last long enough to get them through to spring.”

Popular Escape Destinations for Canadians?

So where are people going to find fun in the sun? Fifty per cent of Canadians who have taken an all-inclusive trip said they’ve travelled to Mexico to escape winter in the past. This coincides with beach vacations booked on Expedia.ca in 2012 as well, with Mexico taking the top spot.  Specific Mexico favourites for Canadian travellers in 2012 included Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Mazatlan.*

Other popular travel destinations for Canadians looking to escape the winter according to Expedia.ca’s survey include Dominican Republic (29 per cent), Florida (26 per cent), Jamaica (19 per cent), and Bahamas (13 per cent).

Expedia.ca offers solutions for Canadians who want to escape the winter

For Canadians who need a break from Old Man Winter, Expedia.ca’s Escape Winter Promotionoffers countless all-inclusive vacation options to warm, sunny destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and other locations around the world. Vacationers receive a $150 future travel credit if they book before February 28, 2013 and travel before March 31, 2013 and their trip is backed by a Best Price Guarantee. Canadians can also enter to win a 1-in-4 all-inclusive beach vacation on Expedia.ca’s Facebookpage by sending a message to ‘Old Man Winter’ via an Expedia.ca online postcard.

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Moves Like Winter!

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He's Back!

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Check out these amazing shots of Jeff "Smooth" Carson and his Las Vegas inspired sign as it lit up the sky. Congrats Jeff!

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Only 1 day left to enter our Las Vegas giveaway with The Killers. http://bit.ly/KillersinLasVegas

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February 29 is Leap Day!

We have a 1 day sale going on right now - 25% off some great properties

http://bit.ly/ECALeapYearSale