It's Not Too Late to Give the Gift of Travel This Holiday Season With Cheap Tickets As More People Travel This Year, Give the Gift That Won't Get Returned - A Last Minute Trip Gift Certificate PARSIPPANY, N.J., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday shoppers seeking creative, last-minute gift ideas -- and a respite from the crowds at the mall -- may find the perfect gift just a click away on leading online travel Web site http://www.cheaptickets.com/. Cheap Tickets is offering Last Minute Trip Gift Certificates. The certificates are redeemable on CheapTickets.com for any Last Minute Trip Package. Recipients can choose from a number of different vacation packages such as ski trips, romantic weekends and Caribbean beach getaways. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021107/CHEAPLOGO ) For those shoppers who have been procrastinating over their travel plans, there is still time to get away during the holidays with a Last Minute Trip. Late-planners can still book a much-deserved vacation or head home to see family and friends -- while saving up to 60 percent* in the process. But, don't wait too long to make those travel plans, as this holiday season is gearing up to be a far busier one than last year -- at least for customers of Cheap Tickets. As of Dec. 5, Cheap Tickets reported a 56 percent increase in bookings compared to last year for travel between Dec. 23 and 27, illustrative of the rebounding trend in holiday travel. Another strong indicator that people are traveling more: group bookings (three or more people) for travel during the holidays are up 10 percent over last year. So where is everyone heading? Whether seeking warm weather or reconnecting with family, many are venturing south to Florida. According to bookings made through Cheap Tickets for travel between Dec. 23 and 27, the top 10 destinations for holiday travel this year include two hot spots in the Sunshine State that were noticeably absent from last year's top 10 list: Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. Not surprisingly, Los Angeles, Denver, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas appear to be perennial favorites for holiday travel, as people look to spend their vacations star- gazing, hitting the slopes, shopping, soaking up some culture or simply escaping everyday life and having fun. Trips to Europe and Mexico are also at the top of the list for those in search of a more international flair this holiday season. International travel accounts for 12 percent of holiday bookings made through Cheap Tickets as of Dec. 5, and the top five destinations to date are London, Mexico City, San Jose/Baja, Paris and Cancun. * Based upon comparison with published rates for air & hotel reservations booked within 7 days of departure. ABOUT LAST MINUTE TRIPS Last Minute Trips are pre-packaged vacation getaways, typically three to five days, which usually include a flight and hotel stay or a hotel and car rental combination, and often have an associated savings of up to 60 percent off of published rates. Added components like tickets to popular attractions or dinners at local restaurants are often included in the package price, and destinations include American favorites as well as numerous international locales. Last Minute Trips can be booked up to three hours in advance and a maximum of 14 days before departure. Visit http://www.cheaptickets.com/ and click on the "Last Minute Trips" tab for further information on Last Minute Trips and Last Minute Trips Gift Certificates. ABOUT CHEAP TICKETS Cheap Tickets is a leading seller of discounted leisure travel products online through its Web site, http://www.cheaptickets.com/. Cheap Tickets provides consumers access to its exclusive collection of unpublished airfares, as well as regularly published fares on hundreds of airlines. In addition to air, Cheap Tickets' family of discounted travel products also includes hotel accommodations, cruises, rental cars, vacation packages, condo rentals and Last Minute Trips. Founded in 1986, Cheap Tickets is part of the Retail Travel Services group within Cendant's Travel Distribution Services Division. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021107/CHEAPLOGODATASOURCE: Cheap Tickets CONTACT: Kathie Gonzalez +1-973-496-8890, , or Kate Sullivan, +1-973-496-4540, , both of Cendant, for Cheap Tickets Web site: http://www.cheaptickets.com/

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