As you may remember, we launched this promotion to mark the 3,000+ booking sites now supported by TripIt, and to remind travelers to send us all the reservations from your trips, including restaurants, concerts, and more.  

Apparently, we were preaching to the choir! 66% of the total reservations forwarded to TripIt during the contest were “not just a plane” – led by hotels and car rentals.

So without further ado, congratulations to Sara of Prescott Valley, Arizona on being the proud winner of our “Not Just a Plane” promotion, and a $500 AMEX gift card. 

Here are a few words from our big winner:  

“I travel frequently for work and TripIt is a lifesaver!  Before a trip, I used to have to create an itinerary using Excel, which involved finding all my email reservations, and then, flipping back and forth between them and my spreadsheet.  I've been using TripIt for about a year and it has streamlined the process for me.  It is so easy to forward my email reservations and have TripIt put it all together for me in an itinerary.  It saves me so much time!  Also, I love the TripIt app for Android.  I no longer have to worry about printing out my reservations or directions, it's all available in the palm of my hand!" 

Sara, we hope you can put the $500 towards a relaxing leisure trip.

For everyone else, remember to forward all your reservations to plans@tripit.com. We can handle it!

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

Promotion open only to residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are at least 18 (or the age of majority in entrant's state of residence). Promotion starts 12:01 AM PT on 3/3/2011 and ends 11:59 PM PT on 4/13/2011. Winner will be selected by random drawing on 4/27/2011 and notified by phone and/or e-mail by 5/4/2011. One winner will receive one $500 American Express gift card. To enter, follow the directions in Section 7 of the Official Rules ("Rules") to enter online (via http://blog.tripit.com/2011/03/not-just-a-plane-promotion.html ) or by mail. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited. Promotion subject to Rules, so see Rules for full details. Sponsor: TripIt, Inc., 500 Treat Ave., Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94110.

The post Good Things Come in Threes: Meet the “Not Just a Plane” Winner appeared first on TripIt Blog.

“Not Just a Plane” Promotion

Create more useful trip plans on TripIt, get a chance to win $500!

Create a more useful trip itinerary with 3+ booking confirmations, from over 3,000+ travel and hospitality sites TripIt supports, and you’re auto-magically entered to win. 

Prize Details: 

Enter to win a $500 America Express gift card.

How to enter:

1. Be a member of TripIt.com or visit www.tripit.com to register for free.
2. Login to your TripIt.com account at www.tripit.com.
3. Create a trip itinerary that includes at least 3 booking confirmations sent either by email to plans@tripit.com or automatically sent to TripIt if your Gmail account is linked to TripIt.

Check here for the most popular TripIt supported sites.

Bonus entries:

Log additional trips at TripIt.com to obtain additional entries following Steps 1-3 above – you may obtain up to nine additional entries.  

Start and end dates:

You have from March 3 – April 13 to create trip itineraries.

To see more details: Read full contest rules.

Good luck and happy planning!

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

Promotion open only to residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are at least 18 (or the age of majority in entrant's state of residence). Promotion starts 12:01 AM PT on 3/3/2011 and ends 11:59 PM PT on 4/13/2011. Winner will be selected by random drawing on 4/27/2011 and notified by phone and/or e-mail by 5/4/2011. One winner will receive one $500 American Express gift card. To enter, follow the directions in Section 7 of the Official Rules ("Rules") to enter online (via http://blog.tripit.com/2011/03/not-just-a-plane-promotion.html ) or by mail. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited. Promotion subject to Rules, so see Rules for full details. Sponsor: TripIt, Inc., 500 Treat Ave., Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94110.

The post Not Just a Plane Promotion…We’re Giving Away $500! appeared first on TripIt Blog.

Roses are red, violets are blue, TripIt Pro makes travel easy to do!

While others scramble to arrange flowers (sure to wilt in a few days) or procrastinate over a cute fluffy toy (soon to be parked on a high shelf)… relax and enjoy the weekend, we’ve got it covered!  For just $49 let us help you organize a gift that will be greatly appreciated for the entire year.

TripIt Pro has all the goodness of TripIt, plus:

• Alerts about flight delays, cancellations and gate changes.
• A helping hand when you need to find an alternate flight with open seats.
• Frequent travel account information all in one place.
• Airfare refund tracking – the average refund is $150!

For frequent travelers, that’s a lot tastier than a box of chocolates!

You can learn more about TripIt Pro or to buy your gift click here.  

The post Spread the Love with a Gift of TripIt Pro appeared first on TripIt Blog.

Airfares have been pretty high for holiday travel this year, with rates climbing as prime travel dates get closer. Among our travelers, we found that people paid an average of 6% more for flights booked less than 30 days out, 15% more less than 14 days out and 26% more less than 10 days out. It seems there is a rule of thumb that may lay the internal debate partially to rest—it pays to book at least 30 days ahead!

Although you might mutter “bah humbug” if you weren’t able to book your flight until the last minute, TripIt Pro can offer you a saving grace (literally!). Over the holiday season, we have seen about 6% of TripIt Pro members secure an airfare refund, with an average value of $150. Frontier Airlines comes in at the top, with 37% of flights booked by TripIt Pro members eligible for a refund, average value $179. Delta Airlines has a lower refund eligibility rate (1.4%), but has awarded the highest average refund of $400.

Learn more about refund tracking or add TripIt Pro to your holiday gift wish list.

Let us know if you scored any great savings on holiday travel this year, or if you haven’t and need to vent your inner Scrooge.

Safe travels and Happy Holidays!

The post Did the Airlines Put Coal in Your Stocking This Holiday Season? appeared first on TripIt Blog.

So which destinations are popular this year and how does this compare to last year? For the many holiday trips coinciding with Christmas (Dec. 22-29), we found that New York and LA held the top two spots, just as they did in 2009. However Chicago, San Francisco and Las Vegas have gained popularity in 2010, while it appears London and Boston may have fewer holiday visitors than they did last year. 

What’s more, TripIt travelers seem to be favoring the warmer climes of Florida (Orlando and Fort Lauderdale) for the 2010 holidays, with more than a fifty percentage growth in trips vs. 2009. A great place to escape from the snow, ice and the wind chill factor!

Not surprisingly, given higher airfares and a struggling economy, we have seen a decline in trips to several popular international destinations, including Rome, Bangkok, Sydney, Paris and Amsterdam.

Are you staying home this holiday season or, like me, will you be sharing your TripIt itineraries with Santa so he knows exactly where you are going?

Even if Santa isn’t part of your TripIt network, you might want to share travel plans with your family and friends so they can see what time you will arrive and where you will be.

If you subscribe to TripIt Pro, be sure to add family and friends to your Inner Circle, so they automatically see your plans, plus any flight delays or cancellations you may have. Learn more…

The post Does Santa Know Where to Find you This Year? TripIt’s Top 10 Holiday Destinations appeared first on TripIt Blog.