Priceline.com Reveals Flight Deals to Unexpected European Destinations for Summer 2015

NORWALK, Conn., May 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A strong dollar overseas isn't the only reason to travel to Europe this summer.  With lower airfares from the U.S. to various European cities, travel to the continent is more affordable this summer than last, according to a recent data analysis from priceline.com, a leader in online and mobile travel and part of The Priceline Group of (NASDAQ: PCLN).

The brand looked at airfare for recently reserved flights to European cities for June, July and August and uncovered 10 off-the-beaten-path destinations that have seen significant fare decreases – some as much as 20 percent or more – year over year from 2014 to 2015.  In particular, priceline.com customers have seized roundtrip airfares averaging less than $1,200 for destinations, including St. Petersburg, Istanbul, and Thessaloniki.  Destinations that are heating up – where ticket sales have at least doubled this year over last year – include Malta, Lyon, Sarajevo and Split.

"Since the start of the year, we've seen a continuing trend in priceline.com customers scoring travel deals to Europe and our latest data confirms that trend has continued, even during peak travel season," said Brigit Zimmerman, Senior Vice President of Air and Vacation Packages at priceline.com.  "To score the best deals and round out the experience abroad, travel to unexpected cities which can serve as a gateway to more well-known destinations.  No matter the destination, priceline.com has deals for every budget."

*Average airfares and percentages were calculated on May 26, 2015 and are subject to change at any time.

Priceline.com also offered the following tips to save on travel to Europe this summer:

• Reserve vacation packages: Consider reserving a package that includes airfare and hotel.  Priceline.com's airline and hotel partners offer great deals when bundled together, sometimes saving travelers up to hundreds of dollars over buying separately.
• Look at opaque travel services: Priceline.com offers a variety of products to ensure travelers find the very best deals for their European getaways, including the Name Your Own Price bidding tool where you can negotiate hotel rates up to 60 percent off retail and airfare up to 40 percent off retail rates.  Express Deals offer hotels up to 60 percent off retail rates and through the iOS app, airfare up to 20 percent off retail rates without bidding.
• Have a flexible timeline: Score extra savings by being flexible on your travel dates.  Choose your destination and then price out the cost of the airfare and hotel for the length of your trip in June, July, August and September to spot the month with the lowest fare.
• Be a mobile traveler: Whether you need a flight, hotel or rental car last-minute, check your mobile devices for last-minute deals near you.  Bargains are often made available exclusively to customers who have the priceline.com travel app. 

For more information, please visit www.priceline.com/media or connect with priceline.com on Facebook and Twitter.

About priceline.com

Priceline.com, part of The Priceline Group [NASDAQ: PCLN], gives leisure travelers multiple ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to getting compelling published prices, travelers can take advantage of priceline.com's famous Name Your Own Price® service, which can deliver the lowest prices available, or the recently added Express Deals®, where travelers can take advantage of hotel discounts without bidding.

For press information: Flavie Lemarchand-Wood at [email protected].

SOURCE priceline.com

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