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StudentUniverse.com Becomes the First Travel Search Engine to Offer Real-Time Flexible Date Search Function

Written by thomas · Filed Under Commercial 

August 26, 2008

thomas

New Search Technology from Online Student Travel Leader Helps Students Find
the Cheapest Airline Tickets

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Leading online student and
faculty travel provider StudentUniverse.com today introduced new
proprietary search technology that allows flexible date search
functionality to help students find lower-priced airfares.
StudentUniverse.com is the first travel search engine to offer a real-time
flexible date search function. Users can select to search up to three days
before and three days after their preferred departure and return dates to
get real time cheapest fares on up to 49 travel day combinations — plus an
expanded array of more airfare options with one click. In addition to
introducing new search technology StudentUniverse has launched a completely
redesigned Web site to help streamline student travel searches.

“We know that the average student searches several travel day
combinations when booking air travel. Our new site does the work for you —
providing students with the best fares across more itineraries with one
search,” said Atle Skalleberg, head of research and marketing for
StudentUniverse.com. “We made a real investment in technology to help make
it possible for college students and faculty to find cheaper fares faster,”
Skalleberg continued.

StudentUniverse.com Homepage:

To use the flexible search tool, students simply enter preferred dates
of travel and use the drop down feature to select their flexibility. Users
can get three days flexibility on their departure and return date,
resulting in up to 49 unique date combinations. No other travel site offers
this feature with live availability.

Search Results:

Results are displayed in an easy-to-read grid with the cheapest fares
for up to 49 date combinations, including the specified travel dates. Use
mouse to roll over desired flight to display basic flight information
including carrier, number of stops and price on the left hand side of the
screen.

Finding the Cheapest Alternative:

Once users find the best alternative in the matrix they can get
additional flight information, including flight departure and arrival
times, taxes and airline information below the matrix. Users can easily
sort the results to find what suits them.

A team of developers at StudentUniverse.com sifted through years of
usability testing to create a Web site design to represent
StudentUniverse.com’s mission — to help students find the cheapest travel.

“Not only will the improvements in search technology help students get
more results faster, but a new clean and streamlined look will make it even
easier for students to find what they are looking for,” said Chad Mooney,
Project Manager for the new StudentUniverse site and services.

“We are not a huge company telling students what they want. We are a
small company listening to students and enhancing our Web site based on
specific feedback,” said Skalleberg. “Students can be more flexible with
travel dates and price is most important when booking travel. With the new
flexible search functionality at StudentUniverse.com students can see the
different prices for up to a week’s worth of travel dates and can be
confident they are getting a good deal.”

For more information and screen shots visit
http://www.studentuniverse.com/press.htm.

About StudentUniverse.com

Founded in 1999 as a travel agency exclusively for college students,
StudentUniverse.com helps college students travel more and spend less.
Through proprietary verification technology (to confirm student status) and
exclusive airline deals, StudentUniverse.com connects students with
discounted airfares and other travel deals. Each month, more than half a
million college students and faculty rely on StudentUniverse.com to source
the best travel deals, so they can travel more and spend less. For more
information, visit http://www.studentuniverse.com.

SOURCE StudentUniverse.com

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