This first-of-its-kind survey for Cendant Corporation, conducted on all of the company’s travel-related Web sites in November and December, offers a unique perspective on the concerns and priorities of travelers across hotel, rental car, vacation rental, and general use travel Web sites.

The survey found that getting the best deal is the highest priority for consumers when planning holiday trips this year.

• 33 percent of respondents chose “finding the lowest prices” as their top priority for holiday travel planning.
• Value—not just price—counts too, with 18 percent choosing “getting the most value out of my budget” as their top priority.
• “Keeping travel low-stress” came in as the third highest priority, with 8 percent noting it as a concern.

A focus on cost and value makes sense for the four out of 10 respondents (42 percent) who answered that the economy has negatively impacted their family travel budget this year. However, 49 percent said it had no impact on their travel budget, perhaps evidenced by the survey’s finding that nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) plan on traveling more than 50 miles away from home for the holidays.

On a lighter note, the survey asked respondents what “must have” items they will bring along on holiday trips. Forty-one percent will bring a cell phone to stay connected, with a good book (34 percent) and plenty of cash (29 percent) also making it into the travel-on bag. And for smooth and comfortable travel away from home, 15 percent will stash special snacks, 14 percent will pack a personal CD/cassette player, and 13 percent will bring a favorite pillow. Perhaps to help keep family gatherings harmonious, four percent will be sure to pack earplugs. (See “Top 10” list below.)

“This survey, offered across multiple Cendant-affiliated travel-related Web sites, is the first of its kind for Cendant,” said Sam E. Galeotos, president & CEO of Galileo International and Cendant Travel Distribution Services. “The findings help us understand what’s important to travelers across a wide range of travel options. And, these results confirm what we’ve seen all year—that family and value are leading priorities overall for the traveling public. To serve these needs, we are offering great promotions and deals to help customers make their holiday, as well as winter travel plans.”

Cendant’s travel brands are offering money- and stress-saving promotions this holiday season, including at least 30 percent off regular rates from Howard Johnson; Last-Minute Trips packages, Caribbean cruises from as low as $45/day, and no online booking fees from Trip.com and Cheaptickets.com; 20 percent discounts off weekly or weekend rentals plus a free ski rack from Avis; and weekly specials on vacation rental accommodations, including vacation homes and condominiums, for as low as $449/week from the RCI Holiday Network (www.RCIHN.com). The survey encompassed all of Cendant’s travel-related Web sites between Nov. 20, 2002 and Dec. 16, 2002. Over 1,000 respondents were queried about their travel plans for the 2002 holiday season, including priorities, modes of travel, accommodations, and “must have” items to bring along. To thank participants, Cendant will donate $1.00 for each completed survey to America’s Second Harvest (www.secondharvest.org) to help fight hunger.

Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD) is primarily a provider of travel and residential real estate services. With approximately 90,000 employees, New York City-based Cendant provides these services to businesses and consumers in over 100 countries. Cendant’s many travel subsidiaries make it the world’s largest franchiser of hotels, the leading provider of vacation timeshare exchange, the largest independent provider of vacation ownership intervals, a top five leisure travel agency, the second largest Global Distribution System, and the largest U.S. general use car rental operator. Trip Network, Inc., is an independent affiliate of Cendant, and a leading online travel portal.