Quick getaways from Singapore made easier with Changi Airport’s new Weekend Escapades mobile app

Fifty-two featured destinations – one for every weekend of the year

SINGAPORE, 14 July 2014 – Changi Airport Group (CAG) today launched a refreshed Weekend Escapades mobile app jam-packed with brand new travel tips on 52 destinations within a six-hour flight radius of Singapore, where holiday-makers can now look forward to a different getaway every week. 

The all-in-one, on-the-go app now provides users with even more ideas on holiday destinations with brand new functions that include sharing, bookmarking, rating, searching by interest and easy steps that allow users to plan their trips.  Best of all, the enhanced travel app – loaded with exciting content such as travel information, flight searches and the latest airline promotions all within a few finger-taps – remains free of charge. 

Information in Weekend Escapades is provided by popular travel guide book series Insight Guides.  Travel tips are presented in a bite-sized format for easy digestion on-the-go.  Users can search for ideas on potential travel destinations based on preferred location, personal interests, key events that are taking place or top featured destinations.  A ready-to-use itinerary is also offered for each city.

The Weekend Escapades app caters to the needs of time-strapped holiday-makers looking for the ideal weekend getaway or short holiday to break away from the hustle and bustle of routine city life.  Apart from popular destinations like Hong Kong, Bangkok and Bali, it provides information on Asian destinations that are off the beaten track, such as Danang, Kalibo, Mandalay and Wuhan, for the more adventurous travellers.

Mr Kelvin Ng, CAG’s Assistant Vice President, Marketing Communications, said: “Following positive feedback from those who have used the app previously, we discovered that holiday-makers are keen to explore new travel destinations and we have designed an enhanced app that offers information on even more unique nearby getaways – one for every weekend of the year.

“The one-stop travel app not only makes holiday planning a breeze by providing users with suggested itineraries, not-to-be-missed attractions and easy booking steps, but also comes with handy phrases and festival guides, making it easy for travellers to explore each destination on-the-go.”.  

In conjunction with the launch of the refreshed Weekend Escapades, there will be a weekly ticket-hunt contest – “Win a Weekend Escapade” – where four lucky winners will win a pair of tickets to four different destinations.

Participants simply have to download the Weekend Escapades app and find a luggage icon hidden within the app using clues provided.  Those who succeed will be eligible to take part in the weekly draw, with one winner selected each week from 14 July to 10 August 2014.

The Weekend Escapades app can be downloaded for free at both the Apple iTunes and Android app stores.  More information on the app can be found in the Annex.

Annex

Key highlights to the Weekend Escapades app

1.  Featured Destinations

·  Users can vote for their favourite destinations and the one with the most likes will appear on the homepage.

·  There is also a Top Picks list tab where destinations are ranked according to the votes from users, and in categories such as romantic getaways and kid-friendly destinations.

2.  Flight Promotions

·  Changi Airport works closely with airlines to offer regular airfare promotions to destinations featured in the app.

·  Users are able to search flights to their preferred destination at the lowest available fares.

3.  Upcoming events calendar

·  On the homepage, there is a tab for users to browse upcoming events in the region that are popular.

·  There is also a yearly calendar for travellers to know what is in store for them in the month that they will be visiting the destination.

4.  Searching by interest

·  With an enhanced search function, users can now enjoy the “match me up” function, where the app will automatically source for the best travel destination based on the preferences indicated, such as Shopaholic, Adventure or Foodie.

5.  Bookmarking

·  The new bookmarking functionallows users to plan their trip by saving all of their favourite destinations at one location for easy reference in future. 

6.  “Win a Weekend Escapade” contest

·  Weekend Escapades app users can stand a chance to participate in the weekly draw to win air tickets to Danang, Kalibo, Mandalay and Wuhan.

·  A clue will be given each week for users to find the hidden luggage icon within the app.

·  The contest will run from 14 July to 10 August, with four pairs of tickets to be given out in total.