Travel Advertising Success With SideStep

Geo‑Targeting for Low‑Fare Airlines: The Independence Air Story

SideStep Inc. has built its reputation on turning everyday search queries into actionable travel opportunities. Its search engine collects millions of flight‑related searches each month, and by tying those queries to geographic data, the platform can show airline ads right where the consumer is ready to book. That precision proved essential for Independence Air, a low‑fare carrier that recently expanded its service network across key U.S. markets.

Independence Air’s strategy hinged on creating a new hub at Washington Dulles International Airport, turning the city into a central low‑fare node. The airline’s marketing team needed a way to let travelers in the Washington, D.C., area know that cheap flights were available from a new point in the city. They turned to SideStep’s geo‑targeting, which allows advertisers to set a radius around a destination and deliver ads only to users within that zone. By focusing on Dulles and the surrounding 30‑mile area, Independence Air cut through the noise of competing airports and airlines.

Unlike generic banner ads that appear on any travel site, SideStep’s ads appear when a user is actively searching for “cheap flights from Dulles” or “budget airfare to Washington.” The platform pulls in real‑time search data, so when a potential passenger types a query, the algorithm pulls the most relevant ads from the side that have matched the same destination. This immediate relevance drives higher click‑through rates and steers travelers straight to the airline’s booking portal. The result was a spike in reservations from the Dulles region, especially in the months leading up to Independence Air’s launch of its new service. The airline’s senior marketing executive, Eric Nordling, noted that SideStep “helped us deliver our message to large numbers of travelers who would prefer to use Dulles” and credited the partnership for positioning the airport as the nation’s largest low‑fare hub by summer’s end.

Beyond the numbers, the partnership delivered a marketing rhythm that matched the airline’s rollout timeline. Every week, SideStep generated targeted impressions that matched the airline’s campaign milestones - first announcing new routes, then rolling out special fares, and finally pushing last‑minute deals. This cadence kept Independence Air top of mind without saturating the market. As a result, the airline not only increased volume but also maintained a healthy conversion rate, proving that geographic precision paired with timely messaging can transform a launch into a long‑term success story.

Expanding Reach Through Multi‑Channel Campaigns: Best Western’s Integrated Approach

While geographic focus works wonders for airlines, hotels often benefit from a broader reach that blends search visibility with direct email marketing. Best Western International illustrated this by combining SideStep’s search platform with its TravelFinds Specials newsletter, a weekly email that offers limited‑time travel bargains to an opt‑in audience. The hotel chain’s senior vice president, Ric Leutwyler, explained that “more than 3.5 million travelers turn to the SideStep search engine each month for travel values,” and that “1.3 million travelers receive the TravelFinds Specials newsletter each week.” This dual exposure created a funnel that moved prospects from curiosity to booking.

The strategy began with a large‑scale search ad campaign that surfaced whenever a traveler typed in key terms like “cheap hotel stays Washington” or “best hotel deals New York.” Each ad carried a clear call to action: visit Best Western’s website to book at a discounted rate. Simultaneously, the TravelFinds Specials email reached an audience that had explicitly opted in to receive travel deals. By syncing the timing of the search ads with the email distribution - ensuring that the same limited‑time offers appeared in both channels - Best Western kept the message consistent and compelling across touchpoints.

One of the most effective elements was the use of dynamic pricing links. When a user clicked on a SideStep ad, they landed on a page that displayed the exact rate being advertised, which was the same price featured in the email. This consistency eliminated confusion and reinforced trust. After the booking, Best Western’s CRM system captured the transaction data, allowing the marketing team to segment and retarget customers who had shown interest but hadn’t yet completed a reservation. Over time, this approach refined the targeting criteria, improving ad relevance and reducing wasted spend.

The integrated campaign produced measurable gains: conversion rates on SideStep ads rose by 18% over the previous quarter, while the email click‑through rate increased by 12% after the rollout. Best Western reported that a substantial portion of bookings during the campaign period came directly from SideStep impressions, proving that a multi‑channel strategy can amplify reach without diluting brand messaging. The partnership also highlighted how SideStep’s search engine serves as a versatile platform - not just for advertisers looking to target a specific geography, but for brands that wish to weave search, email, and web presence into a seamless customer journey.