Clean around the world – Solar Impulse

With the help of routeRANK, everyone can plan their travel so as to take into account the impact on the environment as well as on cost and time. What Solar Impulse is aiming for is rather different: It is trying to dramatically decrease CO2 emissions from airplanes.

Solar Impulse aims to have an airplane take off and fly autonomously, day and night, propelled uniquely by solar energy. Around the world without fuel and pollution. As a supplementary difficulty, the energy gathered during the day will have to serve not only to propel the plane, but also to recharge the batteries to ensure flying by night.

Research was carried out since 2003, and the prototype ‘HB-SIA’ with 63metres wingspan has been designed and manufactured. In April 2010, the maiden flight was a success. It lasted 1h27. Never has an airplane as large and light ever flown before! The first night flight will be performed on the 1^st of July – Engineers working hard to get the prototype ready for its next challenge.

An exciting project, and the routeRANK team looks forward to including Solar Impulse planes on its routes very soon!

In the meantime, further information on Solar Impulse can be found on their website and further information on regular flight-routes can be found through routeRANK’s multi-modal travel search engine.

routeRANK includes “Savings fare” special prices

routeRANK’s public version featured on this website has been updated again – now search results for traveling with German railways Deutsche Bahn – meaning journeys with at least either origin or destination in Germany – will include the “Savings fare” special prices (e.g. Europe-Special) where available.

Remember that special offers are only available at the earliest 92 days and at the latest 3 days before the date of travel. As usual, more details can be found on the provider’s homepage by following the corresponding booking links in routeRANK’s results.

Besides that, the routeRANK team is working hard on another exciting feature, that will also be part of its public version. We are not telling you yet, but you can be sure that it will enhance your search! Curious? Watch out for hints on Facebook or Twitter as well!

Mobileety.de features another customized version of routeRANK

Mobileety.de features another publicly accessible version of routeRANK, addressing the entire travel route by integrating rail, road and air connections and allowing users to rank route options. Mobileety is an offering by German company EcoLibro, a specialist in corporate mobility. They optimize mobility in a sustainable and balanced way, accounting for both economical and ecological aspects.

Mobility comes in three versions – Plus, Business and Professional – providing convenient travel management tools for different size enterprises. In addition to the multimodal route-planning service Mobileety also integrates the enterprises’ transport fleet and car pool and offers comprehensive controlling and auditing functionality.

Further information on Mobileety can be found on their website, and further information on routeRANK customized versions with links to other integrations such as for the WWF and Nokia can be found on the Business applications page.

More guidance and layout improvements

To clarify the routeRANK search and its options, routeRANK created a “How to use routeRANK” page. The page describes a typical search step-by-step. This is to provide our users, in particular new ones, with easier access to the most convenient way of searching for the fastest, cheapest and greenest route. Did you know, for instance, that the names of the locations you search for will be displayed in the auto-complete box and are ordered by match-quality and by population?

Furthermore the routeRANK team implemented various layout improvements on the results page. For example, the links for booking tickets directly with the relevant travel providers on the results page now point directly to the external site rather than through an additional pop-up window. This should make the user’s process both easier and faster.

And then there are the usual improvements in the background…

New and improved routeRANK features

The routeRANK team improved and implemented new features for the public routeRANK website. In addition to displaying the airports routeRANK is considering during the search, users can now more conveniently provide feedback. Furthermore, saving fares for travelling by train with Deutsche Bahn are now displayed in the private routeRANK, in the context of custom developed versions (cf. Business applications).

routeRANK now displays the airports that are being considered in the progress bar, i.e during the search already. Recall that a single search from your starting point automatically includes the routes via the relevant airports. The airports are now displayed while results are still being computed.

The convenient new feedback window is positioned when you return to the routeRANK results page after following the “buy tickets” button. routeRANK tries to simplify the feedback process for improving our public website. We aim to offer the largest support while searching for the fastest, cheapest and greenest way.

Furthermore, as for the private routeRANK, search results for travelling with Deutsche Bahn, meaning journeys with at least either origin or destination in Germany, will include saving fares and special offers (e.g. Europe-Special) where available. This version of routeRANK also currently displays other features, e.g. the available working time criteria. Also see Business applications for further information.

New widget operator

routeRANK has been working on a new widget. The integration of routeRANK functionality to your own website is now more convenient.

Use the routeRANK widget on your own website to help your visitors find the fastest, cheapest and most ecological routes to reach you. You can even embed the  widget in your blog posts to direct your visitors to interesting events and places.

A complementary service is the customization of the widget. For example, background color, default language or the preset of arrival/departure locations can be adjusted easily. Check out some of our widgets in action – including now also the Swiss confederation’s one -  and find further information on our widget website.

Installation is fast and simple. At the bottom of the widget, click on ‘Get Widget’. You will be forwarded to the new operator widgetbox where you can easily customize your own widget. To complete the process, click on ‘Get Widget’ again, then copy the provided code and paste it starting with “<script type=”text/javascript”…” into your webpage and you are done!

New geographical locations data and airport transfer information in Canada

The routeRANK team has improved the geographical locations data and added public transport and airport transfer information for major airports in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver). This information is already available for European airports as well as for major US-airports.

routeRANK complements the existing airport transfers by car and taxi and offers its users additional public transport options to and from the biggest Canadian airports. Try it out with a search from Chicago to Vancouver.

The search request now integrates schedule information for TransLink SkyTrain from the airport YVR to downtown Vancouver.

routeRANK shortlisted for Best Of Swiss Web 2010!

routeRANK is shortlisted for the Best Of Swiss Web Awards 2010. Rewarding the best websites from Switzerland in 10 different categories, it is 10th edition of the awards. Sponsors and partners include Microsoft and the Swiss tech magazine Netzwoche. The winners will receive their award on the 25th of March at the Zürich Kongresshaus. We are proud that routeRANK’s website and innovative technology won the support of the expert jury.

The recent announcement of the Swiss government becoming routeRANK’s customer has been picked up by the media, including 24heures and 20Minutes.

Multiple booking links and new transfer information in the US

The routeRANK team has been working on updates to improve your travel planning experience. New features include:

• Multiple booking links for one flight
  We now show you the flight price information from different online travel agents. As before, we search over 700 airlines from over 100 agents, but now we also display booking links to multiple different airlines and agents. This provides you with a better overview of the different prices available for a given flight, and also with the opportunity to book your flight with your favourite travel agent. Try it out now with a search from Cambridge to Montreux.

• Airport transfer information for major airports in the US
  As was already the case with the European airports, routeRANK now gives additional public transport for travelling to and from the biggest US airports. This complements the already existing airport transfers by car and taxi. Example: the search request from Chicago to New-York now integrates schedule information for the CTA Blue Line from downtown Chicago to the airport ORD.

Swiss government becomes routeRANK’s customer

The Swiss government has contracted routeRANK for the travel planning of the Swiss administration. A customised version of routeRANK is being developed for the Confederations’ Travel Centre. This comes after a thorough analysis of the available alternatives in the course of the tender, where routeRANK was found to offer the best solution.

The Confederations’ overarching project “Best Mobility” integrates economical as well as ecological aspects into the travel management. routeRANK’s customised version takes into account the special needs of federal business trips. For example, it allows for special terms, preferential listing of contract partners and direct booking through the corresponding interfaces. The service is scheduled for introduction in April 2010. The complete customisation makes it unique in Switzerland, and the Swiss Confederation a pioneer of “Best Mobility”.

In addition to offering a global view on CO2 emissions by comparing the different means of transportation, other advantages include:
- travel cost savings: comparison of travel routes according to the overall best price
- travel time savings: comparison of travel routes according to the overall shortest time, with consideration of the net available working time
- planning time savings: comparison of travel routes in a single search on one screen, with integrated booking functionality

Further information on the Confederations’ Travel Centre can be found on their website, and further information on routeRANK customised versions with links to other integrations such as for the WWF and Nokia can be found on the Business applications page.