RIYADH — Bringing greater value and convenience to its customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Cleartrip, the leading mobile and online travel company in the Middle East, has launched a first-of-its-kind ‘Split Screen’ domestic flight booking feature that allows users to combine two cheapest one-way tickets on different airlines to curate their own ideal round trip.

Instead of having preset flight options, customer can create their own itinerary and can easily mix and match across airlines and flights that are available at the lowest rates. In addition, the new feature offers increased flexibility to yearning travelers in the country to choose timings that suit their convenience.

“After analyzing market pricing and talking to customers we found that two one-way fares may be cheaper, or customers preferred the flight timings of different airlines,” said Sameer Bagul, EVP and managing director — Middle East of Cleartrip

“Cleartrip’s ‘Split Screen’ functionality is the most user-friendly way to book domestic flights in KSA as it allows customers to get the best price on their air tickets and also benefit from a more convenient set of flights that meet their desired travel times,” Bagul added.

Consumers in Saudi Arabia are increasingly making their travel bookings through online travel agents such as Cleartrip, and functionalities like ‘Split Screen’ that combine convenience and simplicity with great value, make it easier and more compelling for them to do so.

"Cleartrip is committed to supporting the Kingdom’s ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 roadmap to diversify its economy and promote tourism as an engine for sustainable growth, and we look forward to introducing more user-oriented innovations that simplify the travel experience for Saudi citizens and contribute to the growth of the overall domestic travel industry," Bagul added.

Driven by the increase in smartphone and Internet users in the Kingdom, the online travel market in Saudi Arabia has been growing 20% year on year and is worth around $4 billion today. In 2018, online travel agents (OTAs) are expected to account for 14% of the total air bookings in Saudi Arabia, up from 4% in 2016. — SG