University Park, Pa. -- As of March 1, saving money on rental fees for a vacation condo or townhouse just became the latest benefit of having graduated from Penn Sate -- or at least of being a member of the Penn State Alumni Association.
The Alumni Association has just rolled out TravelBlue, a deeply discounted vacation rental program available to all members as of March 1, 2006. Through TravelBlue, Alumni Association members have access to first-class resorts at rates greatly discounted from standard rack rates, with most rentals priced at $349 per week. Available vacation accommodations range from condos to townhouses, stretching from Maine to California and beyond. More than 3,500 listings are available in more than 80 countries worldwide.
"We are always looking for new ways to help our alumni members, and TravelBlue is a major new benefit for Penn Staters looking to save some money on a quick getaway or a full-fledged vacation," said Roger L. Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association.
The TravelBlue vacation rental program joins the Alumni Association's successful Alumni Tours, a collection of more than 30 complete vacation packages to destinations throughout the United States and around the world. "TravelBlue will nicely complement our existing travel program," said Roxanne Shiels, associate director of Alumni Travel and Education for the Alumni Association. "It gives alumni the opportunity to plan their own family vacation or an alumni getaway to the destination of their choice, but with a terrific price to rent their vacation accommodations."
TravelBlue is a partnership between the Penn State Alumni Association and University Alumni Travel Benefits, a program sponsored by Resort Condominiums International and Cendant Corporation, world leaders in vacation, leisure and travel services. These travel companies oversee the Web site, which lists all available accommodations, accessible to Penn State alumni at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/travel online.
To use TravelBlue, Penn State Alumni Association members should first e-mail alumni-member@psu.edu or call 800-548-LION option 2 to get a members-only code, then search and book available vacation rentals through http://www.alumni.psu.edu/travel -- an online database. Rental listings can also be accessed by calling 888-729-3842 and talking to a vacation reservationist.
Non-members can take advantage of the new TravelBlue program by joining the Alumni Association for the normal $50 rate per year and immediately get a promotional code worth $50 off their first TravelBlue vacation rental. Current members can also use the promotional code listed on the Penn State alumni travel Web site at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/travel to receive $50 off their first TravelBlue rental. Non-alumni can join the Alumni Association as "friends" or associate members to be able to access TravelBlue.
With more than 156,000 members, the Penn State Alumni Association is the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world. The Alumni Association seeks to connect alumni to the University and to each other, provide valued services like TravelBlue to members, and support the University's mission of teaching, research and service. For more information on benefits of membership in the Penn State Alumni Association, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/membership online.