Transat kicks off the second edition of the #TransatAuction on Twitter

Consumers can get great deals by bidding on 20 Europe flights, with proceeds going to SOS Children's Villages

MONTREAL, April 16, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Transat is pleased and proud to announce the second edition of the #TransatAuction, a one-of-a-kind online event with all proceeds going to the organization SOS Children's Villages. On April 23, flights to some of Air Transat's most popular European destinations, departing from seven Canadian cities, will be up for grabs in a live auction on Twitter.

Web users across Canada will be able to submit bids on 20 flights from Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, St. John's and Halifax to multiple European cities including Athens, Prague, Budapest, Rome, London and Paris.

All amounts raised during the #TransatAuction will be handed over to SOS Children's Villages, a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides caring family homes to more than 80,000 orphaned and abandoned children in 134 countries.

"We are delighted to be offering Canadian travellers this second edition of our #TransatAuction," says Annick Guérard, General Manager, Transat Tours Canada. "There is no other online event like this one, and it's the perfect opportunity to mix practicality and pleasure, by getting a great deal on one of Transat's 26 European destinations and supporting a worthy cause at the same time."

"Since 2009, all of Transat's business units have supported SOS Children's Villages, thereby helping to ensure the welfare of orphaned and abandoned children in many of our destination countries," Ms. Guérard continues. "Since the start of our partnership, we've changed the lives of more than 25,000 vulnerable children. With Web users' help, the Transat Auctions contribute to our objective, which is to provide these kids with safe, loving homes, food, education, health care and a future filled with hope. So we hope to have a great turnout on April 23 on Twitter."

The requirements for users wishing to submit bids in the auction are as follows:

1. Have a Twitter account and follow the @AirTransat account.
2. Go to the #TransatAuction microsite, www.transatauction.ca, to view the list of lots available as of April 18.  
3. After choosing a dream destination, return to the microsite at the scheduled bidding time and submit bids via Twitter.
4. Each bidding period will last 30 minutes and participants will be able to bid live on the microsite or on Twitter over a 12 hour period. The user with the highest bid for each lot will win, and will be contacted via Twitter.

Last December, the first edition of the #TransatAuction, which was then called #SunAuction, attracted more than 82,000 visitors and generated some 47,300 bids during the 12-hour live auction. In total, close to $30,000 was raised in support of SOS Children's Villages.

Follow us on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #TransatAuction, or by visiting the @AirTransat Twitter account.

About Transat Tours Canada

A specialist in holiday travel to every continent, Transat Tours Canada develops and commercializes a vast array of products, from beach vacations to guided tours to cruises, under the Air Transat, Transat Holidays, Nolitours, Transat Discoveries and TMR Holidays brands. Transat Tours Canada is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world.

About SOS Children's Villages

SOS Children's Villages provides children in need with a caring, loving and secure family environment where basic needs for food, health, shelter, and education are met, and creates opportunities for them to become responsible, contributing members of society. More than a million children in 134 countries benefit from the organization's commitment to providing "a loving home for every child." To learn how to help, visit www.soschildrensvillages.ca.

 

SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc.

Image with caption: "Transat kicks off the second edition of the #TransatAuction on Twitter! (CNW Group/Transat A.T. Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150416_C6090_PHOTO_EN_14356.jpg