Expedia study “debunks” dwindling American travel patterns

The number of travelers this upcoming Labor Day weekend is expected to be down but a new survey says it “debunks” negative rumors about American’s vacation habits, according to Expedia.

“Frankly, the notion that Americans are staying home this summer is just plain wrong,” said Chris McGinnis, editor, Expedia Travel Trendwatch. “According to our data, people have again taken to the roads and skies this season and they’re taking advantage of budget-saving opportunities along the way.”

AAA reported that the number of people traveling 50 miles or more will drop by 0.9% this Labor Day weekend compared with last year  —   the biggest drop in at least eight years.

“More travelers concerned about the economy, gasoline prices and rising airfares are opting to travel by train, bus, motorcycle and cruise ship to their holiday weekend destinations,” AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet said in a news release.

But Expedia takes a more positive look. Included below are their top five “mythbusters:”

1.  Despite all the talk of “staycations,” a recent survey revealed that 59% of US adults said they plan to take a trip at least 100 miles from their home in the next six months — a slight dip from the 61% who said so in recent years. “Drive-to” destinations are some of the fastest growing in terms of hotel bookings on Expedia. 

2.  Though prices are up for routes between major business travel destinations, summer fares are actually decreasing on routes between many western cities. Popular city pair where late summer fares are down the most include Denver-San Diego, Seattle-San Francisco,  Indianapolis-Las Vegas and New York-Milwaukee. “And even if some airfare prices are up, hundreds of hotels are jumping to offset those costs by offering added-value incentives and exclusive sale rates,” says Expedia.

3.  According to Expedia data, summer hotel rates in many major leisure travel destinations are down year-over-year. Most dramatically, Las Vegas rates are down 12% from this time last year. Other major destinations with lower hotel rates this year include Orlando, San Diego, Orange County, Hawaii and Myrtle Beach, SC.
4.   “One of the surefire ways to find the best value is to book air and hotel together. Because of a vast inventory, Expedia is more likely to negotiate a reduced rate on the total cost, if the components are purchased at the same time,” says Expedia.
5.   Expedia also says there are deals to be found for the upcoming holiday season. “Fare searches on several high-volume routes show that average roundtrip holiday (Thanksgiving/Christmas) fares are still reasonable for peak days and even more reasonable for those who are willing to travel on non-peak days.” The site’s suggestion: “Book early to save  —  a July 2008 Expedia poll revealed that 14% of US adults (approximately 32 million people, according to the Census Bureau) plan to travel by air during the upcoming holiday season. Of those who have not already made plans, most (68%) plan to make their airline reservations in September or October.
Expedia is currently running the biggest hotel promotion in its history.  More than 400 hotel deals are included in the last days of summer “Half Off Hotel Sale” – with 50% off more than 125 hotels when visitors stay at least four nights.
Report by David Wilkening