CHICAGO, May 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the Orbitz® Insider Index, Memorial Day weekend airfare is down nearly ten percent and hotel rates dropped more than five percent compared to 2015.1 This year, Las Vegas, Orlando and Miami topped the list for popular Memorial Day travel destinations. California emerged as a hotspot with Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego all making the top list.
To help travelers plan ahead this Memorial Day, the Orbitz Insider Index also identified the busiest airports over Memorial Day weekend. Travelers flying for the unofficial kick-off of summer should prepare for long TSA lines and busy crowds in airports across the country, in particular at Los Angeles Intl. (LAX), Chicago O’Hare Intl. (ORD) and New York’s John F. Kennedy Intl. (JFK), which top the list of busiest airports.
“Memorial Day is the kick-off to the summer travel season, so those travelers heading to airports should adjust arrival times to prepare for longer security lines and busy terminals,” said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor of Orbitz.com. “With hotel rates and airfares down this year, the time is better than ever to book that last-minute trip and start the summer on the right foot.”
ORBITZ INSIDER INDEX: 2016 TOP MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL DESTINATIONS2
The Memorial Day Orbitz Insider Index reveals top destinations for Memorial Day travel based on Orbitz.com hotel demand from May 27 – May 30, 2016, as well as year-over-year changes in average hotel and airfare prices compared to 2015.
| City | 2016 Average Daily Rate (Hotel) | % Change YOY | 2016 Average Airfare | % Change YOY | ||||||||
| Las Vegas, Nev. | $ | 168 | 3 | % | $ | 333 | -12 | % | ||||
| Orlando, Fla. | $ | 144 | -3 | % | $ | 294 | -15 | % | ||||
| Miami, Fla. | $ | 232 | -9 | % | $ | 363 | -9 | % | ||||
| Chicago, Ill. | $ | 201 | flat | $ | 370 | -4 | % | |||||
| Orange County, Calif. | $ | 220 | -10 | % | $ | 377 | -8 | % | ||||
| Los Angeles, Calif. | $ | 177 | -2 | % | $ | 393 | -8 | % | ||||
| San Diego, Calif. | $ | 174 | -11 | % | $ | 401 | -3 | % | ||||
| Washington D.C. | $ | 162 | -20 | % | $ | 369 | -7 | % | ||||
| New York, N.Y. | $ | 284 | 3 | % | $ | 415 | -4 | % | ||||
| San Francisco, Calif. | $ | 208 | -12 | % | $ | 425 | -8 | % | ||||
ORBITZ INSIDER INDEX: BUSIEST AIRPORTS FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 20163
The Orbitz Insider Index also identified the top 10 busiest airports over Memorial Day weekend based on flight demand data of the top 50 U.S. airports over the Memorial Day travel period of May 27 –May 30, 2016.
| Airport Name | Location/Market | Airport Code |
| Los Angeles International | Los Angeles, Calif. | LAX |
| Chicago O'Hare International | Chicago, Ill. | ORD |
| John F. Kennedy International | New York, N.Y. | JFK |
| San Francisco International | San Francisco, Calif. | SFO |
| Denver International | Denver, Colo. | DEN |
| Orlando International | Orlando, Fla. | MCO |
| McCarran International | Las Vegas, Nev. | LAS |
| Boston Logan International | Boston, Mass. | BOS |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International | Atlanta, Ga. | ATL |
| Seattle-Tacoma International | Seattle, Wash. | SEA |
1Year-over-year hotel and airfare percentage changes based on prices to top destinations for Memorial Day weekend 2015 vs. 2016 based on Orbitz.com air and hotel demand.
2Top Memorial Day destination data based on all Orbitz.com hotel demand (standalone and as part of a package) for travel between May 27-30, 2016.
3Busiest airports data based on all Orbitz.com and CheapTickets.com air ticket demand (standalone and as part of a package) for travel to the top 50 airports between May 27-30, 2016. The volume of tickets is a combination of departure and arrival bookings, net cancellations and includes round trip and split tickets.
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