CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airfare prices are down 11 percent and hotel costs remain relatively flat for the last long weekend of summer, according to the Labor Day edition of the Orbitz Insider Index. Last-minute planning is ruling the Labor Day holiday, with 50 percent more people making their holiday travel plans in August versus July. The Index also looks back at the travel trends that unfolded during the hot summer months. Notably, Nevada was the darling of domestic travel as the most visited state of Summer 2015.
Orbitz.com Labor Day Orbitz Insider Index
Many Americans will get stamps in their passports this holiday weekend with Cancun, Punta Cana and London being the most popular international destinations for Labor Day weekend. Most domestic travelers will be heading to either California or Florida as both states have multiple cities on the top 10 list. Airfare is down or remains flat in nine of the 10 most popular destinations, with the exception of Punta Cana where airfare is up three percent.
“Airfares are down almost across the board, giving consumers the potential to get away on the cheap this holiday weekend,” said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor for Orbitz.com. “The Orbitz mobile app has discounts of up to 50 percent off hotels and vacation packages in many of the top Labor Day destinations. Already low fares combined with travel discounts make a last-minute Labor Day trip within reach.”
Additional highlights from the Labor Day Orbitz Insider Index include:
- Las Vegas again reigns supreme as the number one place to spend Labor Day. Airfare decreased 5 percent on average compared to last year.
- Orlando may offer the best opportunity for a budget-stretching getaway, with airfare down 22 percent – the biggest decrease in the top 10 list – and hotel prices relatively flat.
- Cancun rose in popularity from the number six destination last year to number four in 2015. With airfare and hotel down 13 percent and 3 percent respectively, a visit to Mexico may be just the ticket for those seeking a laid-back international retreat on a budget.
Download the Orbitz.com mobile app now and use promotion code “Download25” to get $25 off the first hotel booking. To find hotel and package deals of up to 50 percent off for Labor Day weekend, look for the “Hotel Deal” icon when doing a search in the Orbitz app.
| Orbitz.com Top 10 Labor Day Destinations 20151 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Destination | Average Daily Hotel Rate 2015 | Average Daily Hotel Rate 2014 | YOY Change | Average Airfare 2015 | Average Airfare 2014 | YOY Change | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Las Vegas, Nev. | $ | 131 | $ | 123 | 7 | % | $ | 327 | $ | 344 | -5 | % | ||||||
| 2 | Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | $ | 146 | $ | 144 | 1 | % | $ | 263 | $ | 321 | -22 | % | ||||||
| 3 | Chicago, Ill. | $ | 219 | $ | 210 | 4 | % | $ | 293 | $ | 354 | -17 | % | ||||||
| 4 | Cancun, Mexico | $ | 231 | $ | 238 | -3 | % | $ | 443 | $ | 509 | -13 | % | ||||||
| 5 | New York, N.Y. | $ | 286 | $ | 286 | Flat | $ | 378 | $ | 436 | -13 | % | |||||||
| 6 | Punta Cana, Mexico | $ | 199 | $ | 210 | -5 | % | $ | 561 | $ | 546 | 3 | % | ||||||
| 7 | San Diego, Calif. | $ | 186 | $ | 176 | 6 | % | $ | 312 | $ | 312 | Flat | |||||||
| 8 | London, England | $ | 251 | $ | 270 | -7 | % | $ | 973 | $ | 1,125 | -14 | % | ||||||
| 9 | Anaheim, Calif. | $ | 217 | $ | 169 | 28 | % | $ | 338 | $ | 381 | -11 | % | ||||||
| 10 | Miami Beach, Fla. | $ | 179 | $ | 179 | Flat | $ | 338 | $ | 403 | -16 | % | |||||||
Orbitz.com Summer Lookback
As the sun sets on summer and Labor Day weekend approaches, Orbitz.com is taking a look at where travelers went, how much they spent and the overall trends that shaped the 2015 summer travel season. The following insights are based on Orbitz.com summer booking data from June through August.
- Amount spent – Consumers spent, on average, $163 per night for hotels and $492 per airline ticket this summer. Airfare costs decreased by seven percent, while hotel prices remained flat year-over-year.
- Most popular states – Nevada, Florida and California were the three most traveled-to states in the U.S. Travelers headed to Las Vegas put the state at the head of the list, beating out the more populous Florida and California.
- Europe! But also Mexico – Travel analysts and Orbitz editors predicted this would be the summer of Europe due to the dollar’s strong performance against the Euro. While Europe was popular among international travelers, Mexico maintained its number one spot year-over-year, followed by the Caribbean and then Europe. Cancun boosted Mexico to the top spot with Dominican Republic and London helping move the Caribbean and Europe into the top three.
- Going solo – 80 percent traveled with two or more companions for their summer trips. Although only 20 percent traveled alone this summer, the number of solo travelers was up five percent year-over-year.
- Bigger purchases, smaller screens – Consumers were increasingly comfortable with making bigger purchases on smaller screens. Vacation package bookings made on smartphones were up 79 percent for summer 2015 versus summer 2014. The advance purchase window of packages being booked on a mobile device also increased, with customers booking nearly two months in advance.
- Disney reigned – Vacation activities are just as important as the destination. Theme park tickets, tours/sightseeing and shows were the most booked activities this summer, with Disney World in Orlando taking the number one spot. The Michael Jackson “One” Show in Las Vegas and the Chichen Itza Ruins day tour in Mexico were also popular add-ons to summer vacations.
1The Orbitz Insider Index top ten destinations were ranked based on all hotel bookings made on Orbitz.com for travel between September 4 – September 7, 2015.
About Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is a travel website that enables consumers to search for and book a broad range of hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and destination activities. Since launching in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the world's largest online travel sites. Orbitz.com now offers the groundbreaking Orbitz Rewards loyalty program—the only program where customers can earn rewards immediately on flights, hotels and packages, and redeem instantly on tens of thousands of hotels worldwide. Use the Orbitz Rewards Visa® Card to earn even more rewards. Orbitz.com is the #1 way to book travel on mobile devices, be it using our apps (get them at orbitz.com/mobile) or our smartphone-optimized website (m.orbitz.com), both of which are tailored for smartphones and tablets. The Orbitz app won the 2014 Appy Award for best travel app. Follow Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and through the Orbitz Travel Blog. Orbitz.com is operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW).
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) is a global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel. Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (orbitz.com), ebookers (ebookers.com), HotelClub (hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (cheaptickets.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (orbitzpartnernetwork.com) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world's largest airlines, bank loyalty programs and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes. Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.