Most Popular Fourth of July Destinations Overall Include Los Angeles, Chicago and New York
Plus CheapTickets.com Reveals the Cheapest Day to Travel Fourth of July Weekend and Other Ways to Save
CHICAGO, June 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When it comes to mouthwatering barbecue, which cities dish out the best? Just in time for the Fourth of July, CheapTickets.com® data reveals the top 10 destinations for all-American barbecue in the United States – with Austin, Memphis and San Antonio topping this year’s tasty list1 – as well as the overall top 10 travel destinations for the long Independence Day weekend, and great ways to save.
“Our most recent CheapTickets.com survey found that more than half of Americans are willing to travel for food2,” said Justine McDonald, CheapTickets.com travel expert. “Fourth of July weekend is the perfect time for a fun, cheap adventure to sample some of the best barbecue in the country, and since it’s the busiest summer holiday for travel,3 opting for a city that won’t be jam-packed with tourists can stretch your travel dollar even further.”
In addition to heating up the Fourth of July with good barbecue, travelers who book through June 26 can save 17 percent off participating hotel stays using promo code ‘HOTSTUFF.’4 To book a cheap getaway now and for complete terms, visit CheapTickets.com/bbqtravel.
CHEAPTICKETS.COM TOP 10 BARBECUE DESTINATIONS5
Book a trip and learn more about all of these destinations and what to do when you get there at CheapTickets.com/bbqtravel.
| CheapTickets.com 2016 Top 10 Cities for Barbecue | Average Daily Hotel Prices | Average Airfare | |||||
| 1 | Austin, Texas | $ | 159 | $ | 344 | ||
| 2 | Memphis, Tenn. | $ | 143 | $ | 357 | ||
| 3 | San Antonio, Texas | $ | 133 | $ | 377 | ||
| 4 | Kansas City, Mo. | $ | 140 | $ | 377 | ||
| 5 | Nashville, Tenn. | $ | 192 | $ | 332 | ||
| 6 | Charleston, S.C. | $ | 193 | $ | 392 | ||
| 7 | St. Louis, Mo. | $ | 145 | $ | 324 | ||
| 8 | New Orleans, La. | $ | 233 | $ | 356 | ||
| 9 | Greenville, S.C. | $ | 109 | $ | 377 | ||
| 10 | Atlanta, Ga. | $ | 131 | $ | 314 | ||
CHEAPTICKETS.COM "ALL-AMERICAN BARBECUE SMACK DOWN"6
Like the best barbecue, competition can get pretty messy. CheapTickets.com's Facebook fans can make their voices heard and vote for their favorite barbecue cities in the CheapTickets.com "All-American Barbecue Smack Down" through June 29. Voters will be entered to win a trip for two to their favorite all-American destination. The best barbecue city gets bragging rights for an entire year. To vote and enter, visit CheapTickets.com/bbqtravel. For complete terms, visit http://bit.ly/--Rules.
TOP 10 OVERALL FOURTH OF JULY DESTINATIONS7
Of course, not everyone is using the long weekend to chow down on brisket and ribs. CheapTickets.com data reveals the overall top 10 destinations over the long weekend, with Los Angeles, Chicago and New York topping the list.8
| CheapTickets.com Overall Top 10 Cities for Fourth of July | Average Daily Hotel Prices | Average Airfare | |||||
| 1 | Los Angeles, Calif. | $ | 202 | $ | 357 | ||
| 2 | Chicago, Ill. | $ | 171 | $ | 288 | ||
| 3 | New York, N.Y. | $ | 237 | $ | 319 | ||
| 4 | Denver, Co. | $ | 172 | $ | 335 | ||
| 5 | Orlando, Fla. | $ | 165 | $ | 307 | ||
| 6 | Seattle, Wash. | $ | 214 | $ | 371 | ||
| 7 | Boston, Mass. | $ | 274 | $ | 347 | ||
| 8 | San Francisco, Calif. | $ | 213 | $ | 361 | ||
| 9 | Las Vegas, Nev. | $ | 134 | $ | 298 | ||
| 10 | Washington, D.C. | $ | 168 | $ | 309 | ||
CHEAPTICKETS.COM EDITORS’ TIPS TO SAVE THIS FOURTH OF JULY
As the holiday quickly approaches, it’s still not too late to save by following these quick and easy tips.
Be flexible
With it being the busiest summer holiday for travel, demand for flights and accommodations is likely to be high this Fourth of July. The average airfare between Wednesday, June 29 and Monday, July 4 is $455. “Friday, July 1, is expected to be the busiest day to travel, while Saturday, July 2, will be the most expensive,” said McDonald. “But by opting to travel on Wednesday, July 29, travelers can expect fewer crowds and cheaper flights.”9
Opt for three-star accommodations
Lower prices don’t have to mean lower quality. “To save on hotel costs, look for a highly rated three-star hotel,” said McDonald. “CheapTickets.com allows you to filter by properties’ star rating and then sort by guest rating, so you can find an option that both fits your budget and comes highly rated.” Over the holiday weekend, three-star properties in Los Angeles are 28 percent cheaper on average than four-star properties. In Chicago and New York, they are 24 percent and 13 percent cheaper, respectively.10
Keep an eye out for promo codes
In a lot of cases, you can save even more money on your hotel stay by keeping an eye out for applicable promo codes. Beginning today, travelers who book through June 26 can save 17 percent off participating hotel stays using promo code ‘HOTSTUFF.’4 To book a cheap getaway now and for complete terms, visit CheapTickets.com/bbqtravel.
Sign up for reward and loyalty programs
Be on the lookout for programs that can save you even more money. For example, now through June 24 when you book an eligible flight on CheapTickets.com, you can get up to $30 in CheapCash back to use toward our best hotel deals.11
1 Top 10 barbecue cities were selected by CheapTickets' editors from the site's top 150 markets July 1-5, 2016. Top 10 cities were then ranked by 521 adults via Google Consumer Surveys on April 28, 2016.
2 Survey fielded by CheapTickets.com to 548 adults via Google Consumer Surveys on April 28, 2016.
3 Survey fielded by CheapTickets.com to 931 adults via Google Consumer Surveys on March 31, 2016.
4 HOTSTUFF – Subject to the restrictions set out in these terms and conditions, the 17% promotion code may be applied to a qualifying stand-alone hotel (not a hotel booking in combination with any other product such as flight + hotel, or flight + hotel + car) booked online with CheapTickets.com between June 13, 2016 12:01AM CT and June 26, 2016 11:59PM CT, for 1 or more nights for travel between June 13, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Qualifying bookings instantly receive 17% off at check-out through the use of the promotion code. Limit one discount per hotel room and one promotion code per itinerary. Exclusions may apply and most major hotel chains are excluded. The promotion code cannot be redeemed against taxes, supplier fees, cancellation or change fees/penalties, administrative fees or other miscellaneous charges, which are the sole responsibility of the customer. Discounts are not redeemable for cash for any reason. Promotion codes are non-transferable, not for resale, and cannot be combined with other offers or used for any booking previously made. Any attempt at fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. CheapTickets reserves the right to change or limit the promotion in its sole discretion. Usual booking terms and conditions apply (see https://www.cheaptickets.com/p/info-other/legal.htm) and all bookings are subject to availability. See complete terms here: https://www.cheaptickets.com/g/lc/traveldeals-bbq-travel-offer#terms
5Average airfare calculated on June 8, 2016 by taking the average price for all air bookings in the listed destination for travel between July 1 and July 5, 2016. Average hotel rates calculated on June 8, 2016 by taking the average price for all hotel bookings in the listed destinations for travel between July 1 and July 5, 2016.
6 No purchase necessary. Contest open only to legal residents of the United States (including the District of Columbia) who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Visit http://bit.ly/--Rules for complete contest rules.
7 Top Fourth of July destination data based on CheapTickets.com air demand for travel between July 1 and July 5, 2016 as of June 7, 2016.
8 Average airfare calculated on June 8, 2016 by taking the average price for all air bookings in the listed destination for travel between July 1 and July 5, 2016. Average hotel rates calculated on June 8, 2016 by taking the average price for all hotel bookings in the listed destinations for travel between July 1 and July 5, 2016.
9 Busiest travel days based on CheapTickets.com air booking data. Average flight price based on all standalone flights booked on CheapTickets.com as of June 7, 2016 originating in the U.S. between July 1 and July 4, 2016.
10 Prices based on average booking costs for three-star hotels versus four-star hotels on CheapTickets.com for travel between July 1 and July 5, 2016.
11 CheapCash - To be eligible for this promotion, you must be signed into your CheapCash member account at time of booking or, if you are not a member, join CheapCash at the time of booking. This promotion is available on select standalone flight bookings (not booked as part of a package or as an add-on to a standalone hotel or car booking) that display a “Promotional CheapCash” offer for that flight in the search results page. Book an eligible standalone round-trip flight and receive $30 in Promotional CheapCash (with a total price including taxes and fees of $50.01 or more) or $15 in Promotional CheapCash for an eligible standalone one-way ticket (with a total price including taxes and fees of $50.01 or more). Offer is valid from Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM CT to Friday, June 24, 2016 until 11:59 PM CT. Limit one award of Promotional CheapCash pursuant to this promotion per itinerary and per CheapCash account. Promotional CheapCash expires if not redeemed within 30 days of issuance. Offer is non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. Promotional CheapCash will be deposited in your account within approximately 5 business days of booking. If you cancel your eligible booking after the Promotional CheapCash is deposited in your account, CheapTickets reserves the right to remove the Promotional CheapCash. CheapTickets reserves the right to change or limit the promotion in its sole discretion. Usual booking terms and conditions apply (see https://www.cheaptickets.com/p/info-other/legal.htm) and all bookings are subject to availability. CheapCash Terms and Conditions apply (see http://www.cheaptickets.com/info/win?id=RewardsTerms).
About CheapTickets.com
CheapTickets.com is a seller of discounted leisure travel products. CheapTickets.com provides consumers access to its collection of airfares on hundreds of airlines. In addition to cheap flights, CheapTickets.com’s family of discounted travel products includes cheap hotels, cheap cruises, cheap rental cars, cheap vacation packages, vacation rentals, last minute trips and event tickets. CheapTickets.com now offers the CheapCash loyalty program where customers can earn rewards towards hotel stays when booking flights through the website or mobile apps. Follow CheapTickets.com on Facebook and Twitter for more cheap travel deals and giveaways. Founded in 1986, CheapTickets.com is owned by Expedia, Inc., one of the world's leading travel companies.
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