58% of U.S. Consumers Will Wait for Travel Deals during 2012 Holidays, Says Report

DENVER, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ShopAtHome.com, the largest coupon search engine that connects upwards of 12 million consumers each month to the best deals and cash back savings, today released an in-depth view into consumer holiday travel spending habits with its 2012 Holiday Travel Buy-havior Report. While 56 percent of respondents have begun saving for their holiday travel, more than half said they will still wait for travel deals before booking and planning their winter escapes.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120629/MM33722LOGO)

"Consumers are always looking for great deals and ways to save, and holiday travel is no exception," said Marc Braunstein, co-founder and CEO of ShopAtHome.com. "Though some of our members traditionally think of us as a place for retail coupons – some of the largest savings we see come from coupons and cash back on things like flights, hotels and car rental."

The survey, which includes close to 2,000 individual responses, was conducted in late September and distributed to ShopAtHome.com's 4.1 million Facebook fans.

The 2012 Holiday Travel Buy-havior Report points out the following:

• 43 percent of consumers aren't traveling this holiday season, almost double to those expecting to travel more than 200 miles (28 percent).
  • Of those who responded that they weren't traveling, 50 percent cite not enough vacation time, traveling with children, and expenses as deterrents from making travel plans.
• Only 17 percent of consumers are able to take longer than a week of vacation for holiday travel.
• Almost 60 percent of respondents said if they had the chance, they'd escape the urban jungle and go to a tropical paradise (43 percent), a snow-covered location (12 percent) or national park (5 percent).
• Only 12 percent of those that responded will spend over $1,000 on holiday travel. 52 percent expect to spend between $100-1,000 on travel between now and the New Year.
• 11 percent aren't waiting for deals because they want their travel plans locked down and booked.

With over 18,000 retailers and a 110 percent Cash Back guarantee, ShopAtHome.com delivers the most effective shopping experience by combining all savings tools in one online destination. ShopAtHome.com differentiates itself from other coupon sites with its cash back incentives – bringing together the top online coupons plus additional cash back sent directly to their members' free ShopAtHome.com accounts.

In light of these survey results, the savvy spending experts at ShopAtHome.com compiled some tips for consumers looking to gain an edge over the holiday travel season:

• Travel on non-shopping days—similar to the shopping crush and congested retail parking lots, more people are going to be traveling after work hours and Fridays through Sundays. If you can, opt instead to travel on Tuesday through Thursday.
• Go online, instead of in line—if you're traveling out of town for the holidays, then buy those gifts online and ship ahead to your destination.  
• Find parking and transportation coupons—many people aren't aware that there are coupons and discounts through travel sites for parking lots, shuttle services, and rental cars. Use ShopAtHome.com to search for those, and earn Cash Back.
• If your suitcase is full, gift card it—if you know that you won't have room for those gifts in your suitcases before you buy them, then save yourself the hassle and just buy gift cards.
• Stop at the roadside shops—for those traveling by car, the quirky little shops off the highways usually offer one-of-a-kind items that make a lasting impression.

For more information, along with an infographic, go to the full 2012 Holiday Travel Buy-havior Report.

For more information on ShopAtHome.com, please visit www.ShopAtHome.com.

Don't forget to join our Facebook community and follow us on Twitter!

About ShopAtHome.com
Founded in 1986 by husband-and-wife team Marc and Claudia Braunstein, ShopAtHome.com is the web's largest provider of online coupons, Cash Back rewards and printable grocery and restaurant coupons. The only destination integrating the best discounts from coupons, deals and Cash Back, the site has evolved from its early roots as the 'Catalog of Catalogs'. Throughout this transformation, the company has kept the same goal – helping improve the shopping experience for millions of shoppers. As a true coupon powerhouse, ShopAtHome.com aims to provide the most savings to consumers whether they're shopping at the grocery store or at their favorite online retailer. For more information visit www.ShopAtHome.com.

Media Contacts:
Miranda Coykendall or Sara Long
Schwartz MSL
415-512-0770
[email protected]

SOURCE ShopAtHome.com