Expedia Analysis Reveals Top Memorial Day Travel Trends, Top Destinations and Best Holiday Weekend Deals

Average U.S. Memorial Day flight prices up about 5%, average daily room date up over 3% this summer

News provided by

Expedia.com

Apr 24, 2014, 06:00 ET

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- One month removed from the unofficial start of summer, Expedia® (NASDAQ: EXPE) has mined its travel search data to produce Americans' top summer destinations and last minute Memorial Day travel deals.

Expedia data has also revealed that average US flight prices are now $499, up nearly 5% from last summer. This summer, the average daily room rate in the United States is $171, up over 3% from the year prior.  

"While consumers searching late in the game may see higher prices, there are still many deals to be had in the most popular destinations," says Sarah Gavin, Senior Director of Merchandizing and Integrated Marketing, Expedia, "Taking advantage of package deals where you book your hotel and plane simultaneously, rather than apart, remains one of the easiest ways to save.  Also, tapping into the power of your smart phone, means you can save up to 40% on last-minute hotels with the exclusive mobile deals in the Expedia app."

Five of the best hotel steals for Memorial Day Weekend, based on the biggest changes to prices year-over-year, (checking in Friday, May 23, checking out Monday, May 26) are:

  • Chicago at Hilton Hotels, starting at $79 per night;
  • Las Vegas at Wynn Resorts, starting at $359 per night;
  • Reno, NV at MGM Properties, starting at $150 per night;
  • Lake Buena Vista, FL at Hilton Hotels, starting at $99 per night; and
  • Los Angeles, CA at Hilton Hotels, starting at $152 per night.

Other hot summer destinations where the Expedia travel analytics team found top deals based on the sharpest drop in year-over-year pricing for Memorial Day travel include:

  1. Panama City, FL
  2. South Padre Island, TX
  3. Memphis, TN
  4. Providence, RI
  5. Ocean City, MD
  6. Salt Lake City, UT
  7. Straits of Mackinac, MI
  8. Louisville, KY
  9. Cedar City – Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
  10. Laughlin, NV
  11. Rapid City – Mount Rushmore, SD
  12. Burlington, VT
  13. Harrisburg, PA
  14. St. Petersburg – Clearwater, FL
  15. Naples, FL

Expedia also analyzed Memorial Day travel searching patterns to find the most popular destinations, sorted by region and by hotel:

By Flights                                                                            

  1. New York
  2. Las Vegas
  3. Los Angeles
  4. Boston
  5. Chicago
  6. San Francisco
  7. Orlando
  8. Washington D.C.
  9. Seattle
  10. Atlanta

By Hotels

  1. Las Vegas
  2. New York
  3. San Diego
  4. Chicago
  5. Miami
  6. Los Angeles
  7. San Francisco
  8. Washington D.C.
  9. Orange County
  10. Seattle

While searching the newly revamped Expedia.com for Memorial Day deals, consumers can keep tabs on their searches and get pricing updates based on their own searches using the recently launched Scratchpad searching tool. For the latest deals and travel recommendations, visit www.expedia.com.

About Expedia.com
Expedia.com is the world's largest full service travel site*, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of top vacation destinations, cheap tickets, hotel deals, car rentals, destination weddings, cruise deals and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.

Expedia, Expedia.com, Expedia Rewards, Find Yours and the Airplane logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners © 2014 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50

*Based on a comparison of other full-service online travel agencies, defined as those providing booking and services related to air, hotel, cruise, car and activities to a global customer base. Data based on comScore Media Metrix for Expedia, Inc. Sites, Worldwide, Average Monthly Unique Visitors, Oct '12-Sept '13.

Web site: http://www.expedia.com/

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SOURCE Expedia.com