Expedia Data Show Cancun, Las Vegas and New York City Among Top Three Destinations for American Travelers in 2015

BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia.com,^® one of the world's largest full service online travel sites¹, today released the results of its analysis of 2015 trends, revealing where, and how, Americans plan to travel in 2015. Expedia analyzed travel patterns departing from nine of the nation's largest air markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Seattle, to determine which destinations were proving most popular. The data reveal that Cancun, Las Vegas and New York are three of the hottest 2015 destinations.

Expedia's analysis has also shown that Americans are likelier to travel to their preferred destinations in premium-class cabins than in years past. While North American travelers still lag the world in their embrace of premium class – Europeans book 11% of their flights in premium class, as do Asia-Pacific flyers, versus 6% of North Americans – the fare gap between the classes continues to shrink, particularly on short-haul routes. On average, the North American fare gap between economy and premium seats is now approximately 89%, down from 138% since 2012.

"Americans in particular are growing much more sophisticated when it comes to planning and booking travel," said Greg Schulze, Senior Vice President of Global Tour & Transport at Expedia, Inc. "They appreciate that taking a few simple steps, such as booking their flight and hotel simultaneously, can yield hundreds of dollars in savings. Expedia's aim with this research is to put as much data as possible into the hands of travelers, giving them the information they need to make the smartest travel decisions."

Where Americans Are Flying in 2015
Of the nine airports analyzed, Cancun was the top destination from three of them, and was in the top 10 from all of them. Las Vegas was in the top three from six of them. Below is a first look at the top 10 destinations from nine major metropolitan airports, based on 2015 trends:

2015 Package Savings Possibilities
To identify broader 2015 travel trends, Expedia recently worked with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) to analyze worldwide travel data. The analysis revealed the best day of the week to book the least-expensive fares (Tuesday) and expected fluctuations in flight prices worldwide. Consumers are expected to see slightly lower air ticket prices to most North American and European destinations in 2015, while APAC travelers should expect fares to rise.

The Expedia/ARC analysis also revealed which domestic markets are expected to see heightened package savings possibilities in 2015. Packages are flights and hotels booked simultaneously. When consumers book flights and hotels simultaneously, they can save several hundred dollars – savings that are lost if the consumer books the flight and hotel separately, even minutes apart. Package savings can exceed $1,000 in some instances.

These US markets are showing particularly attractive savings possibilities, based on 2015 trends:

Flying to:

• Maui, travelers can save up to 26%, or $1,307;
• New York City, travelers can save up to 24%, or $1,031;
• Oahu, travelers can save up to 20%, or $829;
• San Diego, travelers can save up to 24%, or $529;
• Miami, travelers can save up to 20% or $496;
• Orlando & Lake Buena Vista, FL, travelers can save up to 20%, or $477;
• San Francisco, travelers can save up to 17%, or $392;
• Los Angeles, travelers can save up to 18%, or $371;
• Chicago, travelers can save up to, 19%, or $332; and
• New Orleans, travelers can save up to 16%, or $329.

Book Ahead in 2015
In addition, based on Expedia's analysis of intra-North America economy routes, travelers generally saved between $195 – $225 (43-56 percent) by booking trips more than three weeks prior to departure. Atlanta (73%) and New York (65%) showed the largest advance purchase savings, as did San Francisco (52%), Orlando (40%) and Las Vegas (32%).

Expedia and ARC analysis also shows that on domestic routes, the lowest-priced fares can be expected to be found within 50 to 100 days of departure. In particular, the lowest fares were found 57 days prior. While fares and savings will vary by route, the 50- to 100-day booking window appears to yield optimal savings for US domestic travelers in 2015.

Expedia and ARC have distilled their 2015 travel research into a white paper, titled Preparing for Take-Off: Air Travel Trends 2015. Download a complimentary copy at the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog.  

About Expedia.com
Expedia.com is one of the world's largest full service travel sites*, 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, Vacation Deprivation 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

¹Based 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. 

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SOURCE Expedia.com

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