Hotwire® Releases the First State of Fall Travel Report Featuring Pricing Data, Insights and Deals for Affordable Getaways

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the beginning of fall, Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today revealed its first State of Fall Travel Report. This forecast gives travelers expert insight on recent trends on Hotwire for the upcoming peak group/corporate travel season, so they will be able to stretch their vacation budgets further. The industry insiders at Hotwire® gathered key data for fall travel and projected ways to save on hotel, air and car rental bookings. Based on information collected this year, the experts at Hotwire® found that travel prices will be up for hotel and airfare vs. last year, but deals can be found in major metropolises in the late fall months, throughout the season in the Hawaiian Islands and on international flights.

"Some metropolitan cities are not only popular during the summer months for leisure vacations, but they continue to see heavy foot traffic in the fall for business trips, consequently leading to sustained high prices," said Henrik Kjellberg, president of the Hotwire Group. "Not to worry; with a little flexibility and insider tips, you can still take a pre-holiday vacation at an affordable price."

Current Hotel Outlook for Fall Travel Season

Pricing: Currently up 9 percent on Hotwire® vs. fall 2013.

What to expect: Higher average prices that will fluctuate up or down depending on the booking window. Hoteliers are anticipating healthy group/corporate demand in most urban destinations, and sustained leisure traffic to carry over from summer in resort destinations. 

When to book: With corporate and group bookings being made outside 20 days of arrival, deal-seekers can expect to see some of the best pricing at the last minute during early to mid-fall stays. Late fall, including the Thanksgiving holiday, is a great time to take advantage of deep discounts as rates will be lowest of the season.   

Deal Markets: Given fall is peak convention season, a lot of well-known hubs such as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and Chicago are experiencing higher rates (up to 25 percent vs. 2013) due to increased demand. However, there are pockets of great prices over the weekend when those business travelers depart, so travelers looking for a quick, couple-of-days getaway should be able to do so at an affordable price if they book last-minute. The biggest discounts overall can be found in smaller, less business-centric cities like Salt Lake City, Niagara Falls and Ottawa, which are all also showing average nightly hotel rates for less than $100, while the Hawaiian island of Maui is currently experiencing an 11 percent drop.    

Current Airfare Outlook for Fall Travel Season

Pricing: Currently up 4 percent on Hotwire for domestic travel vs. fall 2013.

What to expect: Domestic prices will be higher, but you might be able to find international deals. As we saw at the beginning of summer, airlines aren't increasing capacity domestically, but rather, internationally. Expect the highest prices on flights to heavily-trafficked west coast business destinations like Oakland, San Jose and San Diego.

When to book: Similar to what we're seeing with hotel, cities that don't attract as much business travel will have better prices throughout the season. However, flyers into one of those larger metropolises should book airfare on a Tuesday afternoon in order to get the best deals as many airlines launch their sales late on Monday. Also try to be flexible and consider booking your airfare on a low cost carrier or into/out of an alternative airport.

Deal Markets: Those looking for an island getaway are in luck this fall as Kauai, The Big Island and Maui are all experiencing post-peak season airfare drops of 14 percent, 15 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Additionally, travelers can find steeply-discounted international routes up to 23 percent in Trinidad and Tobago (POS), Italy (MIL) and the Dominican Republic (SDQ). 

Current Car Rental Outlook for Fall Travel Season

Pricing: Currently down 7 percent on Hotwire® vs. fall 2013.

What to expect: Lower prices and more variety of options. The earlier impact of automakers' recalls should pass this fall, when car rental companies typically have surplus inventory. Additionally, travelers will be more likely to find a greater variety of car options this year, including German import Sixt, which is expanding quickly in the U.S.

When to book: Though prices are expected to stay fairly low all season, travelers should consider booking a refundable car in advance, and check sites like Hotwire® as they get closer to their travel date to see what kind of deals are available. Additionally, like summer, travelers booking on a Friday or Saturday will likely see even lower rates as they are not competing with the mid-week business travel demand.

Deal Markets: Both The Big Island and Maui are seeing affordable car rental prices, hovering around $30 a day. Meanwhile, big cities like San Francisco, San Diego, New York City and Washington, D.C. are showing low car rental prices compared to last fall.

Note: all sample rates reflect searches in September 2014 for travel during fall 2014. Average daily rates reflect bookings across all star categories (hotels) and vehicle classes (cars) made between 8/15/2014 to 9/5/2014 for travel between 9/1/2014 to 11/30/2014. Air fare pricing and capacity data is provided by Expedia, Inc. for the same booking and travel periods stated above.

About Hotwire
Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars and vacation packages.  Launched in 2000, Hotwire, Inc. obtains deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars.  Hotwire.com is an award winning website and Hotwire, Inc. is an operating company within Expedia, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com. Hotwire.com operates sites in 12 countries worldwide: www.hotwire.com, www.hotwire.com/uk, www.hotwire.com/ie, www.hotwire.com/au, www.hotwire.com/nz, www.hotwire.com/se, www.hotwire.com/no, www.hotwire.com/dk, www.hotwire.com/de, www.hotwire.com/hk, www.hotwire.com/mx and www.hotwire.com/sg. In addition to Hotwire.com, Hotwire, Inc. also operates www.carrentals.com.  

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SOURCE Hotwire.com