RetailMeNot Shoppers Trend Report: Consumers Report Spending an Average of $762 Per Person on Holiday Travel India - English Français English Français English

- Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults have lied to avoid traveling to visit family during the holidays

- 47% say checked baggage fees on airlines is the most frustrating travel fee

- Nearly 1 in 10 Americans spend the holidays at home by themselves

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Oct 24, 2012, 07:00 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com), the largest online coupon site in the United States, today announced another OctoNovemCember edition of the Shoppers Trend Report in which Americans report that holiday travel spending amongst consumers in 2012 could be robust and average $762 per person.

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More than 4 in 10 adults typically travel away from home for Thanksgiving (41%) and Christmas (41%). The majority of adults traveling for the holidays plan to visit family or friends rather than go to a vacation destination. Of those who travel for Thanksgiving, 92% visit with family or friends and 8% actually take a vacation. Of those who travel for Christmas, 88% visit with family or friends and 12% actually take a vacation.

"It is clear from the survey that some adults avoid travel when possible and often use drastic measures to do so," said Trae Bodge, senior editor, RetailMeNot.com. "Our survey found more than a quarter (26%) of adults with family who live in other locales have lied to get out of taking a trip to visit their relatives. Nearly 1 in 10 (9%) say they generally spend the holidays at home alone."

Other results include:

50% of adults would spend $500 or more per person on travel-related costs during the holidays
Adult consumers would spend an average of $762 per person on travel during the holidays.
When traveling, close to half (47%) of adults find checked baggage fees the most frustrating travel fee, followed by airline fees for flight schedule changes (10%).
Citing the financial burden, nearly half of adults (48%) would limit the number or size of gifts they pack for family/friends to avoid either shipping costs or extra airline luggage fees.
- 36% of holiday travelers are willing to pay shipping costs to mail the gifts ahead of time.
- 16% of travelers would bring all of their presents with them on a flight and pay the extra baggage fees.
Despite the considerable cost of travel to visit family and relatives during the holidays, 85% still think that they should still buy their host a gift for the holidays.

Gift purchases in transit!

From Sky Mall magazine to duty-free shops, airports provide consumers with many opportunities to shop while they travel. 33% of Americans who fly browse and have made purchases using these options as part of a flying experience and 49% browse but do not buy.

To save on holiday travel, visit the RetailMeNot.com travel deals page: http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/travel.

Get the OctoNovemCember "Deal of Day" by visiting, www.retailmenot.com/holiday.

New deals are revealed daily through Christmas at 10 am ET.

Methodology

The survey was conducted between October 8 and October 11, 2012, among 1,007 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

About RetailMeNot.com

RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com) is the leading consumer destination for collaborative online coupon, deal and promotional code hunting and sharing. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of deals and offers from retailers from across the globe. Online coupons are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and expired coupons drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by WhaleShark Media, Inc., the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals.

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About WhaleShark Media, Inc.

WhaleShark Media, Inc. (www.whalesharkmedia.com) is the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals. The company's websites enable consumers seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers across the globe. WhaleShark Media experiences more than 400 million consumer visits to its sites every year. The WhaleShark Media portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the largest online coupon site in the United States; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the largest online coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; web.Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Poulpeo.com in France; www.Deals2Buy.com; www.CouponSeven.com; and www.CouponShare.com. WhaleShark Media is a fast-growing, profitable company funded by venture capital firms Austin Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Adams Street Partners, Google Ventures, J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).