Holiday travel plans are changing faster than arrival times in a snowstorm. Many would-be travelers are sitting tight and cutting back.
Kayak.com of Norwalk surveyed more than 1,400 users on Kayak.com and Sidestep.com this month about their travel plans for the 2008 holiday season.
The results found that despite industry warnings that travel costs will continue to rise as Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach. Kayak found that more than 63 percent of travelers have yet to book. Instead, travelers are taking on a “wait and see” strategy by tracking fares and hoping airlines and hotels will offer some last-minute deals.
“We realize that consumers are strapped for cash right now and cannot afford the higher cost of holiday related travel which is already up 25-30 percent over last year,” said Drew Patterson, vice president of marketing at Kayak.com. “For example, 41 percent of our survey respondents told us they want to stay within the $200-$399 price range per person for travel. Those budget limitations mean that it”™s critical for consumers who do plan to travel to book now because with lower capacity and higher fuel costs, last minute deals are unlikely.”
According to Patterson, more than a quarter of respondents said that they won”™t be searching for deals at all this season because the economic hardship has forced them to cancel holiday travel plans.
Cathy Sidor, executive director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau said this is a great opportunity for Fairfield residence to embrace Fairfield through the holiday season and create local traditions.
For the majority of consumers who are upholding their traditions this season and plan to travel despite the economy, most are watching their wallets and citing the need to accept travel inconveniences in order to save.
According to Patterson, the majority of people rate price as the most important factor in determining travel plans and are willing to sacrifice in order to score the least-expensive fare.
This means that many people will know layovers, are planning to cut their trips short or let them run long.
The Kayak survey found that only about 30 percent of respondents are planning holiday travel as originally scheduled without alterations.
While consumers may be holding out hope for a joyful and thrifty holiday season, actual expectations remain realistic. According to the survey, the majority of consumers expect to pay more for travel this year, though some consumers have a strategy to save a few dollars.
More than 44 percent of survey respondents plan to sleep in their old childhood room during the holidays.
