CheapOair Announces Top Destinations for Thanksgiving 2018

Leading Online Travel Agency Releases Data Showing Travel Trends, Average Price Points, and Top Destinations for the Busiest Holiday of the Year

CheapOair®, the leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, today announced its top ten domestic and international destinations for Thanksgiving. While most American travelers will remain stateside for the holiday this year, there are some who will be traveling internationally to destinations including London, Tokyo, and Dublin.

Historically, Thanksgiving travel results in approximately 20% of travelers going international while 80% stay domestic[i]. As of the first week of October, CheapOair’s international bookings for the holiday were well underway with initial data reporting a higher than normal percentage of international bookings at 29%[ii]. However, as Thanksgiving approaches, 2018 continues to track along the historical trend line. A more recent report shows that domestic bookings are rising, and data recorded in the third week of October shows the split moving closer to the norm with 26% being international and 74% being domestic bookings[iii].

“This Thanksgiving, there will be nearly 30 million passengers traveling from around the U.S.,” said Tom Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations at CheapOair. “Whether you’re traveling within or out of the country, it’s best to book your flights as soon as possible and especially before the demand begins to sky rocket come the first and second weeks of November.”

In addition to popular tourist areas, such as New York and Los Angeles, CheapOair’s data shows three cities in Florida among the top ten U.S. destinations, with Orlando coming in at number two, Miami at number four and Ft. Lauderdale at the number six ranking. The average roundtrip domestic airfare for destinations on the top 10 list this year is $329, with the lowest fares to Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Orlando.

Internationally, although Cancun, Mexico lost the top ranking to London, England this year, it remains a top international destination for Thanksgiving travel. London’s boost in popularity may be a result of an 20% decrease in airfare pricing since 2017, while Amsterdam holds the largest drop in pricing from last year, at a whopping 50%[iv].

“While the tendency is still to stay local for Thanksgiving, more consumers are feeling the urge to spend the holidays somewhere unfamiliar and exotic,” Tom Spagnola added. “The top international destinations for Thanksgiving have dropped in airfare prices by an average of 14% for this time of the year, giving travelers the opportunity to be adventurous and look beyond the traditional turkey meal.”

For more information, please visit www.cheapoair.com, plus follow our social media pages, www.facebook.com/cheapoair, www.twitter.com/cheapoair, and www.instagram.com/cheapoair.  Download the CheapOair app for iOS or Android for an on-the-go travel concierge experience.

CheapOair’s mission is to educate and aid consumers and travel professionals in both planning their travel accommodations and staying current on the most popular destinations. With a portfolio of products, including rate and schedule information from 450 global airlines, CheapOair is a great way to book the travel that’s right for you.

 About CheapOair

CheapOair is a flight-focused hybrid travel agency that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone (1-646-738-4820) or live chat. Part of Fareportal’s family of travel brands, CheapOair bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional agency with certified travel agents available to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram , and Pinterest to learn how to travel the world for less.

[i] Based on passengers departing from US gateways from the Sunday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after Thanksgiving from 2014 through 2017

[ii] Based on passengers departing from US gateways 11/18/18 – 11/25/18; reported 10/05/18

[iii] Based on passengers departing from US gateways 11/18/18 – 11/25/18; reported 10/23/18

[iv] Based on passengers traveling domestically from US gateways 11/18/18 – 11/25/18; reported 10/23/18

[v] Based on average roundtrip airfare from US gateways 11/18/18 – 11/25/18, reported 10/23/18

[iv] Based on passengers traveling internationally from US gateways 11/18/18 – 11/25/18, reported 10/23/18

[vii] Based on average roundtrip airfare from all US gateways 11/18/18 – 11/25/18, reported 10/23/18