A tried-and-true mantra in the travel industry is to book in advance if you don’t want to pay too much.
However, in these post-Covid times, many travelers do the opposite.
According to the Travel Trends 2023 airfare tracker Hopper report, Americans spend 30% less time planning trips compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2019.
Between planning and booking a trip, travelers exhibit greater anxiety than before the pandemic.
In 2022, Hopper users checked domestic travel prices an average of 16 times before booking, a 33% increase from 2019.
Finally, the wait time for bookings is also decreasing.
For domestic travel, the average tourist now books three weeks in advance, a reduction of about 10% since 2019.
Americans book seven weeks – two weeks less than before the pandemic for trips to Europe, the most popular international destination region.
Even more notable is the upsurge in last-minute bookings.
Last year, over half (55%) of hotel reservations on the Hopper app were for same-day check-in – an 8% increase over 2021 and 11% for 2020.
The trend seems to be getting stronger.
In the first three months of 2023, almost two-thirds (63%) of bookings were for same-day check-in.
To save money on an upcoming trip, even if it is last minute, here are three pieces of advice:
1. BE FLEXIBLE
“Flexibility is the key to getting the lowest prices on flights and hotels,” says Hopper’s economy leader Hayley Berg.
That means staying open to alternative destinations or traveling mid-week or outside peak times.
“Those who fly midweek can save more than US$140 on international airfare,” she points out.
This is a helpful tip for remote and hybrid workers.
Of the 45% of survey respondents who said they have some control over when and where they work, more than half (52%) say they take advantage of this flexibility when planning travel.
That means traveling more often in the middle of the week and adding extra days to their trips.
2. AVOID SATURDAY TRAVEL
According to Berg, avoiding Saturday night stays at a hotel can save travelers an average of 25 percent on their daily rate.
“In popular weekend cities like Las Vegas and Miami, skipping a stay on these days can save travelers more than 80%,” she says.
In 2022, Hopper saw hotel bookings for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday check-ins grow significantly more than Thursday and Friday – historically the most popular days of the week.
Thursday through Friday check-ins have fallen by 15% since 2019.
3. CHOOSE TO STAY IN URBAN CENTERS
Last-minute travelers can often get lower rates by booking in major cities, Berg says but warns that they run the risk of hotels selling out on event weekends or during high season.
With information from Forbes