Neither am I, but it’s happening — the Fourth of July surge.
Americans are gearing up for a record-breaking travel season, according to new data from travel platform Hopper. The upcoming holiday weekend is set to witness a significant uptick in air travel, despite a varied pricing environment across different sectors of the travel industry. The Fourth of July surge in travel is coming.
Here are a few key travel stats:
Air travel
- There will be 24 million air departures from U.S. airports.
- That’s a 7 percent increase from 2023, equating to 1.6 million more potential passengers.
- Domestic airfares will average $263 per ticket, down 18 percent year-over-year.
- Airfare to Europe will average over $900, a 37 percent decrease from 2023.
Accommodations
Hotel rates will average $232 per night.- Vacation rentals will average $400 per night.
Hotel rates will average $232 per night.Car Rentals
- National average rate of $48 a day, unchanged from last year.
- Most travelers are booking five-day rentals.
Popular destinations for the Independence Day
This holiday travel includes New York City ($282 average round-trip), Seattle ($339), and Los Angeles ($283); internationally, the top three are London ($906), Tokyo ($1,454), and Paris ($884).
Also: The busiest travel days are projected to be July 3 for departures, with 3.5 million seats scheduled, and July 7 and 8 for returns, each day seeing over 3.7 million seats booked.
The takeaway: Hopper says you can still get flight deals to destinations like Charleston and Denver, where fares under $100 are still available. It also recommends staycations or exploring last-minute hotel deals in major cities, where prices often drop closer to check-in dates.
READ ALSO:
How to plan, pack, and cope with a heatwave while you travel
Advocates call on Biden Administration to act on airline travel mandates
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t. He’s the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can’t solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.
