Washington (March 1, 2014) — Americans are gearing up for a long-overdue summer vacation, with more than 8 in 10 saying they plan to travel during the warm months, according to a new survey. That compares with slightly less than two-thirds of travelers who intend to get away for spring break in 2014.
The research, conducted by Travelers United (formerly Consumer Travel Alliance), a Washington nonprofit organization that advocates for travelers, suggests the summer of 2014 may be the most active for travel since the Great Recession.
But the poll also reveals that Americans intend to pack some of their worst travel habits, according to Christopher Elliott, Travelers United’s ombudsman and author of the new book How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler.
“It’s a good news, bad news scenario,” says Elliott. “More Americans say they’re planning to take a long-overdue vacation. At the same time, they’re making several classic, but avoidable, travel mistakes.
Among them:
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Driving instead of flying. About one-third of travelers said they’d already decided to drive to their summer vacation destination instead of flying, versus 27 percent for spring break.
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Still waiting for a deal. Spring break travelers were slightly more price-sensitive than summer travelers, with 17 percent of respondents saying they wouldn’t go anywhere unless they found a good deal, like a fare sale. Roughly 14 percent of summer travelers were holding out for a deal.
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Making their booking decision based solely on a user-generated review. Among spring break travelers, 16 percent admitted that their one and only criteria for choosing a hotel was an unvetted and often anonymous user-generated review on a site like TripAdvisor. Spring break travelers are slightly more cautious, with just over 10 percent booking a trip based solely on a review website.
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Going on a bender. One in eight spring breakers confessed to dieting now so they could indulge when they get to their vacation destination, roughly the same number as summer travelers.
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Buying more in order to get a “free” ticket. One in twenty admitted to making extra purchases with their credit card to get a “free” frequent flier ticket for a summer vacation.
Elliott offers the following tips for ensuring you avoid these common pitfalls.
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Do the math before you decide how to get somewhere. A car may make sense for a family of five, but a couple might save time and money by taking a train, bus or plane.
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Don’t wait too long to book. Hotel and airline prices typically spike a week before your departure date.
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Consult multiple sources before making a decision. A single source, particularly one that allows anonymous reviews, is easily manipulated by employees or reputation management operatives.
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Steer clear of road food. Greasy-spoon restaurants in popular tourist destinations can make a dent in your wallet and needlessly expand your waistline. Plan your meals carefully and remember, you can save money by buying groceries, just like at home.
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And remember, there’s no such thing as a “free” ticket. Loyalty programs that let you earn points are designed to reward the companies, but not necessarily you. Make sure you understand what you’re doing before making extra purchases for miles — it could be the wrong decision.
Already made one of these missteps? It’s not too late, says Elliott.
“Even if you fall for one of these common travel mistakes, I’ll tell you how to extract yourself from them in my book,” he says.
How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler (and Save Time, Money, and Hassle) is available March 3 from National Geographic Books. More information can be found here: http://amzn.to/17hCEZH.
