Maybe You Shouldn't Have Taken that Staycation After All

SOUTHLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If the media scared you into thinking you couldn’t afford a summer vacation, you’re certainly not alone. Staycation was the buzzword of the season and many embraced the trend, but maybe you shouldn’t have been so quick to sacrifice your summer getaway.

“When you consider the hotel cost is often the most expensive part of a vacation, choosing a property that’s offering deep discounts will likely offset any additional cost in airfare”

Looking at the price of a round trip flight and five-night hotel stay of trips actually consumed by customers this August, Travelocity was able to easily identify 10 US destinations where the price of a vacation had less than a $20 price increase over the same time period last year. Additionally, two of those 10 cities saw a price decrease. Travelocity released a similar study based on July findings, naming 14 destinations that had a less than $50 price difference.

“Let this be a lesson learned,” said Amy Ziff, Travelocity’s editor-at-large. “Don’t automatically trust what you’re told about what you can and can’t afford – do the math to figure it out for yourself.”

*10 popular cities with a $20-or-less price difference include:

Atlanta: $1.64 less

Austin: $7.17 more

Boston: $6.42 more

Chicago: $19.73 more

Las Vegas: $17.29 more

Orlando: $7.20 more

San Diego: $8.89 less

Seattle: $8.17 more

South Florida: $16.29 more

Washington, DC: $19.73 more

For travelers frustrated to learn they didn’t need to stay home this summer, Travelocity has the tools to make your fall and winter vacation even more affordable so you can take that much-deserved trip. The Insider’s Guide (travelocity.com/insidersguide), shows how to save $500 on your next trip, what you need to know about baggage charges and how to avoid them, the value of cruising and much more.

Travelocity also recently launched the biggest hotel sale in its history (travelocity.com/racetosavings), with over 4,000 hotels offering up to 40 percent off (and up to 50 percent off top properties when booked in a package). “When you consider the hotel cost is often the most expensive part of a vacation, choosing a property that’s offering deep discounts will likely offset any additional cost in airfare,” said Ziff. “In fact, you could end up paying less for your vacation this year than last.” For example, if you had traveled to Atlanta or San Diego in August, it would have cost less money than it did the year prior.

Five money-saving tips travelers need to use every time:

Book a vacation package. Bundling your flight, hotel, and any extras like a rental car together could save $240 on average.
Take advantage of every promotion. For example, $50 off a four-night Flight + Hotel package to Oregon. In Colorado, $75 off any four-night Flight + Hotel vacation. In Orlando, $100 off four-night vacations. These promotions do have some restrictions, as well as limited availability. See www.travelocity.com for more detailed information.
Book a GoodBuy Hotel: Pre-paying for specially-negotiated, discounted hotel rooms guarantees you a low price – plus, for a limited time, you get $50 off many properties when you book a three-night stay on your MasterCard.
Look for freebies: Many hotels offer “free night” promotions with a certain length of stay; resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico offer “kids stay free” promotions.

Employing every money-saving tool before making a decision on your next vacation is the smartest thing a cost-conscious traveler can do this season. “The bottom line is -- only you know what you can and can’t afford,” said Ziff. “Don’t just stay home because you’ve been scared into believing the cost of travel has become unaffordable, because that’s not always the case.”

About Travelocity:

Travelocity® is committed to being the traveler's champion -- before, during and after the trip – and provides the most comprehensive and proactive guarantee in the industry (http://www.travelocity.com/guarantee). This customer-driven focus, backed by 24/7 live phone support, competitive prices and powerful shopping technology has made Travelocity one of the largest travel companies in the world with gross bookings of more than U.S. $10 billion in 2007. Travelocity also owns and operates: Travelocity Business® for corporate travel; igougo.com, a leading online travel community; lastminute.com, a leader in European online travel; and ZUJI, a leader in Asia-Pacific online travel. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation, a world leader in travel marketing and distribution.

*assumes one person traveling by plane and a five-night hotel stay.