Disregarding the Discounts: How Travelers Are Missing Out on Cost-Effective Summer Travel Opportunities

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 8:45 PM ET, Wed May 15, 2024

Despite inflation continuing to put pressures on traveler’s budgets, it seems bargain hunting is not top of mind when it comes to summer getaways this year.

New data from the airfare search aggregator Skyscanner shows that 52 percent of US travelers surveyed said they were aware that there were cheaper weeks to travel this summer when booking their vacations. However, just 4 percent of those respondents said they actually chose to take advantage of less expensive travel options.

According to Skyscanner, that means 96 percent of US travelers surveyed are “missing out on the best travel deals this summer.”

All of which begs the question: When should people travel this summer, if scoring a deal on airfare is important?

Again, the experts at Skyscanner have an answer.

The first week of July is the most popular — and the most expensive — time to go on vacation over the coming summer. By contrast, August 19 is the most budget-friendly time to travel (at least when it comes to booking airfare).

Skyscanner’s data shows that on average US travelers can save 29 percent by traveling the week of August 19 instead of the week of July 1. The average airfare savings by making this shift in timeframe for a family of four is as much as $1,064, according to Skyscanner.

For many travelers, this information may actually still come in handy. Skyscanner reports that nearly one-third (34 percent) of US travelers have yet to book their summer vacation and are still searching for deals.

It seems many would-be travelers are plagued indecision on dates (43 percent) and indecision over a destination (41 percent) when it comes to finalizing summer plans.

If you need a little help identifying a wallet-friendly destination, Skyscanner has reviewed the data and identified locales that have experienced the most significant price drop in summer airfare.

Here’s what they found: