Kayak.com User Survey Finds Many Americans Planning to Vacation Closer to Home; Opting for More Affordable Regional Destinations

NORWALK, Conn., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Kayak.com, the world's largest travel search engine, asked users about their summer vacation plans and found that more than 64 percent of respondents plan to be tourists in their home state or within a three-hour drive of their house. Attractions appealing most to travelers looking to stay closer to home include beaches (29 percent), mountains (20 percent), national parks (15 percent) and lakes (13 percent). More than 60 percent of Kayak.com users had yet to book their summer vacations.

Many of Kayak.com's savvy travelers plan to save money on summer vacation by traveling to a destination during the off season or choosing a regional city with more affordable hotel and entertainment options. When asked what travelers are most willing to sacrifice to save money, more than 41 percent are willing to forgo bragging rights on the latest hot spot for a more affordable vacation at a regional destination; followed by limited selection of flights, hotels and entertainment available in the off-season (28 percent); and uncomfortable temperatures (12 percent). Sixty-eight percent will save money on a beach vacation by traveling during hurricane season, although almost half will opt for trip insurance to protect their investment.

"Kayak.com users work too hard all year to forgo their annual summer vacation," said Drew Patterson, Kayak.com VP of Marketing. "But with gas prices flirting with $4, travelers are thinking about new destinations to ensure their families enjoy the trip. Regional cities offer affordable accommodations, good public transportation and free attractions. Kayak.com is seeing an increase in search queries for destinations such as Atlanta, Richmond, Austin and San Diego, and regional beaches that might have been overlooked for the Caribbean will be packed all summer according to hotel searches."

Another way Americans are saving money is by extending business trips for a few extra days of leisure. The survey found that approximately 46 percent use company-paid airfare and accommodations to explore destinations outside the boardroom with friends and family. Fifty percent of respondents like to plan a trip around a festival or event to take advantage of affordable concerts, food and activities.

"Savvy travelers willing to be flexible and spend time researching dates and destinations can still find the perfect trip at the right price," continues Patterson. "At Kayak.com, we're seeing consumers using Fare Alerts to track consecutive weeks for one trip, which can uncover price differences as high as several hundred dollars from one week to the next. We're also seeing an increase in usage of tools such as Flexible Search, which tracks the best fares up to three days before or after desired dates, and Kayak Buzz searches, which provide a snapshot of prices to a region from the user's home airport, for the U.S. and Caribbean."

    Money-Saving Tips: Less Can Mean More
    1. Atlanta or bust! Thanks to market demand, America's most popular cities
       are expensive for a reason.  Kayak.com travel experts evaluated dozens
       of U.S. destinations based on average price of four-star hotel, ease of
       public transportation, quality of a cultural events/historic landmarks
       and presence of nightlife.  The best bargain destinations and events
       are highlighted each day in the blog along with five reasons to visit:
       http://blog.kayak.com/category/regionalgems/

    2. Add a vacation to a business trip. Add a few extra days and invite the
       family along to that meeting in Chicago.  Your ticket is expensed, and
       the family can tour all the places you don't want to see while you
       work.  Chances are that once the weekend hits, prices on that sensible
       business hotel will dramatically drop. If the company still pays for
       first class, swap extra legroom for coach seats for the whole family.

    3. Hit the road.  Driving 200 to 400 miles is not only more affordable
       than flying, but also faster when you factor in security lines,
       organization of liquids for carry-on, collecting baggage (or inquiring
       about lost baggage), flight delays and cancellations, long runway waits
       and renting a car.

    4. Some things still are free: Plan your family's agenda around free and
       half price days at museums and attractions.  Visit the city's tourism
       Web site for a listing of free events.  Even expensive cities such as
       New York offer free events during the summer including Shakespeare in
       the Park (daily), New York Philharmonic in the Park (June 24 and July
       15) and Broadway at Bryant Park (Thursdays in July and August).
       Play Free Bird! Plan your trip around a summer festival or event that
       offers a variety of free entertainment.  Each Wednesday, the Kayak.com
       blog will feature the best of the week's events around the country.
       http://blog.kayak.com/category/regionalgems/

About Kayak.com

Kayak.com, the largest Travel 2.0 site in the world, is a global Internet media company operating Kayak.com, Sidestep.com, TravelPost.com and TravelSearch.com. Kayak.com and SideStep.com display results from more than 400 travel sites, providing prices and itineraries for hundreds of airlines, more than 100,000 hotels, all leading rental car companies and 18 cruise lines. Kayak.com has won more awards since launch than any other travel site including "100 Best Products of 2007" by PC World; "25 Sites We Can't Live Without" by TIME Magazine; "Best Search Engine" by the Associated Press; and "Best of the Web" by BusinessWeek, Forbes.com and US News & World Report. Launched in 2005 by co-founders of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, Kayak.com's investors include General Catalyst Partners, Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Trident Capital, Oak Investment Partners, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners and America Online, Inc. Kayak.com has sites in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. For more information, visit www.Kayak.com.