As spring sails into summer and travel plans come into focus, we dug into reservation data stored in TripIt, one of the world’s highest rated travel planning apps, to see where and when Americans are traveling this summer.
And one thing is for certain: this year’s summer travel plans will bring the heat.
Bookings blossomed in April
First, let’s look back at the month that was. Across the board, April 2023 bookings beat prior year figures: hotel stays were up 202%; flight bookings were up 18%; car rentals increased 6%; and vacation rental bookings grew 4%.
The busiest days for travel? April 3 and 10—the Mondays preceding and following Easter weekend—were the busiest for flights, checking into hotels, and picking up rental cars.
On April 3, the busiest airports were Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and Denver International Airport (DEN). And on April 10, the busiest were Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) , and Denver International Airport (DEN).
Here’s what else happened in April:
- Dallas was the top flight destination for the busiest travel days, followed by Chicago, Denver, and Atlanta.
- Big cities like New York, Chicago, Austin, and Las Vegas were among the top destinations for accommodation bookings (both hotels and vacation rentals).
- Dallas, Chicago, and Phoenix firmly held the top three spots for car rentals.
- While reservation numbers grew since 2022—especially for hotel stays—the duration of trips stayed relatively the same across flights (5.6 days); hotel stays (2.8 days); vacation rentals (4.3 days); and car rentals (3.9 days).
Hotel stays to remain hot in May
TripIt reservation and survey data agree: hotel stays will remain hot in May. Our data shows hotel reservations are up 119% from this time last year.
This trend was forecasted by survey data we released in March, when 65% of American travelers said they planned to stay in a hotel by May—topping their plans for flying domestically (57%) or taking a road trip (47%).
Other travel bookings are up year over year, as well: flight bookings are up 58%; car rentals will climb 38%; and vacation rental reservations are up 20%.
The busiest check-in days for May? Friday, May 26—the start of Memorial Day weekend—and Friday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) will see the highest rates of check-ins for hotels and vacation rentals.
Here’s what else May has in store for U.S. travelers:
- The busiest departure dates for flights will be May 1 and May 4. The busiest departure airports for those dates will be:
- May 1: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) , Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- May 4: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) , Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Where are most U.S. flyers headed? Our data shows Las Vegas, Chicago, Dallas, and New York.
- Long weekends will be the average trip duration for those staying in a hotel (2.9 days), staying in a vacation rental (4.3 days), and renting a car (4.4 days). Meanwhile, trips requiring a flight will last an average of 7.6 days.
- Smaller cities like Nashville and Palm Springs will hold rank against titans New York and Chicago when it comes to hotel and vacation rental bookings.
Summer travel plans will bloom in June
While Memorial Day may be the unofficial start of summer, June is when summer travel plans will really heat up.
Indeed, Americans have booked longer stays for their trips in June versus April or May—whether it’s boarding a flight (average trip length of 10.2 days), renting a car (6-day booking), relaxing in a vacation rental (nearly 5 days), or staying in a hotel (3.2 days).
Where are Americans headed? Orlando (nay, Disney) is consistently a top spot, but myriad outdoor-oriented destinations also rank highly, especially with those staying in vacation rentals. Top destinations include Denver, Seattle, San Diego, and Anchorage.
It seems many Americans also covet Chicago this time of year, as the Windy City claims top spots across flight, hotel, vacation rental, and rental car bookings. In fact, Chicago ranks #1 for flights in June, followed by cities like Boston, London, New York, and Vegas.
Speaking of flight destinations, our data shows international trips will increase in June, compared to April and May. Cities like London, Cancun, Paris, and Rome can expect an influx of American visitors this time of year.
Here’s what else June has in store for U.S. travelers:
- Year-over-year reservations will be up for flights (96%), rental cars (38%), and vacation rentals (25%). Hotels, however, are down 68% from last year.
- The top three departure airports will be San Francisco International Airport (SFO) , Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Denver International Airport (DEN). The busiest flight departure dates will be June 1 and 2.
- Big cities like Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas will see the lion’s share of hotel bookings in June.
“ Despite the recent barriers to travel, including costs and disruptions, travelers are staying carefree and looking forward to the thrill of their next trip,” said Jen Moyse, Vice President of Product and Head of UX for TripIt from SAP Concur. “We recently surveyed TripIt users, and nearly three out of four said they feel optimistic or very optimistic about travel in 2023. People are excited to travel.”
Methodology: TripIt looked at U.S. origin round-trip flight, lodging, and rental car reservations made on or before March 31, 2023, for travel during April, May, and June 2023, and equivalent booking periods in 2022. Reservation data in TripIt is provided by users and is booking provider agnostic.
