Skyscanner is releasing July 4th travel statistics, following continuing relaxation of rules within the United States as well as the reopening of mainstay European hotspots to fully vaccinated travelers.
It is estimated that over 47 million Americans* aim to travel for the holiday weekend and is set to be a landmark moment for the return of leisure travel in the US.
Skyscanner data shows a landscape of increasing interest in travel in general
- Skyscanner has seen weekly search volumes for travel from the US increase 98% since the start of the year**
- Skyscanner has seen weekly booking volumes for travel from the US increase 114% since the start of the year***
Top five booked domestic destinations for Independence Day travel****
- New York
- Las Vegas
- Orlando
- Los Angeles
- Denver
Top five booked international destinations for Independence Day travel*****
- Cancun
- San Juan
- Athens
- London
- Mexico City
Pricing facts for Independence Day travel******
- Average price for domestic travel is $249
- Average price for international travel is $722
- Booking a premium economy ticket for domestic travel is cheapest the week before July 4th, coming in at $659 on average*******
- Booking a premium economy ticket for domestic travel is cheapest two weeks before July 4th, coming in at $229 on average*******
- Booking a premium economy ticket for domestic travel is cheapest 22 weeks before July 4th, coming in at $2001 on average*******
How to hack your way to a great deal, with advice from Mark Crossey Skyscanner's US Travel Expert:
Be price smart: "Searching by multiple dates and airports will give you the best chance of a bargain. Setting up price alerts will ensure you're the first to know as prices drop with any additional discounts or added supply. You can mark a flight you're interested in and Skyscanner will email you whenever the price goes up or down."
Consider all options: "2020 saw new destinations rise in popularity as corridors shone a light on some surprising gems. Swapping your usual break in Cancun for Florida or California could be an unexpected delight."
Mix & Match to save $$: "Not just a summer fashion trend, mix and matching the airlines you choose to fly with can seriously cut costs. Fares don't have to be booked as returns, look at flying out with one airline and back with another to save money. You can easily compare prices on Skyscanner's cheapest month tool."
Use the whole month tool to find the best deals: "Flight prices are all based on supply and demand. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary. The 'whole month' search tool allows you to see cheap flights at a glance and pick the right deal for you. Consider traveling a day before or a day after your original departure dates, flying on less popular days of the week is always cheaper."
Flex is the word: "In the past being flexible with travel might have meant flying at anti-social times to get a good price. But now with a constantly changing travel landscape, it's important to know what the change policies are on flight tickets and accommodation. These policies are highlighted on Skyscanner searches, so booking travel can be changed easily. Choosing these flexible options can sometimes be much cheaper than package deals and of course, allows for a personally tailored trip."
*AAA figures released June 28 expects over 47.7 million people to travel from July 1-5
**Economy class, return travel from the US, weekly search volumes week beginning January 3, 2021, compared to week beginning June 20, 2021, on Skyscanner platforms
***Economy class, return travel from the US, weekly booking volumes week beginning January 4, 2021, compared to week beginning June 21, 2021, on Skyscanner platforms
****Economy class, return travel from the US, searched between March 18 – June 18, 2021, on Skyscanner platforms
*****Economy class, return travel within the domestic US, redirects (bookings) between March 18 – June 18, 2021, on Skyscanner platforms
******Economy class, return, international travel from the US, redirects (bookings) between March 18 – June 18, 2021, on Skyscanner platforms
*******Average cost for travel between July 1 and July 5, taken from prices on Skyscanner platforms for redirects (bookings) made during 2018, 2019 and 2020 for economy class, return, domestic travel from the US