Hotwire Launches New Monthly Travel Savings Indicator
Hawaii is a Hot Deal Market Across the Board in the New Hotwire Report, Which Reveals Top Five Cities with the Steepest Price Decreases in Hotel, Air and Car Rentals
Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today released their new monthly Hotwire® Travel Savings Indicator, which features the top five cities in North America where hotel, air and car rental rates have dropped the most. Expanding on the Hotel Rate Report, the Travel Savings Indicator uses the same extensive pricing research to cover the three most popular travel products. The new report helps guide travelers to the best destinations to maximize their travel dollars each month. The spotlight is on Hawaii for August, where price drops across all three categories are coming at the perfect time to inspire end-of-summer travel.
"Over the past year we've seen travel costs rise higher, and finding great deals takes a bit more skill and know-how," said Clem Bason, President of the Hotwire Group. "So at Hotwire, we decided to create an all-in-one, monthly tool that helps travelers pick great destinations where they can find the best hotel, air and car rental bargains. That way, customers will get the most out of their travel budget and may even have the opportunity to fit in more trips."
Hotel Price Drops
Topping the hotel list this month with a 12 percent decrease is Santa Fe, New Mexico, where news of area wildfires and summer temperatures has weakened tourist demand to this cultural hub. Meanwhile, travelers to Springfield, Missouri should consider staying in nearby Branson, which makes its debut at the number two spot with an 11 percent price drop due to a competitive hotel pricing environment. Known as the "Live Music Show Capital of the World," Branson's location at the center of the U.S. makes it less than a day's drive for one-third of Americans.
Those seeking ideal leisure destinations should consider Oahu, which is the third largest island in Hawaii, and this month's hottest overall deal market. Hotels are pricing quite competitively this year in Oahu, especially at the 4-star level. Napa is another great getaway destination that is currently experiencing lower than average group travel, and is therefore reducing prices by five percent. Rounding out the top five for the first time since 2010 is Atlantic City, where a softer summer demand this year is affecting prices.
When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for August 2011 include:
Air Price Drops
Weaker demand and stronger supply are driving rates down for the five air markets with the biggest fare decreases this month. Burbank, California, with a 10 percent average price drop, is a great alternative to Los Angeles International Airport, which is the third busiest airport in the United States. Hawaii continues its claim as a hot deal market as well, with flights into Kailua Kona down by five percent. This makes for a great opportunity for leisure travelers to island hop with inexpensive interisland flights as well. Rounding out the top five air list for August is Dallas, where new low cost carrier routes are driving prices down with the launch of Virgin America and Spirit.
When compared to the same time last year, the top five airfare price reductions for August 2011 include:
Car Rental Price Drops
In general, this summer has been softer than the industry had hoped in terms of car rental demand, which has prompted great deals and steep price drops. Further supporting Hawaii as the hot deal market of the month, Honolulu claims the number one spot with a whopping 57 percent price decrease for car rentals. Washington, D.C. and San Antonio are also offering price reductions of over 50 percent, followed closely by Las Vegas and Atlanta with 49 and 41 percent drops, respectively. All of the locations on this month's list have plenty of car options to choose from at low prices, especially on sites like Hotwire.
When compared to the same time last year, the top five car rental price reductions for August 2011 include:
For over 10 years, Hotwire has worked with hotels, airlines and car rental companies to fill this unsold inventory. As a result, Hotwire offers travelers amazing deals, every day of the year, across a variety of markets. Through Hotwire's deep understanding of the industry and unique relationships, consumers have been able to save millions of dollars on all their travel needs.
About the Hotwire Travel Savings Indicator | The Hotwire Travel Savings Indicator runs results during the second week of each month. Results are calculated by looking at Hotwire booking data for select regions in the current month, and comparing prices in the current month against Hotwire prices in the same month in the prior year. Prices are compared within the same categories (e.g., star rating, class of car) for consistency, and the percent change in price for each region is generated as an overall average of the changes in those categories. The hotel prices in the charts above are examples for a particular Hot Rate deal within that market. The airfare and car rental prices are average prices based on bookings across all car and seat classes. Actual prices may be higher or lower than the examples that are provided.
About Hotwire
Hotwire is a leading discount travel site. Launched in 2000, Hotwire, Inc. was one of the first online travel sites to work with suppliers directly to book unsold inventory. By simply hiding the brand name, Hotwire can offer customers deep savings on hotel rooms, rental cars, and flights.
Hotwire is an operating company within Expedia Group. For more information, visit www.hotwire.com.
Andrew Reynolds
Atomic PR
(323) 648-5425
Hotwire.com
