00:00As the summer travel season officially winds down, sadly, that is, travelers are gearing up for one final getaway.
00:07And the folks over at Priceline are tracking all of the trends you need to know.
00:10Join us now to break down summer 2025 travel insights, what to expect on this Labor Day, and how to find maybe a few last-minute deals.
00:19Bridget Zimmerman, chief commercial officer at Priceline, thanks a lot for being here. Good to have you.
00:24Hey, J.D., thanks so much for having me.
00:25So, first of all, how did the 2025 summer travel season stack up to even the last few years in terms of demand, destinations, overall spending?
00:36What are those trends?
00:38Yeah, we've had a really good summer travel season.
00:40I think what we're hearing from our consumers is it's something they absolutely want to do, regardless of what's happening in the macro environment.
00:47We see consumers who are really interested in traveling to big cities, as they always do.
00:52Think of your New Yorks, your Philadelphias, San Francisco's.
00:56But we're also seeing some other really interesting trends this year.
01:00Consumers who really want to get out and travel to concerts, see sporting events, kind of prioritize their travel around those big moments and big events.
01:08So, as we think about Labor Day coming up, there's a couple of big events happening in the U.S., things like the U.S. Open here in New York,
01:14which a lot of people are prioritizing as they think about their Labor Day travel.
01:18And then we're also seeing consumers have a little bit of a different trend interested in what we're calling town sizing.
01:24So, kind of getting out away from those big cities more to smaller destinations, local destinations,
01:29taking maybe a little bit of a break from the overload of the big city.
01:34So, think of like a Burlington, Vermont.
01:36That's a place where we're seeing increased number of searches and just kind of a different way to be this summer.
01:41Well, I definitely appreciate the people coming from the U.S. Open.
01:44There is nothing like a night session at Arthur Ashe in Queens.
01:47Any kind of surprises that you're seeing, emerging behaviors among travelers?
01:52You just name-checked somewhere I wasn't necessarily expecting as maybe being a priority.
01:56What else are you seeing?
01:58Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of that kind of relaxed, more relaxed leisure travel this year.
02:04So, again, it's kind of the tale of two cities.
02:06People who want to get out to the cities still really interested in traveling for those big moments and big deals.
02:11But, again, other places as well, maybe like a Gulfport, Mississippi, that's on the rise in terms of the types of flight searches that we're seeing.
02:21So, really, again, reinforcing that while some people want to get out and get into the big cities,
02:26other people certainly want to take a step back and feel that more local experience, a more laid-back travel experience.
02:31Yeah, Bridget, all this is still on the overall environment, the backdrop of high interest rates, a pullback of discretionary spending.
02:39We know there are these macroeconomic pressures facing consumers and, therefore, facing travelers.
02:45And there's impacts on a bit of pullback of their spend.
02:48How are those big-picture factors impacting the data?
02:52Yeah, listen, I think we've seen kind of these macro trends play out before us a number of times.
02:58Priceline's been around for the last 25 years.
03:00And our mission is really to help consumers find the best deals so they can continue to travel.
03:05We still hear, I think Deloitte did a survey recently, and more than 50% of U.S. adults want to travel and plan to travel this year.
03:14So, travel's still at the top of people's mind about what they want to do and how they want to spend their money.
03:19They might just change a little bit on the edges around how they actually spend, when they're in their destination, how long they stay, when they book.
03:27So, still definitely prioritizing travel, but maybe just changing a little bit what they do in market and how they spend their dollars when they actually do go out and travel.
03:35Well, most people I know already have their plans for Labor Day pretty firmly set.
03:41I got a lot of pals heading down the Jersey Shore, somewhere out to Long Island.
03:44And what are the big destinations that you're anticipating for those trying to get and really enjoy the final little stretches of summer?
03:53Again, as sad as that is to admit.
03:55I know.
03:55Well, I think the good news is that if you're flying this year, airfare's around the same as it was last year.
04:01So, you're not paying too much more if you haven't booked your last-minute travel.
04:05So, a lot of really great places for you to go and prices that are roughly the same as they were last year.
04:09There's still a couple of really great deals out there if you're flying.
04:13So, think of airfare under $250.
04:15Check out cities like San Francisco, Philadelphia.
04:18If you're interested in maybe a more reasonable hotel stay, think about staying for under $150 a night.
04:26Portland's a really great destination that's trending and booking Fort Lauderdale as well.
04:30So, still a lot of really great locations and a lot of really great price points out there if you haven't booked your travel yet.
04:37Global spots.
04:40Maybe people are looking at the calendar and saying, wait, I get this little day off of work on Monday.
04:44I could stretch that maybe into a long weekend somewhere in Europe.
04:47I don't know.
04:48What are you seeing there?
04:49Yeah, we're seeing interest still for Japan.
04:52That's a pretty long trip for a very last-minute trip.
04:54But we're seeing interest definitely for consumers heading out to Japan.
04:59Closer to the border, a lot of interest traveling up into Canada.
05:02So, think of Montreal, Niagara Falls, and then even traveling down south into the Caribbean.
05:09Think of Jamaica.
05:09We're seeing increased searches for Jamaica, St. Martin.
05:12Now, of course, check the weather.
05:13It's one of those times of year where you never know what the weather is going to do as you think about Caribbean and Mexico.
05:18But still, a lot of really great deals to travel down south as well.
05:22How do you advise people go about finding those deals?
05:25They're sitting there saying, wait, I've got this extra day.
05:27I want to go somewhere.
05:29I don't want to necessarily pay as much money as I would have to otherwise.
05:33What should people take into consideration?
05:35So, if you're shopping on Priceline, we've got an end-of-summer sale happening right now.
05:40So, a lot of really great deals that we've worked with our partners to secure.
05:44So, think about things like 20% off for hotel stays, a lot of really great opportunities to save on your accommodation happening now.
05:53And for packaging, a really great way to save is to bundle your travel products together.
05:57So, if you need a flight and a hotel or a flight and a rental car, bundle those two things together.
06:02And in our end-of-summer sale, you'll find deals up to $350 off are already low prices.
06:08So, a lot of great opportunities if you're still thinking about Labor Day travel.
06:12And then I think more broadly, you know, three kind of key tips in terms of how to save on travel, at least on Priceline.
06:19One, I already said it, is to bundle.
06:21Put your two products together, three products together, your flight, your hotel, your rental car.
06:26It's always a great way to say we can make you a really great deal up to $650 off if you were to book those things separately.
06:32So, that's one.
06:33Two, download our app and become a VIP member.
06:36VIP is our membership program.
06:38It's free to join.
06:39All you have to do is sign up.
06:41And then when you come back, we're able to show you really great deals that are available only to our members and even better prices in our app.
06:49And my third tip is to use our Express Deals product.
06:51So, think of Express Deals kind of like mystery deals.
06:54You tell us where you want to travel, but you might need to have some flexibility on your departure time for your flight or exactly what hotel you want to stay in.
07:02But if you let us pick that deal for you, you can save up to 60% off.
07:05So, a couple of really great ways to save right now or any time as you think about traveling.
07:11And finally, while I have you, what would you say is your outlook, your best sense expectation for what travel looks like, even through the end of 2025?
07:20And for anyone who's saying, all right, maybe I missed my window to travel for Labor Day.
07:24Oh, wait, there's the holidays.
07:26How soon should I get started?
07:29Yeah, start planning now.
07:30I think we're going to see, especially around the peak holiday periods, consumers are really getting out there and they're traveling.
07:37TSA expects a record Labor Day holiday in the airports.
07:41And we've seen that kind of pop up around other holidays so far this year.
07:44So, if you're thinking about planning your trip for Thanksgiving, for the holiday season, start planning now.
07:50But, again, even if you have to wait until the last minute, if you're not quite sure, plenty of ways to save for last-minute travel as well.
07:56Yeah, I might have to take advantage of that.
07:58Sadly, I'm staying local here in New York for this weekend.
08:02Me too.
08:02But this conversation is making me want to travel.
08:04So, I have to consider something coming up.
08:06Bridget Zimmerman, Chief Commercial Officer at Priceline, thank you.
08:10Enjoy your long holiday weekend and appreciate you being here.
08:13Yeah, thanks so much.
08:14Appreciate it.
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