Hopper Releases Its July 4th Travel Outlook

Hopper’s new travel report for July 4th reveals that domestic airfare this 4th of July has dropped more than $100 or 27% since last year to $300 per round trip ticket. Average hotel rates are $197 per night for the holiday, car rentals are down 25% from this time last year, and 24 million passengers are expected to depart from US airports from Thursday, June 19 through Wednesday, July 5. Check out Hopper’s July 4th Travel Outlook to help you plan ahead of the summer holiday.

Airfare

Domestic airfare this 4th of July has dropped more than $100 or 27% since last year to $300 per round trip ticket. Fares this holiday weekend are in line with 2019 prices. 

Most travelers are making a long weekend out of the holiday, with the most popular trip dates departing on Friday, June 30th, and returning on Tuesday, July 4th. Savvy travelers departing Saturday, July 1st, and returning Monday or Tuesday of the holiday weekend are saving an average of $74 per ticket, or 26% off peak airfare. 

International travelers won’t be so lucky, with fares to Europe this 4th of July weekend the highest in at least 5 years. Round-trip airfare to Europe is averaging $1,370 per ticket up 33% or about $340 per ticket from 2019 prices. Overall, trips to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean will be the least expensive for international travelers, at less than half the price of a trip to Europe or Asia. Travelers headed abroad are mostly booking a 5-day weekend, departing Thursday, and returning on Tuesday, July 4th. 

Travelers hitting the skies this long weekend are booking trips to Las Vegas, Atlanta, and New Orleans, among many other large US cities. International travelers are staying regional, with destinations in Mexico, Canada, and Puerto the most booked on Hopper this 4th of July weekend.

Accommodations

Vacationers and staycationers alike can celebrate hotel rates over the 4th of July weekend in line with last year, averaging $197 per night. Major US cities like Las Vegas, Miami, and New York top this year’s ranking of most booked destinations for hotel stays on Hopper over the 4th of July weekend. For those travelers grabbing their passports, stays in Europe and Asia are most popular with London, Madrid, and Bangkok topping the most booked ranking. 

Car Rentals

Road trippers are in luck this upcoming holiday weekend, with car rentals averaging $47 per day, down 25% from this time last year. Travelers are booking 6-day rentals, up from 3 days last year, likely due to the holiday falling on a Tuesday instead of a Monday this year.

Top destinations booked over the long weekend include Orlando, Denver, and Miami. All three offer warm weather and outdoor activities from amusement parks to the Rocky Mountains. 

Crowd Outlook

With the 4th of July falling on a Tuesday this year, many travelers are expected to make an ultra-long weekend out of the holiday. Overall, more than 24 million seats are expected to depart from US airports from Thursday, June 29th through Wednesday, July 5th. 

Airports will be busiest the Thursday and Friday before the holiday weekend with more than 3.7 million passengers expected to depart from US airports. Return flights will be packed on Wednesday following the 4th of July holiday, with 3.5 million passengers expected to depart. 

Busiest Airports

Atlanta, Dallas (DFW), Denver, and Los Angeles will be the busiest airports, all expecting more than a million passengers to depart over the week encompassing Independence Day. Late morning (8 am – 12 pm) and early evening (4 pm – 8 pm) will be the busiest times to depart from these top airports.

How to prepare for busy airports this holiday weekend?
Before you book: 

1. Give yourself a buffer day: The best way to ensure you make it to your destination on time is to give yourself some extra wiggle room, especially if you’re traveling for an important event. If unexpected weather or disruptions impact your trip, you’ll have a buffer day to rebook/reschedule to get to your destination on time. 

2. Fly in the morning: Disruptions are inevitable when flying, but a delay or weather in the morning can snowball (no pun intended!) into airport-wide disruptions by the afternoon or evening. Book the first flight out of the day to steer clear of backed-up tarmacs, and to give yourself options for flights later in the day in the event that your flight is delayed or canceled. 

3. Add Hopper’s Flight Disruption Guarantee when you book: No matter how you prepare, sometimes delays, cancellations, and missed connections are inevitable. We can’t control the weather! Add Hopper’s Flight Disruption Guarantee when you book on Hopper for a small fee. If your flight is delayed, canceled or you miss a connection, you can instantly rebook yourself on the next available flight (no matter which airline) directly in the Hopper app at no charge. No waiting in long lines at a customer service desk, no waiting on hold. Just rebook yourself and get on with your trip.

Within 24 hours of your trip: 

1. Know what options you have available: Know what other flights are headed to your destination the same day as your trip in case you’re disrupted and need to get on another flight. 

2. Know what’s included with your ticket. Do you have the option to change your flight with no fees? If so, consider changing to after a storm is expected.

3. Check airline policies. Some airlines may offer compensation or travel credit if your flight is canceled within a few hours of departure. Other carriers may offer hotel stays for passengers whose flights are canceled. Know what policies are offered by your airline ahead of time. Many carriers will often waive change fees due to weather, so be sure you’re up to date on your airline’s latest policy.

4. Sign up for alerts & check flight status before you go to the airport. You’ll want to know about delays and cancellations as early as possible. On most U.S. carriers, passengers can sign up for text, email, and/or in-app notifications about any changes to their itinerary including delays and cancellations. Travelers using the Hopper app are also notified as soon as we are aware of any disruptions. Always check your flight status before heading to the airport so you know about delays ahead of time.

If you’re delayed/canceled:

• Contact the airline/customer service – Head to the airline ticket agents’ counter ASAP. Pro tip: multi-task! Call the airline call center while you’re waiting in line.

• If you’re already at the airport, find a self-serve kiosk at the airport – Some airlines offer self-serve kiosks right in the airport. Scan your boarding pass/enter your trip details and you may be able to rebook yourself on a new flight and print a new boarding pass right from there. 

• Make changes online or on the airline’s app – Many carriers allow you to find a new flight and rebook directly on their website or in the app.

How to score a last-minute deal?

• Fly out on Saturday – For the best prices on domestic trips, fly on Saturday, July 1st & return Monday, July 3rd. Savvy travelers departing Saturday, July 1st, and returning Monday or Tuesday of the holiday weekend are saving an average of $74 per ticket, or 26% off peak airfare prices.

• Book a staycation – With international airfares up the highest in five years, many travelers may be opting to stay domestically for July 4th. If you haven’t made plans yet, you might consider a staycation in a nearby city. Many hotels offer special geo-fenced rates to local guests, so you can find some of the best last-minute staycation deals right in your area. 

• Check for last-minute deals in big cities – Hotel prices in major cities like NYC and Las Vegas typically drop prices closer to the check-in date. Travelers can often find last-minute deals over holiday weekends in big U.S. cities.

• Look for last-minute flight deals – With airfares nearly $100 lower than this time last year, there are still some good deals domestically for July 4th travel available to book on the Hopper app. If you’re flexible on departure dates and destinations, you might snag a great last-minute deal. But book soon, before prices rise.

Source: Hopper