Price Still a Game Changer for US Vacationers in 2022      

As much as 43% of US survey participants (Skyscanner and OnePoll, April 2022, 1000+ participants) stated that they planned to spend more on travel in 2022 than they would pre-pandemic, and more frequent travel for longer trips was the plan for many Americans booking a trip abroad in 2022. The ability to compare prices is therefore key and hacking your vacation costs to be able to travel more and for longer has never been more crucial. 

Naomi Hahn, Skyscanner's VP of Strategy, comments: "Americans have an unwavering love of travel and we're keen to turn these pent-up dreams in to an affordable reality. We're seeing renewed importance being place on travel (50% of survey respondents place more importance on travel this year compared to pre-pandemic) and 43% of respondents plan to spend more this year. More trips (43%) and longer trips (45%) are key reasons for allocating more money – perhaps making up for lost time and canceled vacations. 

"Price has always been a key determining factor in the travel choices people make, and with more and more people returning to the skies and summer on the horizon, getting a great deal is top of mind for many. What we are seeing is that travel providers continue to support the return of travel with competitive fares. As demand begins to match supply, it's important to know how to compare your options and tailor plans to get the best price – whether it's flying out a day or two early, departing from an alternative airport or exploring an up-and-coming destination that's a fraction of the cost. 

"Making your well-earned money work harder for you is top of our agenda so we've run the numbers based on thousands of bookings to reveal the best value destinations this year, along with the best time to book those flights. Rest assured, with fares still up to 60% cheaper than they were pre-pandemic to some of our favourite vacation spots, there are great flight deals to be had this summer and you can use Skyscanner to help you find them." 

Four top travel hacks on how to bag a bargain from Naomi Hahn, Skyscanner's VP of Strategy: 

Be price smart: "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."  
Friday is the cheapest day to travel: "Flight prices are all based on supply and demand. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary i.e., on average, save up to 25% by flying on a Friday and up to 51% by booking 4 weeks ahead of departure. The 'whole month' search tool allows you to see cheap flights immediately and pick the right deal for you. Consider travelling a day before or a day after your original departure dates, flying on less popular days of the week is always cheaper." 
Consider all options: "2020 and 2021 saw new destinations rise in popularity as corridors shone a light on some surprising gems. Swapping your usual break in Cancun for Portugal could be an unexpected delight. So let the algorithm decide with a search to 'Everywhere', which will present a plethora of options based on your travel dates, all ranked by price."  
Mix & Match to save ££: "Not just a summer fashion trend, mix and matching the airlines and airports you choose to fly with and from can seriously cut costs. Fares don't have to be booked as returns, look at flying out with one airline and back with another, or out of one airport and back into another, can save money."