Did you hear that? That’s the collective sound of nine in 10 Americans clicking their laptops shut for summer vacation—whether for long holiday weekend stays, or in some cases, a few weeks of play.
Survey data we released in June showed that not only will 88% of Americans travel this summer, almost all (91%) plan to travel more than or about the same as they did this past year. So we dug into reservation data stored in TripIt, one of the world’s highest rated travel planning apps, to see where, when, and how long Americans are traveling in the coming months.
Our findings? Not a single travel booking type (flights, rental cars, or accommodations) trends down. Some—like international flights—are on track for 100% year-over-year growth. Where to? Americans will travel to hot-spot destinations like London, Paris, and Cancun, as well as New York, Chicago, and San Diego.
Here’s a closer look at the trends that developed in July, plus what’s ahead for August and September.
International fliers take five (more days of travel) in July
Like June, July travel numbers continued to climb. Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, TSA reported its highest ever number of passengers screened. Our data reflected this upwards trend: domestic flight bookings were up 42% compared to July 2022; international flight volume increased 41%.
The busiest travel days in the month were July 1, 9, and 10 for domestic flights. Popular destinations included Denver, Chicago, New York, San Diego, Dallas, and San Francisco. Airports like SFO, LAX, JFK, DFW, ORD, and ATL saw the highest volume of departures.
International flight volume peaked on July 1 and 8. On those dates, top destinations included London, Cancun, Paris, San Jose Cabo, Rome, and Tokyo.
Compared to domestic travelers, international fliers spent more time away on their trips: the average international trip length was 12.6 days—5 days longer than a trip with a domestic flight (7.6 days).
Here’s what else happened in July:
- Rental car bookings were up 31% compared to 2022; the average booking was 4.9 days.
- The busiest days to pick up a rental car were July 10 and July 17. Top pick-up cities included Denver, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston.
- Hotel stays increased 30%; most people checked in on July 1 and 10. Top destinations were New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Diego.
- Travelers stayed slightly longer in vacation rentals than hotels: 4.6 days versus 3 days (on average).
- Top vacation rental check-in days were July 1 and July 7. Top destinations included San Diego, Denver, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Seattle, and Tampa.
Related reading: The New Normal of Travel Is Here: What It Looks Like and What’s Next
Travelers make moves in early August
Flight volume in August? You guessed it: it’s going up! International flight volume will grow 78% from 2022; domestic flights will increase 75%.
The busiest days for travel will be at the start of the month—namely, August 3 and 4. This rings true for those boarding flights, picking up rental cars, and checking into hotels and vacation rentals.
So, where are Americans headed before summer’s out? Top international flight destinations include London, Rome, Athens, Paris, Milan, Cancun, Toronto, and Montego Bay. Meanwhile, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orlando all claim top spots for domestic flight destinations.
While stays at both hotels (up 47%) and vacation rentals (up 34%) will increase this August, the lengths of those stays will vary. Those staying in the former will average 3.1 days; the latter will average 4.5 days.
San Diego and Chicago will be popular destinations for both accommodation types in August. Other top cities include Las Vegas, New York, and San Francisco (for hotels) and Nashville, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Guerneville—located in Sonoma Wine Country (for vacation rentals).
Here’s what else August has in store:
- Americans flying abroad will spend an average of 13.1 days on a trip. Those flying domestically will spend 8.2 days on a trip (on average).
- The busiest days for domestic flight departures will be August 3, 4, and 27. Top departure airports will be:
- Aug 3: SFO, LAX, DEN, JFK
- Aug 4: SFO, LAX, DEN, SEA
- Aug 27: RDU, EWR, ATL, SFO
- Rental car bookings will be up 47% compared to August 2022. The busiest days for rental car pick-up will be August 3 and 4, and the busiest locations will be Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Shoulder season starts off strong in September
The secret’s out: Shoulder season—with its typical characteristics of fewer crowds, lower prices, and more availability—is the new prime time to travel. We first spotted this emerging trend in survey findings we released last September; at that time, 85% of Americans said they planned to travel in the fall.
This September, flight volumes will double: international flights will be up 100% from 2022; domestic flights will follow close behind with an increase of 98%.
Rental car and accommodation bookings will soar, as well. Car rentals will be up 56% compared to last year; hotel stays will increase 48%; and vacation rental reservations will be up 35%.
Friday, September 1—the start to Labor Day weekend—will be the busiest day for travel across the board. The first of the month will see the highest volume of international and domestic flights, rental car pick-ups, and check-ins to hotels and vacation rentals.
As for flight destinations, New York, Las Vegas, London, and Paris are among the most popular.
Here’s what else September has in store:
- September 1 and 2 are the busiest days for international travel. London is the top destination on both days, followed by cities like Paris, Rome, Athens, and Cancun.
- Once again, traveling internationally equates to longer trip length: trips with an international flight will average 13.3 days, compared with 8.7 days for those flying domestically.
- New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Chicago will claim the top spots on the busiest hotel check-in days (September 1 and 8). The average length of stay will be 3 days.
- Vacation rental bookings will trend more to the West and Southwest: cities like Seattle, San Diego, Palm Springs, Houston, Fort Worth, and Flagstaff will see high check-in volume on the month’s busiest days (September 1 and 22). The average length of stay will be 4 days.
Methodology: TripIt looked at U.S. origin round-trip flight, lodging, and rental car reservations made on or before June 20, 2023, for travel during July, August, and September 2023, and equivalent booking periods in 2022. Reservation data in TripIt is provided by users and is booking provider agnostic.
