After a decline in spring travel, TripIt travelers are turning up the heat on their summer plans. According to TripIt reservation data, flight bookings are up 23.7% year over year across June, July, and August. Comparatively, flight bookings across March, April, and May dipped 1.6% from the previous year.
Summer hotel and rental car bookings are also up for 2026—22.5% and 15.1%, respectively.
Indeed, summer travel demand doesn't appear to be slowing down despite economic headwinds. In fact, our data shows air travel plans only strengthen as summer progresses:
- June flight bookings are up 16.4% YoY
- July flight bookings are up 35.2% YoY
- August flight bookings are up 43.1% YoY
These numbers aren’t surprising, as Americans increasingly view travel as an essential investment rather than a discretionary purchase. According to a recent TripIt study, 79% of Americans said they take at least one trip annually, and 91% wish they could travel more. The majority of travelers don’t let cash flow stand in their way: 86% said they’re willing to dip into their savings to finance travel.
So, where are travelers headed this summer? Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Seattle, and Denver are among the top destinations overall.
Top overall flight destinations for summer 2026
| June | July | August | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | Chicago | Las Vegas |
| 2 | Las Vegas | London | London |
| 3 | New York | Seattle | Seattle |
| 4 | Denver | Denver | Chicago |
| 5 | Dallas | Boston | Boston |
| 6 | Boston | Las Vegas | Denver |
| 7 | San Francisco | New York | New York |
| 8 | Seattle | Orlando | San Francisco |
| 9 | London | San Francisco | Orlando |
| 10 | Orlando | Los Angeles | Los Angeles |
But not everyone is staying closer to home. Americans remain eager to head abroad this summer, with international flight bookings up 23.5% compared to 2025. Travelers are staying away slightly longer, too: international trips average 12.6 days, up from 12.1 days last year.
As for destinations, London is #1 for June, July and August, while Paris takes the #2 spot. Rome, Tokyo, Dublin, Vancouver, and Reykjavik also rank among the most popular international flight destinations.
| June | July | August | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | London | London |
| 2 | Paris | Paris | Paris |
| 3 | Rome | Tokyo | Rome |
| 4 | Tokyo | Vancouver | Dublin |
| 5 | Toronto | Rome | Reykjavik |
| 6 | Cancun | Dublin | Vancouver |
| 7 | Amsterdam | Cancun | Amsterdam |
| 8 | Athens | Amsterdam | Tokyo |
| 9 | Dublin | Calgary | Athens |
| 10 | Vancouver | Toronto | Barcelona |
Soccer fans make plans for match day
The world’s major soccer tournament heads to North America this summer. And U.S.-based travelers are already gravitating toward destinations that will be at the center of the competition. TripIt data shows host cities like New York, Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver are among the most popular June and July destinations.
Most notably, Seattle and Vancouver entered the top 10 after not ranking at all in June of last year. Seattle claimed the #8 spot in June and the #3 spot in July. Vancouver was one of the strongest international movers. It ranked #10 in June and jumps to #4 in July.
Whether you’re traveling this summer to support your soccer team, or getting away on a bucket-list trip to Europe, expect your destination to be busy. Americans continue to prioritize shared experiences—even if they have to dip into their savings to do it.
Methodology: TripIt looked at U.S. origin round-trip flight, lodging, and rental car reservations for travel between March and August 2026, and equivalent booking periods in 2025. In this data set, spring refers to the months of March, April, and May, and summer refers to June, July, and August. Reservation data in TripIt is provided by users and is booking provider agnostic. Data for upcoming months is partial and subject to change.