Hotwire Survey Reveals that Employed Americans Have an Average of Six Unused Paid Vacation Days at the End of Each Year

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today released further results from its American Travel Behavior Survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive in July among over 2,000 adults. The survey found that the average American employee has over a week's worth (6.2 days) of paid vacation days left unused at the end of each year. These results might just prove an age old stereotype – Americans are workaholics. However, the travel experts at Hotwire® have some good news for all those with unused vacation days: the most affordable time of year to travel is right around the corner.

"Too many Americans are getting caught up in their everyday routine and are either forgetting to use their vacation or assuming travel for the remainder of the year is too expensive," said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. "What many people don't know is that the best time to score a deal is during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when overall travel demand is at its lowest and hotels, airlines, and car rental companies flood discount sites like Hotwire with amazing deals."

For the millions of Americans who have extra vacation days to use, the first few weeks in December are the perfect time to squeeze in one last trip at incredible savings. With conventions and business travel nearly non-existent these weeks and leisure travelers visiting family for the holidays, travel demand drops across the board. This means that travelers can find amazing deals at virtually any destination. And on sites like Hotwire, that already offer discounts of up to 50%*, prices fall even lower this time of year:

• In 2010, hotel prices on Hotwire fell nearly 10% during this period overall vs. the peak, summer months.
• Airfare also sees a similar drop in price. When compared to the peak season of 2010, airfares during the first few weeks of December have been about 9% less.
• Car rental prices fall even further. When compared to the peak season of 2010, car rental prices during the first few weeks of December were 23% less.

Using Hotwire as a resource, travelers can spend their leftover vacation time rejuvenating before the busy holiday season and New Year to come, all while staying within their budget.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its QuickQuery omnibus product on behalf of Hotwire from July 27-29, 2011 among 2,127 adults ages 18 and older among which 843 have paid vacation days from their primary employer. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Andrew Reynolds at [email protected] or (323) 648-5425.

About Hotwire

Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages.  Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars.  Hotwire is an award-winning website and operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2053390-50.  NST: 20003-0209.  For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com. Hotwire sites operates in 8 countries worldwide: www.hotwire.com, www.hotwire.com/uk, www.hotwire.com/ie, www.hotwire.com/au, www.hotwire.com/nz, www.hotwire.com/se, www.hotwire.com/no and www.hotwire.com/dk.   In addition to Hotwire, The Hotwire Group of websites includes: www.hotwire.com, www.travel-ticker.com, www.carrentals.com.  

Hotwire, Hotwire.com and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Hotwire, Inc.  All rights reserved. CST# 2053390-40.

*Savings are based on actual Hotwire Hot Rate hotel bookings made in the past month. Savings are based on lowest published rates found on leading retail sites.

Contact:
Andrew Reynolds
Atomic PR
(323) 648-5425
[email protected]

SOURCE Hotwire.com