This Year, Christmas Comes (Two to Four Weeks) Early: Expedia Reveals a 'Sweet Spot' for Booking Christmas Travel

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia.com®, the world's leading online travel agency, announced today that an analysis of historical pricing data has revealed a "sweet spot" for booking 2010 Christmas travel. That sweet spot is the two-week period between November 29 and December 13. Expedia research shows that Christmas travelers who book during this period have an opportunity to secure some unexpectedly good deals.

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On the whole, 2010 holiday air fares have been more expensive this year relative to recent years. However, in recent weeks, holiday air fares have shown signs of moderation. While prices in the first three weeks of October were consistently higher than in 2009, prices over the past two weeks have actually been lower than those from last year. And the historical trend indicates that better Christmas air fares may still be available. The November 29 - December 13 time frame is one in which airlines are expected to be competing aggressively for their share of Christmas bookings. This competition tends to result in lower air fares.

Here are some examples of potentially available savings this holiday season:

• If a traveler books a flight to Miami or Denver during the week of November 29, they might be able to save up to 20% compared to the same flight booked either in the first two weeks of November, or later in December.
• For destinations such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando, travelers might find better deals by waiting until the second week of the "sweet spot"(December 6 -13) – savings in that period might range from 10% to 20%.
• One way to save can be done without having to navigate the "sweet spots" this holiday season.  Travelers should simply book their hotel and flight simultaneously.  When travelers do this, Expedia can pass along deeply discounted rates from airlines and hotels that can't be shown separately.  Travelers can save up to $450 compared to what they would have paid if they were to book their flight and hotel separately.* If a hotel and flight are booked even a minute apart, those potential hundreds of dollars in savings are lost.

"Prices for airfare have been up, but we did the analysis and identified the best times generally for holiday travelers to book if they haven't done so already," said Daniel Kissin, Supply Strategy Analyst, Expedia.com. "However, regardless of when you book, one way to make sure you save money on travel this holiday is to book your flight and hotel together.  Do that, and travelers are likely find a great deal on Christmas travel, and maybe they take that money and spend more on Christmas gifts."

About Expedia.com

Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel site, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com promises to offer to its customers the best rates available online for all types of travel. Expedia.com is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).

Expedia and Expedia.com are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.© 2010 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST: 2029030-40

*Savings based on all vacation package bookings with Flight + Hotel on Expedia.com in 2009, as compared to price of the same components booked separately. Savings will vary based on origin/destination, length of trip, stay dates and selected travel supplier(s). Savings not available on all packages.

Web site: http://www.expedia.com/

SOURCE Expedia, Inc.