Expedia Study Reveals That Nearly 50% of U.S. Adults Report Having Been "Forgotten" On Valentine's Day - Expedia Now Offering Last-Minute Flash Sale Travel for the Forgetful and Thoughtful Alike

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia.com®, the world's leading online travel agency, today revealed the results of a study of American behaviors surrounding Valentine's Day. Commissioned by Expedia and conducted online by Harris Interactive among 2,236 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, the "Expedia® To the Rescue" study revealed that among those who celebrate Valentine's Day, planning is often done within a few days of the holiday, with imperfect results. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults report that they have had loved ones who had forgotten the date entirely, or canceled plans. 33% of the forgotten reported having taken action in response, ranging from guilt trips and silent treatments to temper tantrums.

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Although the gift of travel isn't common, it is growing more so.  27% of U.S. adults have given the gift of travel in the past and 58% of those who celebrate Valentine's Day would "definitely or probably" take advantage of an inexpensive getaway deal for Valentine's Day with a week or two weeks' notice, if they hadn't already made other plans.

"Travel is a non-traditional Valentine's Day gift but its surging popularity makes sense. Expedia's last-minute and flash sales can be purchased on the fly and you don't need to take the trip immediately," said Sarah Keeling, Expedia's resident romantic travel expert. "Now even if it's February 13, there's no reason to be in the doghouse when you can be at the beach."

Expedia now offers several options for last-minute-planners in the form of last-minute travel deals.

• The company's newly-introduced Last Minute Deals program relies on user-generated deals and user-informed travel trends to find the best near-term travel deals. Expedia Last-Minute Deals effectively crowdsources the search process, by showcasing deals found by other customers.
• Groupon Getaways with Expedia couples the flash-sales expertise of Groupon with Expedia's unparalleled global network of travel suppliers. Groupon Getaways with Expedia follows Groupon's voucher model, where travelers book a hotel room or package at an exceptional rate, then travel when the time is right. Groupon Getaways with Expedia deals are also transferable, making them ideal gifts.
• ASAP  (A Sudden Amazing Price®) deals are live and bookable for up to 12 hours, offering unlimited access to deals at up to 50% off of Expedia's everyday rates. Expedia offers multiple ASAP deals every day.

"Expedia To the Rescue" Results
Among other survey findings:

• Forget me not. Nearly half (46%) of adults report that their loved ones have ever forgotten or cancelled plans for Valentine's Day. 33 percent of these admitted to reacting through a variety of means. These include:
  • The Guilt Trip
    • 10% reported that they "tried to make [their significant other] feel guilty for not caring enough."
    • 3% reported planning an actual Guilt Trip with friends – they took matters into their own hands and made travel plans, leaving their significant other behind.
  • The Silent Treatment
    • 8% went the silent route.
  • The Boycott
    • 8% stopped planning or celebrating Valentine's Day in future years.
  • The Temper Tantrum
    • 4% "lost my cool/composure/temper."
  • The Friends Night Out
    • 10% spent the evening with friends instead, leaving their significant other behind.
• Romantic trips are the option of choice for many couples. Among those who celebrate Valentine's Day more than 50% (54%) of adults wait until a few days before or the day of to plan for Cupid's holiday. Only 12% of loved ones plan more than a few weeks out.  More than half of adults in the US (58%) would whisk their loved one away for Valentine's Day if they came across a last-minute getaway deal and they hadn't already made plans. Westerners are the most spontaneous travelers: they (66%) are significantly more likely to indicate an expressed interest in a last-minute romantic trip for Valentine's Day if they hadn't already made other plans, versus 53% of Midwesterners and 54% of Northeasterners.
• Nearly four out of ten adults (38%) don't celebrate Valentine's Day at all. Those in the Northeast (66%) are more likely to indicate they celebrate this holiday than those in the West (57%). And households with children (77%) are significantly more likely to indicate they celebrate Valentine's Day than those households without children (57%).
• The Non-Valentine's Day Getaway. 78% of those who have single friends would want to go away with them to celebrate "Non-Valentine's Day" (i.e., going away for that weekend around Valentine's Day but not with a romantic partner) to any of seven listed destinations. The top four Non-Valentine's Day destinations for these adults are: the beach (20%), followed by the casino (18%), a city trip (13%) and a cruise (11%).

Expedia Valentine's Day Deals
Expedia is now offering last-minute deals of varying size and stripe: package deals to New York, Aspen, Miami, Napa, Paris and the Mexican Riviera, as well as a wide assortment of cruise options. Four- and five-star hotels are currently available for 30 to 50% off standard rates and travelers can save up to 75% off select cruises if booked by February 29. The top Valentine's Day deals include:

Groupon Getaways with Expedia:

• Westport Inn, an Ascend Collection Hotel (Westport, CT): One night romantic getaway for $89 and a bottle of Champagne: a 50% discount. Must travel by May 24, 2012.
• Oasis Suites (Nags Head, NC): A romantic two-night suite stay for $209 (normally a $471 value). Eligible dates: February – March 31, 2012. Another option is a two-night romantic suite stay for $279 (normally a $626 value). Eligible dates: April - May 24, 2012.

Cruise:

• Royal Caribbean Cruise: Book select Royal Caribbean cruises to Europe or Bermuda and receive a complimentary Romance Package which includes a bottle of sparkling wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, and roses delivered to your stateroom.

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 customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.

Expedia, Expedia.com and the Airplane logo are either registered trademarks or 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. © 2012 Expedia, Inc.  All rights reserved.  CST # 2029030-50

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Expedia from January 30-February 1, 2012 among 2,236 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. 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 see contact information below.

SOURCE Expedia.com