Summer Weekend Getaways Are On The Rise, Yet Citi ThankYou Premier Survey Shows That Over Half Of U.S. Consumers Prefer To Avoid Travel On Holiday Weekends

NEW YORK, May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to summer travel, more than half (54%) of Americans prefer non-holiday weekends for their getaways and the majority (72%) are planning to travel by car, according to a new nationally representative sample of U.S. consumers conducted on behalf of the Citi ThankYou Premier® card. With gas prices lower than last summer and more travelers expected to hit the road, the Citi ThankYou Premier card is one of the most competitive travel rewards cards in the market with 3 points for every $1 spent on travel, including gas, rental car, tolls, parking, hotels and more. 

"We want to reward our customers for their loyalty, and whether they are taking a weekend road trip or commuting to work, they get rewarded for every dollar they spend," said Chris Fred, Head of Proprietary Product Management at Citi Cards. "With more consumers hitting the road this summer, they can go on vacation while earning for their next trip more quickly."

The Citi ThankYou Premier Summer Travel Survey also revealed the following trends:

• Saving Time for the Dog Days of Summer: On average consumers who are employed full time save more than one-third (37%) of their annual vacation days for the summer season. Another 30% save more than half of their annual vacation days for summer months.
• Staying Home for the Holidays: More than half (54%) of consumers prefer to travel on non-holiday weekends due to traffic (47%) and high costs (30%). Only one quarter (25%) feel Independence Day is the best summer holiday for travel, followed by Memorial Day (11%) and Labor Day (10%).
• Opting for Weekend Getaways over Long Vacations: Nearly half (46%) of respondents say are likely to take frequent weekend trips instead of one long vacation as compared to five years ago.
• Watching your Budget: While most consumers look to curb spending when booking and experiencing travel, nearly 60% say they exceed their summer getaway budget each year.
• Booking a Room: When it comes to accommodations, most Americans are choosing to stay in a hotel (57%) or with friends and family (27%). Less frequented accommodations included renting a home or apartment through online services such as AirBnB (6%) and a bed and breakfast (6%).

About Citi ThankYou Premier

Citi ThankYou Premier enables cardmembers to quickly earn rewards from a variety of purchases, at an annual fee of $95 which is waived for the first year:

• 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas, from taxi and car service, public transportation, parking, tolls and bike shares – to airfare, hotels, vacation rentals, cruises, car rentals, travel agencies, railways, and more;
• 2 points for every $1 spent on dining out and entertainment, from coffee at a cafe and dining out at other restaurants to purchases at sporting events, concerts, movie tickets, music downloads and more; and
• 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases.

When redeeming for flights, hotels, cruises and car rentals through the ThankYou Travel Center, ThankYou Points are worth 25 percent more as compared to gift cards. For example, 30,000 ThankYou Points can be redeemed for $375 towards a flight on any airline, with no blackout dates – compared to $300 in gift cards. ThankYou Premier cardmembers also have the option to easily transfer their ThankYou Points to 13 elite travel loyalty programs.

For more information on ThankYou Premier, including how to apply, visit www.citi.com/thankyoucards.

About the Citi ThankYou Premier Summer Travel Survey

The Citi ThankYou Premier Summer Travel Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 35-54 between May 5, 2015, and May 12, 2015, using an online survey.

About Citi

Citi (NYSE: C), the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

Media Contacts:
Emily Collins, Citi, 718.248.3901, [email protected]
Christine Xenakis, Edelman, 212.277.3797, [email protected]

SOURCE Citigroup Inc.

Related Links

http://www.citi.com

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