KAYAK's Annual Travel Trend Forecast Reveals This Year's Hottest Holiday Destinations

New Low Cost Carriers, Basic Economy Routes and Baggage Fees Have Changed the Way Canadians Will Shop for Airfare this Holiday Season

TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - Just in time for peak holiday travel planning, KAYAK launched its 2018 Holiday Travel Trend Forecast, revealing this year's hottest holiday destinations, when to book to score the best deal, and what travellers should know before heading to the airport.

Key insights from this year's Travel Forecast include:

• Canadians are travelling outside their comfort zone this holiday season. A combination of warmer temperatures and quick, nonstop flight routes often make cities in the US and Mexico longtime favorites amongst Canadian travellers. However, this year there is a departure from that trend with cities like Cartagena, Belize City, Punta Cana and Willemstad replacing the usual suspects on the top trending destinations list.
• Dublin named Canada's #1 Holiday Trending Destination. With direct flight routes from five Canadian cities coupled with YYC's most recent announcement to launch service between Alberta and Dublin next summer, it's no surprise that Ireland is top of mind for Canadian jetsetters seeing a 48% increase in flight searches year over year. The royal tour and a more favourable exchange rate than years past are making Dublin a hotspot for the holidays.
• Edmonton cracks this year's trending list for the first time. Seeing a 20% increase in interest compared to last holiday season, Edmonton is the only Canadian city to make an appearance on this year's list. With flight prices 25% cheaper compared to last year, Edmonton has experienced a flurry of new travel options that are making the city more accessible and affordable to visit than ever before.
• Budget-conscious travellers should plan in advance. The best time to book when you're travelling within Canada for Christmas is November 13th. Last year, travellers paid about $333 when they booked by that date. For international flights, KAYAK recommends booking travel by November 1st when median airfare hovers under $700. For both domestic and international flights, median airfare increases the closer to the holiday you get.

"Many of the travel trends we're seeing this holiday season are a reflection of the changes we see happening in the airline industry," says KAYAK's Country Manager for Canada, Steve Sintra. "As new routes open up in certain cities, we see travel interest spike as a result. But, it's not only the entrance of low cost carriers and new flight options that have changed since last holiday season. Airlines are doubling down on basic economy expansion in an effort to appeal to a wider audience of travellers."

As the industry continues to evolve and shopping for airfare reaches new levels of complexity, KAYAK is making it easier to navigate this new world of airfare.

KAYAK's Hacks for Holiday Travel

• Know how flight costs change as you add more bags. Earlier this year, KAYAK introduced its baggage fee calculator, adding a new level of transparency to the travel planning process. The baggage fee calculator sits on top of a flight search results page, and clearly shows the difference in cost when travelling with 0, 1 or 2 bags (motivation to become a more efficient packer!).
• More flight options also mean more luggage policies. With the dimensions of carry-on luggage differing from airline to airline, KAYAK's AR bag measurement tool helps travellers recognize whether or not their luggage will fit in the overhead bins - no matter the airline - and all before arriving at the airport.
• KAYAK Holiday Hack: Consider sending gifts to your destination ahead of time to avoid paying for additional luggage or worrying about anything delicate getting crushed.
• The best deals come to those who use tools. Canadians are savvy shoppers, always on the hunt for a bargain. KAYAK makes it easy to feel confident you've gotten the best deal by highlighting great prices on calendars, providing flexible date options (use the +/-3 day search to spot the best prices) and revealing what days of the week you should be searching to yield the lowest prices.

Methodology
Unless otherwise indicated, searches were conducted on ca.kayak.com for round-trip, economy flights, excluding price outliers based on certain criteria. Median Airfare Histogram: Median airfare by month for destinations based on travel dates 11/01/2017-01/31/2018 and search dates 05/01/2017-01/31/2018. See additional information here. Prices may vary.

KAYAK
KAYAK helps millions of travellers around the globe make confident travel decisions. As the world's leading travel search engine, KAYAK searches other sites to show travellers the information they need to find the right flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. KAYAK is an independently managed subsidiary of Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: BKNG). For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.

SOURCE KAYAK

Miriam Fitting, Golin Toronto, [email protected], 416-483-6225 x 3440