ALEXANDRIA, Virginia – A PWC poll shows significant numbers of people will be vacationing this year, reports Axios.
Usually about a third of people travel during this time, but the survey shows that more than half (52%) plan a trip. Most people travel by car (72%) and 57% fly with household incomes over $ 150,000.
Although many airlines are adding flights to popular destinations in anticipation of the holidays, there will most likely be higher prices and limited availability as demand will exceed availability. Rental cars are also in great demand.
United is increasing flights and will be flying its busiest vacation schedule since the pandemic, but with 3,500 daily flights in December, it’s still 91% of its capacity.
“We’re seeing a lot of catching up to do with our data and are offering a December plan that focuses on the two things people want most over the holidays: warm sunshine and fresh snow,” said Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning and scheduling at United, said Axios.
In addition, consumers plan to spend more on travel. Spending on vacation travel is expected to increase by 69% in 2021 compared to 2020. In fact, travel expenses are expected to be higher this year than in 2019, with average spending increasing 24% from $ 372 to $ 461.
Retail sales this holiday season should rise between 7% and 9%, while e-commerce sales are expected to grow 11-15% year over year. Holiday retail sales should hit $ 1.28-1.3 trillion from November through January, and holiday e-commerce should hit $ 210-218 billion this season.
