The holidays usually mean long lines at the airport and busy highways. However, a new report shows that consumers with budgetary concerns may be staying home.
JD Power’s Banking and Payments Intelligence Report, published on Monday, found that 46% of people surveyed in October had no plans to travel during the holidays, up from 39% in November 2023. These responses – out of 4,000 retail banking customers in the US – were highest among those classified as financially ‘vulnerable’ and ‘stressed’, as well as among those aged 40 and over.
“This development may come as a surprise to some, as customers are likely to have gained some financial breathing space in recent months,” the report said. “And of those who will travel, 70% will travel by plane and/or stay overnight. But as customers suffer the fatigue of persistently high consumer prices, some are content not to travel at all.”
However, the report also noted that 33% of customers were financially ‘healthy’, compared to 28% in November 2023.
But while airfares are higher around the holidays, travelers looking for last-minute deals aren’t completely out of luck.
People walk through the O’Hare train station as they travel for the Thanksgiving holiday at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on November 22, 2023.
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Where can I find cheap flights this holiday season?
According to Hopper, travelers can still book relatively affordable getaways – largely in warm weather – from various US cities on various dates between December 23 and January 2:
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From Boston, fliers can find round-trip fares to Nassau, Bahamas for as little as $377; to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands for the same price; and to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for just $348.
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There are round-trip flights from Chicago to San Juan for as little as $320 and to Fort Lauderdale for as little as $140.
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Travelers can fly round-trip from Dallas to San Juan for as little as $287.
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From New York, fliers can travel to San Juan round-trip for as little as $382.
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Travelers can fly round-trip from Newark to Grand Cayman for just $503, and to Nashville for just $131.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Last-minute cheap vacation flights: Here’s where to go
