In-betweason travel > summer trips.

We just launched The In-betweasons Guide, aka your ticket to potentially saving up to 27% on travel during pre and post-summer months. Here’s your money-saving guide and this week’s headlines.

The pre-check

The week’s latest travel stories and news.

• Looking (and booking) ahead.
  According to insights from Booking Holdings (ie. our parent company), travelers are reverting back to booking trips in advance.
• Revamped in a big way.
  The US gov announced that the FAA will be awarded nearly 1 billion dollars in efforts to improve infrastructure and meet travel demand.
• New routes are all the rage.
  To keep up with traveler demand, several airlines – like United, Air Canada and Frontier – are adding new routes to expand service.
  
• Don’t sleep on this trend.
  Or… do? Since 63% of US travelers struggle to get enough sleep while away, several hotels are creating experiences to change that.
• Well this is new.
  According to the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, there are actually 7,000 extra islands that are now considered part of the country.

Trending travel

Swap that summer trip for this sweet-spot season.
It’s not even spring, but we’re already sweating looking at summer airfare. With inflation and continued demand for international travel, prices are getting steep. If your international trip for summer is pushing your budget, go during in-betweason instead. In-betweason (also known as “shoulder season”) is in the middle of peak and off-season and is truly a sweet spot for trendy summer destinations. Here’s what to know about in-betweason travel:

• Pre/post-summer is where it’s at.
  In-betweason varies per region, but usually it occurs during spring and fall months. Our data shows that most in-betweason deals for Europe and Asia are in April, October and November.*
  See for yourself
• Slower season travel has its perks.
  We love a good discount, and our numbers show that you could save up to 27% on European destinations during in-betweason… and that’s not all. Check out the other perks on our blog.**
  Get the deets
• Europe deals starting at $416
  From Reykjavik to London, we found in-betweason deals for destinations across Europe. Browse through major US airports and find where to go in the fall or spring to save on your next Euro trip.***
  Find your state
• Bucket list trips within reach.
  Depending on where you live, that Thailand or Japan dream vacay could be closer (and cheaper) than you think. With flights starting at $686, we’ve got deals for destinations around Asia.****
  Discover deals

Ready to swap your summer trip for in-betweason? Check out our full guide to get started.

Tricks of the trade

We hope this isn’t too forward. 

The more direct, the better – which is why we love our direct flight-finder. Apparently, AFAR magazine appreciates it, too. KAYAK Direct finds non-stop flight destinations based on your airport, making it simple to weed out the layover routes. It can also show you which airlines service your destination and the cheapest dates to go.

See what we’re geeking out about and give this tool a try.

What we’re watching

We can afford a personal chef, right?
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Affordable flights, no squatter needed.
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Links in this Newsletter are for informational purposes only, and there is no affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement by or with KAYAK Software Corporation whatsoever.

<Methodology>

*To define shoulder season (a period between peak and low season) by region, KAYAK US considered all search dates for travel dates Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 in for 2019, 2021 and 2022 for travel from the US to each region. Peak season was defined as months with above average search counts (excluding December as an outlier due to holiday travel). Shoulder season was defined as the immediate month(s) preceding and/or following peak seasons where a trend was found for 2 of the 3 years of data considered. Months in each region that are typically met with inclement weather factors like monsoon or hurricane season were excluded.

**For Asia, Europe, Central America, Caribbean, Middle East, South Pacific and North America, KAYAK considered flight searches from the US to each region between 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for all 2023 travel dates. To determine savings, KAYAK compared the average median airfare of the defined peak season months in a region to the average median airfare of the defined shoulder season months in that same region. Savings are based on general regional data and are meant to be representative of savings opportunities, which are not guaranteed. For Africa and South America, KAYAK considered flight searches from the US to the combined top destinations from 2019 and 2022. Search dates considered were 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for all 2023 travel dates. To determine savings, KAYAK used its 2019/2022 most searched destinations and applied the northern and southern peak and shoulder season information respectively. KAYAK then compared the average median airfare of the defined peak season months to the average median airfare of the defined shoulder season months in that same region. With varying levels of savings, KAYAK was able to present a range of savings opportunities for shoulder season. Savings are based on general regional data and are meant to be representative of savings opportunities, which are not guaranteed.

***KAYAK considered flight searches between 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for travel dates in the months of March, April, October and November 2023 (previously defined shoulder season in Europe) from every US international airport code to European cities to determine the cheapest city to travel to during a specified shoulder season month. Airport codes without enough search data were excluded. Cities that did not meet a certain minimum click threshold were excluded. Prices are on average and are for example purposes only. 

****KAYAK considered flight searches between 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for travel dates in the months of February, March, April, May, October and November 2023 (previously defined shoulder season in Asia) from every US international airport code to Asian cities to determine the cheapest city to travel to during a specified shoulder season month. Airport codes without enough search data were excluded. Cities that did not meet a certain minimum click threshold were excluded. Prices are on average and are for example purposes only.