A new survey by TripAdvisor shows that 76% of adults say the shaky economy has not impacted their December holiday travel plans; 43% are planning to travel over the festive season this year, up from 38% who did so in 2010. The majority of travelers intend to hit the road for the Christmas holiday, with 34% planning to travel – while 16% plan to travel for New Year’s. Among those traveling, 59% will visit family or friends, 18% are planning a sunshine getaway, and 11% intend to take a city break. Other findings:
Trials and Tribulations of Holiday Travel
51% of those traveling for the December holidays expect to be stressed by the experience, with airline annoyances ranking top of the list of least enjoyable travel hurdles:
| Airline delays and cancellations | 22% | Overcrowded airports | 11% |
| Inclement weather | 21% | Bad traffic | 8% |
| Price of transportation | 15% |
Travelers’ Top Strategies for Seasonal Stress-Limitation
| Traveling at off-peak hours | 47% |
| Paying for accommodation, rather than staying with family or friends | 14% |
| Traveling a shorter distance than usual | 8% |
| Consuming alcohol on a flight | 8% |
| Taking a sleeping pill on a flight | 4% |
Top Five Holiday Travel Mishaps – and How to Overcome Them
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Stash emergency supplies in the trunk: 29% of travelers have experienced considerable traffic jams during their December holiday travels.
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Monitor airport developments: 23% have endured a holiday flight cancellation.
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Label all luggage, inside and out: 14% have suffered the inconvenience of lost luggage over the holidays.
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Allow for extra time: 8% have missed a flight over the holidays.
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Avoid a last-minute packing frenzy: 8% have forgotten to pack gifts in their luggage.
Fliers Plan Frugal Measures
Festive fliers have a number of thrifty tactics up their sleeves in order to avoid or minimize baggage fees this holiday season:
| Bring only carry-on bags | 33% |
| Fly with an airline that does not charge for checked bags | 27% |
| Have online gifts shipped directly to my holiday destination | 23% |
| Mail gifts to my holiday destination | 17% |
| Do laundry at my destination, to avoid checking bags | 17% |
Additional Holiday Travel Tidbits
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23% have purchased last-minute gifts en
route to their December holiday destination, with airports the top pick
for face-saving purchases (11%).
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22% of those traveling plan to pack
ornament earrings or other holiday-themed jewelry, 17% will carry
holiday sweaters and 10% will travel with Santa hats.
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Among those who have traveled over the
December holidays in years past, 23% think travelers behave towards one
another with worse manners than usual during the “season of goodwill”,
while 16% consider manners to be improved.
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49% of those traveling plan on using a smartphone or tablet device to plan or assist in their holiday travels this year.
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Among these mobile users, 80% will check
the weather, 58% will research restaurants and 50% will use their device
for navigation purposes.
