CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thanks to cooler temperatures, lower costs and fewer crowds, more than a third (35 percent) of Americans are planning a fall getaway this year.1 The latest Insider Index from Orbitz.com highlights fall shoulder season destinations offering the deepest discounts during the fall months based on hotel bookings. Based on the Index, travelers visiting coastal destinations this fall can save nearly 50 percent from the peak-season summer rates. Conversely, football fans traveling to see big games and cheer on their favorite teams may see hikes on and off the field, with increases in hotel rates.
"For travelers seeking last-minute escapes this fall, comparing locations and seasonality closely can practically cut costs in half," said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com. "Our data shows that nearly double the travelers are taking long-weekend getaways this fall when compared to summer trips. While the trips may be shorter in the fall, travelers want one last getaway before the holiday season starts."
Orbitz.com 2014 Fall Shoulder Season Index
The Orbitz.com Fall Shoulder Season Index tracks average daily hotel rates for popular destinations in the fall as compared with hotel pricing during peak travel months. This fall, the best savings are located on the East and West Coasts, with big decreases in average daily hotel rates across the board. Compared to staying during the summer, travelers can enjoy a more cost-conscious vacation with a 45 percent decrease in average daily hotel rates. Beyond just the East and West Coasts, South Padre Island, Texas offers the highest cost-savings over any destination this year.
Orbitz.com Top Coastal Destinations for Biggest Savings2
| East Coast Destinations | Average Daily Hotel Rate | Savings Off-Peak Rates | |
| Panama City Beach, Fla. | $110.09 | -42% | |
| N. Myrtle Beach, S.C. | $103.26 | -41% | |
| Ocean City, Md. | $154.39 | -35% | |
| Manhattan Beach, Calif. | $81.25 | -33% | |
| Virginia Beach, Va. | $136.08 | -32% | |
| Laguna Beach, Calif. | $232.27 | -32% | |
| South Lake Tahoe, Calif. | $124.81 | -26% | |
| San Diego, Calif. | $138.77 | -21% | |
Football Fans: Hikes on the Field and at Hotels
The fall travel season also coincides with the professional and college football seasons and some of the biggest increases in hotel rates come from relatively smaller markets where the influx of fans travelling to game day make a strong impact on demand. Among these, South Bend, Ind. – home of the Fighting Irish – saw the biggest inflation of hotel rates, with an increase of nearly 125 percent during football season. The return of the Irish's quarterback this season also sees the return of the traveling fan base to Notre Dame. Other football destinations seeing increases in costs include: Tuscaloosa, Ala., Tallahassee, Fla., State College, Pa., Green Bay, Wis., Gainesville, Fla., Columbia, Mo., Lincoln, Neb., College Station, Texas, and Lubbock, Texas. Travelers looking to enjoy a true college town experience without the large crowds and higher prices should check the home team's schedule before venturing out. For example, travelers to Tuscaloosa can save 67 percent on their hotel just by visiting during a weekend with an away game.
To find more great deals for fall travel, visit www.orbitz.com/sales.
1 The Orbitz.com fall travel survey was fielded by Orbitz from Sept. 16-17, 2014 via Google Surveys. 509 U.S. adults aged 18 and older who had traveled within the past 12 months were surveyed.
2Savings based on the average daily hotel rate in these destinations for bookings made on Orbitz.com for travel from Sept. 1 – Nov. 23 as compared to each destinations' most expensive month.
About Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is a leading travel website that enables consumers to search for and book a broad range of hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and destination activities. Since launching in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the world's largest online travel sites. Orbitz.com now offers the groundbreaking Orbitz Rewards loyalty program—the only program where customers can earn rewards immediately on flights, hotels and packages, and redeem instantly on tens of thousands of hotels worldwide. Use the Orbitz Rewards Visa® Card to earn even more rewards. Orbitz.com is the #1 way to book travel on mobile devices, be it using our apps (get them at www.orbitz.com/mobile) or our smartphone-optimized website (m.orbitz.com), both of which are tailored for smartphones and tablets. The Orbitz app won the 2014 Appy Award for best travel app. Orbitz also ranks #1 in Online Travel Website Customer Satisfaction in the 2014 American Customer Satisfaction Index. Follow Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and through the Orbitz Travel Blog. Orbitz.com is operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW).
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) is a leading global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel. Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (www.orbitz.com/OPN) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world`s largest airlines and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes. Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.