If your plans are changing just before the holiday season or if you're thinking of gifting someone a travel experience, here's what you should know.
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00:00 Expedia Melanie Fish here is joining us to talk about more of the most popular
00:04 holiday travel spots as well as let's say some tips and tricks on booking gift
00:09 trips and where to travel in 2024. Melanie lovely to have you back.
00:14 Thanks for having me. I mean I don't want to scare you but that crazy 115
00:19 million number from AAA that doesn't even start until Saturday so that
00:24 doesn't even take into account people who are starting their holiday trips
00:28 this week and even Friday which is going to be a boom day for travel. And all of
00:34 a sudden my heart's beating just a little bit faster Melanie thanks for
00:37 that. Well look for all the folks who are sitting here maybe planning things very
00:41 last minute maybe their plans fell through is there still time to book
00:44 holiday travel all of that considered? Well of course there is there's plenty
00:50 of availability to book holiday travel but if you really haven't made plans and
00:55 you want to book a trip you're going to pay for it at this point. Just this
00:59 morning I was looking at maybe a bundled trip to Cancun over the holidays last
01:07 minute because I wanted to see what was available and there is availability but
01:11 it costs more than twice as much as it's going to cost if you're planning a trip
01:15 just a couple weeks later into January because you're traveling during the peak
01:19 season and you're traveling last minute. Now having said that some of the tried
01:23 and true destinations are showing reasonable under $400 round-trip prices
01:30 New York, Orlando, LA, Las Vegas and those are the most popular destinations over
01:37 the holidays. I'm actually pretty impressed I was not expecting that less
01:40 than $400 for a trip like that it's not the worst. Now on that note maybe you
01:45 don't want to go to those super common destinations maybe you're not seeing
01:48 your family or something like that this holiday season whatever it may be what
01:52 are some of our most popular holiday getaways? I know you had mentioned Cancun.
01:56 For sure if you're not headed tour over the what is it over the hills and
02:02 through the woods to grandma's house then you're likely headed towards a
02:06 beach according to the data. So we are looking at Punta Cana and the DR that's
02:12 a really popular destination. Cancun and those Mexico beaches are really popular
02:17 destinations and even if people are staying within the US they seem to be
02:22 seeking out some warmer weather Orlando those theme parks super popular and on
02:28 the west coast even beach destinations like Orange County, San Diego really
02:33 popular over the holidays. Now one last question for you here I absolutely love
02:37 this my husband and I were very intent on giving experiences and travels kind
02:41 of the gift that keeps on giving so any thoughts on people who want to give
02:46 travel to their friends or their family whatever loved ones in this holiday
02:50 season maybe gifting a trip for Christmas or something like that? Okay
02:54 here's my strategy on it yes I want to give the gift of travel but I want to be
02:59 included so what I have taken to doing is booking a Vrbo a private vacation
03:05 rental for a set long weekend at the beach in the spring or my birthday's in
03:11 February I like to do it for my birthday and then just saying to my friends and
03:15 my family got a four-bedroom house first-come first-served who wants to
03:20 join me and it really just makes people pull out their calendars block it off
03:24 and you are set for that trip with the people that you love so that's my
03:28 strategy rent a vacation home so you can be part of the gift you're giving. Love
03:33 that idea that's so fun and you know what since you mentioned it let's add
03:36 this in here you mentioned your birthday's in February maybe some early
03:39 year trips whether it's a birthday trip for you or for anyone else in the
03:44 beginning of 2024 any bargains we should look for? Well the offseason is right at
03:51 the beginning of the new year even though it's high season and a lot of the
03:54 tropical destinations but it's a really affordable time to travel so once the
03:58 kids are back in school in January I mean that is a good time to find some
04:03 good value trips and then anytime no matter when you're traveling I always
04:07 tell people to look at bundling their trips when you're in the Expedia app or
04:12 another travel booking site if you book that hotel room at the same time you're
04:17 booking the flight you can get deeper discounts and then I am no longer
04:22 waiting to book my plane tickets because I always get the flight price protection
04:29 so I know that if a flight price drops even after I've booked I'm going to get
04:35 the difference in cash one key cash that I can use towards my next trip so
04:43 travel in 2024 there are definitely smart ways to do it that can save you
04:47 here and there. Love to hear it Melanie Fish head of global PR for Expedia
04:51 thanks for joining us and hey happy holidays are excited for everyone this
04:55 travel holiday season. I even came on to say hello to you miss Melanie by the way you and
04:59 Christina took all my time. Now I'm not doing any forecasting. Safe travels you guys.
05:04 Safe travels miss Melanie and happy holidays to you and your family. I guess
05:09 we have to behave now don't we?