NORWALK, Conn., May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate National Road Trip Day (Friday, May 28), Priceline did a deep dive into the resurgence of road trips across the U.S., revealing that road trips have become so popular in the last year that nine in 10 Americans have taken at least one, with the vast majority (75%) taking more than four, according to a Priceline Survey by OnePoll.1
Being cooped up during quarantine inspired Americans to hit the road, yearning to leave the challenges of the last year behind them. And in some cases, leave their pandemic roommates behind, too. In fact, seven out of 10 Americans want to take a road trip to escape their quaranteam.
"People are ready to see new faces and places again," says Ben Harrell, Chief Marketing Officer, Priceline. "As the country continues to open up, rental cars and road trips are a safe and accessible way to reunite with loved ones and explore new, or rediscover favorite, destinations."
Priceline's National Road Trip Day survey asked Americans about their preferences when it comes to hitting the road, how COVID-19 has affected the way they take road trips, and identified different preferences among various demographics. Some interesting trends discovered include:
Gen-Z Looks to Escape Their Quaranteam
Northeasterners Racked Up The Miles
Men and Women Agree: Reuniting with Loved Ones is a Road Trip Priority
The Majority of Road Trippers are Renting Cars
When it comes to getting around, the majority of Americans (59%) want to rent a car for their summer road trips because they prefer to avoid putting mileage on their own car (57%), want to ride in style (59%), or just prefer to drive to their vacation destination (49%). The catch is that as travel came to a halt in 2020, many car rental companies reduced the size of their fleet to match pandemic-level demand. Now, with travelers hitting the road again and a global semiconductor chip shortage halting the production of new vehicles, demand is high and rates have soared by 30 percent compared to 2019 pricing.
"Vehicle shortages across the country have driven up the rate of rental cars," says Lucy Bueti, VP of Rental Car, Priceline. "My best advice is to book your car early and to be flexible; flexibility on your car type, the pickup date and the pickup location can result in significant savings. Travelers can also unlock significant discounts, up to 40% off, by booking a Priceline Express Deal."
To help travelers hit the road without breaking the bank, Priceline—which has saved consumers more than $15 billion on travel since 1998—is announcing a special National Road Trip Day offer, and that's on top of great rental partner deals, including Hertz, Mex and Sixt.
Priceline National Road Trip Day Offer
Partner Deals
As the experts in saving travelers money, Priceline is sharing tips on how to get the best deal on rental cars and avoid high rates this National Road Trip Day, and for all of your summer travel plans. For additional information, visit Press.Priceline.com.
About Priceline Priceline, part of Booking Holdings Inc. [NASDAQ: BKNG], is a world leader in travel deals. Priceline offers exclusive discounts on hotels, flights, alternative accommodations, rental cars, cruises and packages. We offer more than a million lodging properties, helping travelers find the right accommodation at the right price. We negotiate great deals every day, and put our best pricing on the Priceline app. Our deep discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars and more are also distributed through our partnership brand, Priceline Partner Network. With free cancellation for many rates, 24-hour customer assistance and the option for both pre-paid and pay upon arrival reservations, Priceline helps millions of travelers be there for the moments that matter. For us, and for our customers, every trip is a big deal.
For further information, please contact: Christina Bennett, christina.bennett@priceline.com Nicole Salerno, priceline@mbooth.com
1 Research findings are based on a survey of 2,007 Americans conducted by OnePoll in April 2021.
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SOURCE Priceline