CheapOair, a flight-focused hybrid travel agency, has released its list of the top 10 destinations for Memorial Day weekend.
Domestically, Orlando, Florida ranks as the most-booked Memorial Day weekend destination, followed by Las Vegas and New York City. Although Orlando leads in popularity, it isn’t the cheapest option. Fort Lauderdale holds the distinction of being the most affordable among the top 10, with an average round-trip airfare of $275—an 11 percent drop from last year. Denver is the only city on the list that saw airfare rise compared with the previous year. Overall, domestic round-trip fares are down about 5 percent.
For international travel, London is the most popular Memorial Day weekend destination, followed by Cancun, Rome, Paris and Guadalajara. Average international round-trip airfare rose by roughly 2 percent this year, but several destinations experienced notable price declines, in some cases as much as 19 percent.
“Despite the unusually low fares we saw earlier in the year, travelers should expect Memorial Day prices to be similar to recent years,” said Tom Spagnola, senior vice president of supplier relations at CheapOair. “Average airfares—combining domestic and international—are only about 2 percent lower than in 2017. Booking sooner rather than later will improve your chances of finding a good fare.”
Sam S. Jain, founder and CEO of CheapOair, added that increased capacity in the market has helped create more opportunities for low airfares this year. “Because demand is high for travel over the long weekend, consumers should aim to book early. Basic economy seats are limited, so if you want the lowest possible price, flexibility with your booking and travel dates will be important.”