One of the busiest summer travel seasons on record will close with a flurry and Orbitz reveals where the biggest crowds will be – at both airports and popular vacation destinations - with this month’s Orbitz Insider Index for those heading out over the busy Labor Day weekend in United States.
Orbitz data shows that Chicago’s O’Hare International will be the busiest U.S. airport over the 2007 Labor Day weekend, taking over the top spot from Los Angeles International Airport, which was #1 in 2006. The Orbitz Insider Index, a leading research initiative that shows significant destination trend information in the travel industry, also revealed that Charlotte’s Douglas International Airport made a significant leap in the rankings and will be the No. 2 busiest airport this year, moving up 15 spots from 2006.
“Those heading to airports on a holiday weekend should always expect heavy traffic, and it’s important to know where the big crowds will be,” said Heather Leisman, senior director of merchandising for Orbitz. “As we may see record numbers of U.S. travelers this holiday, our Insider staff picks highlight some popular but also not-so-crowded destinations to consider.”
Orbitz Insider Index – Additional Movers and Shakers
Internationally, Heathrow Airport in London is listed as the busiest airport and Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson Airport, which held the No. 1 spot last year, slipped three places to No. 4. Also notable, gaining a few spots to rank as the No. 2 busiest airport, Cancun International is up from the No. 5 spot in 2006. San Juan International held the No. 3 spot for the second consecutive year.
Based on flight bookings on Orbitz.com, this Labor Day weekend the busiest airports are:
**Based on air only ticket sales with an outbound departure date between 8/31/07 and 9/4/07. 2006 rankings based on booking data from 9/1/06 and 9/5/06. Based on origin and destination ticket sales excluding connecting traffic. Based on net bookings as of 8/13/07.
Orbitz Insider Index – Labor Day Busiest Destinations
The Orbitz Insider Index also lists the top 10 busiest U.S. and international destinations for travel from August 31 to September 4. Data shows New York City will be the busiest destination on the domestic front, while London is the most popular international destination. And for those who want to avoid the big cities, the Orbitz Insiders are providing travelers with off-the-beaten-path alternatives such as Destin, Fla., Breckenridge, Colo. and Portsmouth, NH.
*Orbitz.com destinations based on popularity for arrival 8/31/07 to 9/4/07. Based on air ticket sales as of 7/31/07. Theodore Koumelis - Friday, August 24, 2007