Sunny Southwestern cities continue to feel return as hotel deal markets, while popular Canadian cities lower airfare.
SAN FRANCISCO – Hotwire.com released the September 2012 Hotwire Travel Savings Indicator, which features the top five cities in North America where hotel, air and car rental rates have dropped the most as compared to the same time last year. Using extensive pricing research to cover the three most popular travel products, the report helps guide travelers to the best destinations for maximizing their travel dollars each month.
“Although the summer is coming to a close, the hotter-than-normal temperatures seem to be affecting certain destinations, curbing demand and causing prices to fall,” said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. “While up North in Canada, there’s some pricing competition among airlines resulting in good deals to a couple of their most popular destinations. Overall, this is a great time for travelers to take advantage of some incredible shoulder season deals to cities that typically don’t discount.“
Hotel Price Drops
Las Vegas tops the list for the second month in a row with an 11% drop. Hoteliers in the city are pricing low to draw travelers as they experience a hot, late summer, and are hoping large events like the iHeart Radio Music Festival and the Las Vegas BikeFest will help. While there are discounts on The Strip, there are even better prices off of it, with neighborhoods like Downtown – Fremont Street and Lake Las Vegas offering the best deals.
The heat is also a culprit in Tucson – which retains its second place position this month with a six percent decrease – and in Phoenix, which comes in at number five with a four percent decrease. Travelers should take advantage of these stellar deals now, because prices are expected to rise in these warmer cities as we head deeper into autumn.
On the East Coast, Raleigh at number three and New York at number five are offering five and three percent discounts, respectively. With the exception of a handful of prime college football weekends like Duke vs. the University of North Carolina, the “City of Oak” has plenty of rooms to fill, especially among 4-star hotels. It’s also a great time to visit New York, which hasn’t been on the list since February. The shoulder season in the city means crowds have thinned out, the weather has cooled down (though it’s still good) and the prices have dropped. Hotels in areas like Midtown and Times Square are in high demand, but hotels outside of the Midtown area are looking to fill rooms, with last-minute bookings offering the deepest discounts.
When compared to this time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for September 2012 include:
| Rank | Hotel Market | Price Drops | Example of a Current Hotwire Deal |
US$/Night |
| 1 | Las Vegas, NV | -11% | 4-star | $66 |
| 2 | Tucson, AZ | -6% | 4-star | $78 |
| 3 | Raleigh – Durham, NC | -5% | 4-star | $94 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | -4% | 4-star | $73 |
| 5 | New York, NY | -3% | 3.5-star | $160 |
Air Price Drops
Montreal tops the list for the second month in a row with a big 17% drop. Coming in with a tie for second place are newcomers Toronto and Jackson, both dropping 16%. Recently, several airlines increased inventory between the East Coast and Toronto, which is driving down overall fares not only in Toronto, but also in Montreal. Last month, Hurricane Isaac paid Jackson a visit and caused fares there to drop, but with Jackson’s warm weather, now is a good opportunity for folks to take advantage of the city’s infamous music scene including the annual CelticFest Mississippi. California cities round out the airfare price drops, with Oakland and Palm Springs falling by 12%.
When compared to this time last year, the top five airfare price reductions for September 2012 include:
| Rank | Air Market | Price Drops | Average Hotwire Airfare |
| 1 | Montreal, QC | -17% | $376 |
| 2 | Toronto, ON | -16% | $334 |
| 3 | Jackson, MS | -16% | $302 |
| 4 | Oakland, CA | -12% | $269 |
| 5 | Palm Springs, CA | -12% | $318 |
Car Price Drops
Car rental rates are down all over the country, and with football season in full-swing, it’s the perfect time for a road trip and a tailgate party to see your favorite team play. And if you happen to be a Bengals, Cardinals or Steelers fan, you are especially in luck, because car rental rates in these cities are as low as $27 per day. Topping the list this month with a 25% drop are Jackson, Cincinnati and Monterey. Scottsdale and Pittsburgh round out the top five car rental markets with 23% drops.
When compared to this time last year, the top five car rental price reductions for September 2012 include:
| Rank | Car Rental Market | Price Drops | Average Hotwire Car Rental Price |
| 1 | Jackson, MS | -25% | $29 |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH | -25% | $32 |
| 3 | Monterey, CA | -25% | $33 |
| 4 | Scottsdale, AZ | -23% | $27 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | -23% | $27 |
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
