More than half of college students wait until check-in day to book spring break on their mobile devices.
NORWALK, CONN. – The stereotypical spring break, where college students book their travel months in advance to escape to their favorite beach for a week of fun in the sun, is no more. Today’s college students use mobile devices to book much shorter, last minute getaways, according to a new study of spring break travel patterns released by priceline.com, a leader in online and mobile travel and part of The Priceline Group.
Priceline.com looked at hotel bookings made on mobile devices by thousands of college students between the spring break period of February 21 and April 5, 2015 and found that more than half (56%) booked their hotel rooms on the same day they checked in. In contrast, only a handful (3%) of college students who booked with a mobile device booked hotel rooms a week or more in advance. College students are taking shorter trips, too, as almost all who booked on a mobile device (90%) booked a long or regular weekend getaway in 2015 rather than a full week.
“Travelers broadly, and college students in particular, can afford to be very picky with their spring break choices,” said Brett Keller, Chief Operating Officer at priceline.com. “We’ve seen the impact of today’s mobile culture on travel first-hand and it has empowered customers to take the trips that matter to them. Students wait until the last minute to study the prices, the weather, and trending locations. This group is tapped into social media to get the best experiences and priceline.com offers them the deals that make spring break great, without breaking the bank.”
Once the spring break destination is determined, college students booking on mobile keep their budgets and expenses in check. Nearly half (43%) of students spent less than $100 on their hotel rooms during the spring break time frame in 2015, while 40 percent spent between $100 and $200, and only four percent of students spent more than $500. Also, college students (26%) booked three-star hotels more than any other star level, and only about one percent booked five-star hotels.
For those in search of a last minute getaway, priceline.com looked at spring break hotel rates and found 15 affordable sun, sand, and snow spots, all with average daily hotel room rates under $150 per night.
15 Under $150*
|
SUN |
SAND |
SNOW |
|
Phoenix, AZ ($127.14) |
Myrtle Beach, SC ($69.48) |
Salt Lake City, UT ($96.68) |
|
Charleston, SC ($131.89) |
Jacksonville, FL ($105.87) |
Toronto, ON ($98.49) |
|
Austin, TX ($135.70) |
Costa Rica ($106.61) |
St. Paul, MN ($111.01) |
|
Nashville, TN ($138.68) |
Daytona Beach, FL ($137.09) |
Chicago, IL ($113.33) |
|
Palm Springs, CA ($143.08) |
Long Beach, CA ($146.01) |
Denver, CO ($136.46) |
*Prices may vary. All rates and availability are subject to change at any time.
Tips to keep travel costs down and score a last-minute deal this spring break by priceline.com:
- Consider driving vs flying: With low gas prices across the country, it may be cheaper to drive versus fly to your destination, especially if you’re headed to a destination not served by a major airport. You can take your time, see the sights and when you’re ready to stop for the night, book a Tonight-Only Deal(SM) on the priceline.com app for savings of up to 60% on your hotel room.
- Score 4- and 5-star hotels for 3-star prices: Book an Express Deal on priceline.com’s mobile app to get a nice hotel room in a desirable area for less. You see the general location of the hotel, amenities, star-level, and an overall rating from travelers who’ve been there before, and the name of the hotel is revealed after booking.
- Check age restrictions: Students heading to a popular spring break destination like Cancun should read the rules for age restrictions before booking their travel. On occasion, certain accommodations don’t allow adults under the age of 25 to book and some car rental companies charge higher rates for younger drivers.
- Take a trip up north to Canada: The U.S. dollar (currently worth approximately $1.40 Canadian) is almost double its value, making Canada an ideal spring break destination if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck. Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal all have average daily hotel room rates under $100 per night.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
