My winter usually includes some sort of getaway, so I was intrigued when I received the following press release…
With Americans spending $53 billion every year on winter-related travel and gear and nearly a third of them planning to increase their leisure travel spending in the coming months, the leading personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2014’s Best and Worst Cities for Winter Holiday Travel. The study supplements the money-saving reports on Currency Conversion and Best Travel Credit Cards available through their sister site CardHub.
In anticipation of the holiday season, WalletHub identified the best and worst winter travel destinations and departure points. In order to do so, they analyzed 16 different metrics such as airfare costs, flight times, the number of flight connections and hotel costs. Here are some of their findings…
– The best overall points of departure are Atlanta (GA), Metrolina, Miami (FL) and Greater Twin Cities.
– The average international flight to a popular destination costs $2,318, takes 18 hours and has one connection.
– The average domestic flight to a popular destination costs $1,056, lasts a little more than 7 hours and has 0.66 connections.
– Despite LAX being the third-busiest airport in the U.S., California cities average a dismal ranking of No. 43 in terms of international travel affordability. This can be attributed to the popularity of European and Caribbean vacations over Asian getaways among U.S. winter travelers.
– Atlanta (GA) is not only home to the busiest airport in the U.S. but also the most affordable East Coast departure port for winter travelers. It ranks No. 1 in terms of domestic flight affordability, No. 2 for international affordability and No. 1 overall.
– Of the top 10 most popular winter destinations on our list, New York ranks as the No. 1 domestic destination, whereas Maui (HI), ranks last. For foreign destinations, Riviera Maya, Mexico, snags the top spot, while Sydney, Australia, falls to the bottom.
To see the complete report click here.
Bon Voyage,
Jenn
Jenn Cox is a Montreal-based freelance journalist. Visit her website or email her at [email protected].
