2015 mid-year air travel trends released

TORONTO, Canada – Expedia Canada, in partnership with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and other organizations, today released findings from a rich set of global air travel data spotlighting air travel trends. Specifically, the change in average ticket price fluctuations for global travellers as well as savings for Canadian travelers are identified in this release.

Average ticket price fluctuations on routes globally

In December 2014, Expedia globally and ARC analyzed likely 2015 average ticket prices (ATPs) to many top travel destinations originating from North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. On the whole, predictions were spot-on. With prices adjusted for exchange rates, air ticket prices declined approximately 2 percent on average across North America and Europe, while prices decreased 7 percent for travellers originating in Asia-Pacific.

For specific prices for the remainder of 2015, we dug through the data1 to find some of the largest expected air ticket price declines across a selection of destinations. Here’s our view on the top 10 destinations to which travelers globally can find the best year over years savings on airfare in the coming months. For Canadians, travel to Spain ranked eighth on the list of top ten destinations where travellers from around the world can find great deals. Conversely, those traveling to Canada from the UK can experience a 12% decline in airfare prices versus the same time last year.

Rank Origin Destination 2015 YoY ATP Forecast
1 Malaysia Australia -22%
2 Italy Portugal -22%
3 Brazil U.S. -17%
4 Spain Thailand -17%
5 Germany Portugal -16%
6 Japan France -16%
7 United States Dubai -15%
8 Canada Spain -13%
9 United Kingdom Canada -12%
10 Mexico France -11%

“An analysis of air industry data suggests that, with smart planning, the second half of this year can be an optimal time to explore the world” said Sean Shannon, Managing Director, Expedia brand in Canada. “We put considerable effort into arming Canadians with the most actionable information that makes them confident to click, book and go. Our ultimate goal is to help Canadians feel informed and empowered to get past travel decision-making and move into travel moment-making. It’s what we’ve aimed to do for the last fifteen years since joining the travel space here in Canada.”

“Travelers are benefiting as airlines modernize their fleets and add seats resulting in lower average ticket prices, especially for North America and Europe,” adds Chuck Thackston, managing director of enterprise information management at ARC. “This additional capacity, plus other factors provide a great opportunity for travel this year.”

Regardless of where travelers may want to go, capitalizing on this lower average ticket price by bundling a hotel, activity or car rental with your flight is a great way to enjoy major savings in our industry. Why do packages offer such terrific deals? By bundling, travel suppliers have more flexibility on the rate offered, so they are able to provide travelers great deals.

Savings Opportunities for Canadian Travelers

At any given time of the year, Canadians can save hundreds of dollars when bundling their flight purchase with a hotel across an assortment of global destinations. Here is a view of the top markets booked by Canadians and their corresponding savings:

Destination Market Up to $ Saved (CDN) Up to % Saved

Las Vegas, NV $396 18%
New York, NY $547 23%
Orlando, FL $469 15%
Vancouver, BC $568 31%
Toronto, ON $576 39%
Mexico – Cancun & Isla Mujeres $1,393 27%
Oahu $771 17%
Montreal $481 40%
Mexico – Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen & Tulum $1,671 31%
Los Angeles, CA $369 16%
Miami, FL $616 18%
San Francisco $752 24%
Chicago, IL $360 16%
Calgary, AB $475 32%
Anaheim, CA $358 14%
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic $2,166 40%
Paris, France $607 15%
San Diego, CA $552 19%
Mexico – Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit $1,105 23%
Phoenix, AZ $558 20%