by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:05 PM ET, Wed June 10, 2026
Like many Americans, I have found it harder and harder to make ends meet over the past year amid skyrocketing inflation. My grocery and energy bills have more than doubled.
Amid this reality, personal travels have largely been put on the back burner. This is especially true amid the Trump Administration’s war in Iran, which has caused a global shortage of jet fuel, thus driving up airline ticket prices and putting travel further out of reach.
But a new report from Hotels.com says that many Americans are working hard to avoid canceling trips because of higher prices. Instead, Americans are changing how they shop for travel and pay for travel.
It seems American consumers are becoming “deal strategists,” according to the Hotels.com report. Meaning, they’re using points, perks, timing tricks, and bundled packages to stretch their travel budgets further than ever.
“Travelers may be feeling the squeeze, but they’re also getting smarter,” says Melanie Fish, vice president of global PR for Hotels.com. “We’re seeing travelers save as much as 23% by booking closer in, starting stays on Sundays, or looking beyond the U.S., where 5-star hotels can offer strong value. This is a summer where how you book matters just as much as where you go.”
The Hotels.com report breaks these actions down even further, identifying 5 ways in particular that Americans are “hacking” summer travel costs. Here’s a closer look.
5 Ways Americans Are Hacking Summer Travel Costs
Filter-first travel planning: Consumers who are using travel booking platforms are increasingly relying upon “budget filters” to sort their accommodation options. Hotels.com found budget filtered searches are up more than 1,800%.
- Points are becoming currency: With money being so tight this summer, Americans are looking for other ways to cover travel costs. And that has meant rewards usage has surged 820% as travelers actively offset trip costs
- Visible value beats cheap rates: Free breakfast used to be a ‘nice to have’ extra when looking for a hotel. Not this summer. These days travelers are prioritizing cost cutting offers like free breakfast, meal plans and all-inclusive perks over the lowest advertised room rate
- Bundling is back: There’s nothing worse than spiraling, unexpected costs during the course of a vacation. To avoid that scenario, more travelers are choosing packages that lock in costs upfront this summer.
Additional cost saving tips
Want to save even more money on your next trip? The Hotels.com experts have provided a variety of expert tips to help make your budgeting efforts even easier.
- Last-minute hotel bookers saved an average of 23% compared to travelers who booked four-plus months ahead
- Sunday hotel check-ins are 15% cheaper than Friday stays in the U.S.
- January remains the cheapest month to travel, while mid-October has become one of the most expensive periods of the year
There also happens to be a variety of locations where hotel prices are
falling. That includes popular U.S. destinations such as Maui, where prices are
down 27%; Las Vegas, where prices are down 10% and the outdoor lover’s paradise of Park
City, Utah, where prices have fallen 8%.
There are savings to be
had internationally as well. Hotel prices in Liguria, Italy have
declined 31%, while in Leipzig, Germany they’re down 25% and in Hanoi,
Vietnam, nightly rates have dropped 22%.
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