TripIt Data: Americans Celebrate Fourth of July 2022 by Flight Traveling

While the Fourth of July celebrates American independence, this year, American travelers are choosing to celebrate by exploring outside the homeland.

TripIt analyzed U.S. origin flight, rental car, lodging, and vacation rental reservations made by our TripIt users for the Fourth of July weekend in 2022 and compared the findings to the equivalent booking period in 2021.

We found that nearly 40% of all flight reservations during the holiday weekend will be to international destinations as Americans make up for lost time due to pandemic-era restrictions. We also found that major metros continue to see a tourist revival, though destinations known for open spaces and outdoor adventures continue to draw crowds, as well.

Current Percentage of Flight Reservations Compared to Year Prior

2022 Flights ( All ) 2022 Flights ( Domestic ) 2022 Flights ( Int’l ) 2022 Car Rentals 2022 Lodging 2022 Vacation Rentals % change from 2021

Long lines loom at domestic airports

As seen increasingly during holiday periods—most recently, Memorial Day Weekend 2022—airports can expect crowds. With reduced staff across the board—from security and concession to flight attendants and pilots—travelers can expect long lines and should be prepared for potential delays.

We expect the busiest airports to be:

SFO – San Francisco International Airport (SFO) LAX – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) JFK – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) BOS – Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) DEN – Denver International Airport (DEN) DWF – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DWF) SEA – Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) ATL – Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Those departing from these airports should allow extra time, especially if their flight is on Friday (7/1), the busiest day for departures, or Tuesday (7/5), when most travelers will return. For the top-five most popular airports, the busiest hours for departures (and when you should be careful to allow even more time) will be:

Busiest Airport Hours Based on Departure Reservations

While flights overall saw more than a 2X increase, international travel continues to make the strongest return with more than 4X the number of international flights booked compared to last year, accounting for nearly 40% or all flights departing during the holiday weekend. This builds on the trend we saw during Memorial Day 2022 when a third of flights were headed abroad. In fact, London is the number one destination, followed by Paris (#7), Cancun (#12), Barcelona (#18), Rome (#21), Lisbon (#22), and Amsterdam (#24).

Of the remaining domestic flights, nearly a third are to destinations in either California (15%), or Florida Of the remaining domestic flights, nearly a third are to destinations in California (13%), Florida (9%), Hawaii (7%), or Washington (5%).

flight

Flight Destination Rankings and Rank Changes

2022 Ranking City, State 2021 Ranking Rank Change (2021 to 2022) 1 London 42412 Seattle, WA 423 Chicago, IL 854 Denver, CO 1-35 Las Vegas, NV 3-26 New York, NY 1047 Paris 43368 San Francisco, CA 1139 Boston, MA 7-210 Orlando, CA 2-811 Los Angeles, CA 9-212 Cancun 5-7 13 Honolulu, HI 6-714 Minneapolis, MN 20615 San Diego, CA 13-216 Kahului, HI 12-417 Newark, NJ 24718 Barcelona 12010219 Washington, DC 311220 Atlanta, GA 23321 Rome 745322 Lisbon 12610423 Salt Lake City, UT 15-824 Amsterdam 13511125 Dallas 22-3

Speed bump at the pump

Despite record-high gas prices, demand for rental cars remains. While we don’t see as strong an increase YoY as we’ve seen in the past, we do see an increase in reservations, nonetheless. And while big cities rule the top 25, a few less-expected destinations make the list as well, including Anchorage, (#16), Saint Paul, MN (#17), and Santa Ana, CA (#21).

Car Rental Destination Rankings and Rank Changes

2022 Ranking City, State 2021 Ranking Rank Change (2021 to 2022) 1 Denver, CO 212 Honolulu, HI 313 Seattle, WA 27244 Kahului, HI 1-35 Boston, MA 506 Chicago, IL 1047 Orlando, FL 4-38 Los Angeles, CA 18109 Lihue, HI 13410 San Francisco, CA 11111 Las Vegas, NV 9-212 Salt Lake City, UT 8-413 Kailua-kona, HI 14114 San Diego, CA 16215 Portland, OR 6-916 Anchorage, AK 7-917 Saint Paul, MN 25818 Nashville, TN 533519 New York, NY 442520 Seatac, WA 12-821 Santa Ana, CA 826122 Newark, NJ 603823 Tampa, FL 32924 Fort Lauderdale, FL 17-725 Miami, FL 19-6

Americans eye big cities and big skies

We see a similar mix of big city and great outdoors when it comes to hotels and vacation rentals as well.

Big cities continue to call it a comeback, with New York City reclaiming its number one spot for hotels, New York City (#2) continues its climb back to #1 for hotel reservations, where it reigned pre-pandemic. Chicago (#3), Seattle (#5), San Francisco (#6), Los Angeles (#10), Washington, DC (#11), and other major metros also made climbs within the top 25 for lodging. Meanwhile, Anchorage (#13), Denver (#14), and Yellowstone (#19) remained, despite some decreases in rankings.

Vacation rentals, as usual, highlight a more eclectic mix of destinations. While mainstays like Seattle (#1), San Diego (#2), Chicago (#3), and New York City (#8) appear on the list, so do destinations like Bend, OR (#10), Asheville, NC (#15), Myrtle Beach, SC (#16), Port Angeles, WA (#23), and Fredericksburg, TX (#25).

Lodging Destination Ranking and Rank Changes

2022 Ranking City, State 2021 Ranking Rank Change (2021 to 2022) 1 Las Vegas, NV 102 New York, NY 313 Chicago, IL 854 Orlando, FL 2-25 Seattle, WA 1166 San Francisco, CA 937 Honolulu, HI 4-38 Boston, MA 6-29 San Diego, CA 5-410 Los Angeles, CA 16611 Washington, DC 17612 Nashville, TN 12013 Anchorage, AK 10-314 Denver, CO 13-115 New Orleans, LA 331816 Portland, OR 14-217 Minneapolis, MN 907318 Lahaina, HI 7-1119 Yellowstone, WY 27820 Anaheim, CA 18-221 Atlanta, CA 21022 Austin, TX 15-723 Miami, FL 24124 Houston, TX 644025 Kissimmee, FL 316

flight

Vacation Rental Destination Rankings and Rank Changes

2022 Ranking City, State 2021 Ranking Rank Change (2021 to 2022) 1 Seattle, WA 762 San Diego, CA 1-13 Chicago, IL 854 Provincetown, MA 2117 5 Anchorage, AK 3-26 Honolulu, HI 4-27 Koloa, HI 29228 New York, NY 35279 Austin, TX 9010 Bend, OR 281811 Los Angeles, CA 271612 Hilton Head Island, SC 5-713 Portland, OR 2-1114 Kiss immee, FL 17315 Asheville, NC 1028716 Myrtle Beach, SC 766017 Lahaina, HI 14-318 Nashville, TN 6-1219 Washington, DC 15-420 New Orleans, LA 452521 Princeville, HI 412022 Brooklyn, NY 22023 Port Angeles, WA 755224 Colorado Springs, CO 633925 Fredericksburg, TX 611586

Methodology: TripIt looked at U.S. origin round-trip flight reservations made between June 1, 2021, and June 1, 2022, for travel over the Fourth of July holiday (Friday, July 1 – Tuesday, July 5, 2022), and equivalent booking periods in 2021. Reservation data in TripIt is provided by users and is booking provider agnostic.