Approximately 1/3rd of Americans Have Missed Holiday Celebrations

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By US Daily Review Staff.

Millions of Americans will soon be hitting the road, sky and rail to celebrate this holiday season, but some are reporting that travel costs may put a stop to those plans. According to a new CouponCabin.com survey, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of U.S. adults report they won’t travel to holiday celebrations this year because they can’t afford it. The survey also revealed that this is a pattern over past years, as nearly one-third (32 percent) of U.S. adults report they have missed a holiday celebration with friends and family in the past due to travel costs. This survey was conducted online nationwide by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin.com from November 4-8, 2011 among 2,042 adults ages 18 and older.

On the flip side, almost one-third (30 percent) of U.S. adults report they will travel more than 100 miles to holiday celebrations this year. When asked how they plan to travel, they said the following:

Car – 77 percent
Plane – 35 percent
Train – 4 percent
Bus – 3 percent

“The holiday season overall can be a budget breaker for many people, and travel costs can be the tipping point,” said Jackie Warrick, President and Chief Savings Officer at CouponCabin.com. “Many people are planning their travel far in advance and doing comparative research to get the best deals possible. If holiday travel costs are worrisome, consider getting friends and family to agree on a date early or at a closer location for some.”

Planning and purchasing their travel far in advance (27 percent) is one way U.S. adults(1)will save money on holiday travel this year. When asked what tactics they will use, they said the following:

Research ahead of time on travel sites – 25 percent
Use frequent flier miles/credit card reward points – 13 percent
Use an online coupon or coupon code – 12 percent
Use a travel agent – 3 percent
Use a last minute deal – 3 percent
Another way – 17 percent

Warrick offers the following tips to ease the burden of holiday travel costs:

Bundle up: No, not from the cold. Book your flight, hotel and rental car together if possible. It saves time and in most cases, you’ll likely get a discount when you bundle.
Rent your way there: If you’re traveling a long distance and don’t want to fly, think about renting a car to save money. You can select something fuel-efficient, not put the extra miles on your own vehicle and can find discounts on car rentals.
Canvas the area: Make sure to search all airports and/or train stations close to the area that you’re traveling to see what’s the least expensive. For example, if you’re traveling to New York, make sure to compare LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports. Then, compare those costs to train travel nearby.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from November 4-8, 2011 among 2,042 adults aged 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact: Allison Nawoj, anawoj@couponcabin.com.

According to the company’s statement, “CouponCabin is a leading online destination for coupons including online coupon codes, printables, grocery coupons and more. Shoppers have saved nearly $250 million since 2003 and with the largest selection of coupons guaranteed to work, CouponCabin.com is the best place to start searching for savings. The average user saves $19 in just 80 seconds on the site. With customized email newsletters, browser savings alerts, new coupon alerts and more, shoppers will never miss out on a great deal with CouponCabin.com. For more information, please visit http://www.CouponCabin.com.”