Fullstory Survey: 31% of travelers book earlier to offset rising prices

Last-minute vacations are fading as rising costs reshape consumer behavior, leading travelers to book earlier, tighten budgets, and expect greater value from booking experiences

ATLANTA, June 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fullstory, a leading behavioral data company, today released the results of its 2026 Travel & Hospitality Survey, which explored shifting travel behaviors, booking preferences, and experience expectations among more than 1,000 U.S. consumers.

Key findings:

• 70% of respondents traveled in the past year or plan to travel this year.
• 61% of respondents cite hidden or unexpected fees as their top frustration when booking travel.
• 33% are cutting back on budgets or shortening trips.
• 31% are booking earlier to avoid price increases

“As costs rise and budgets tighten, consumers are still planning to travel, but they are making more deliberate decisions about when, how, and where they spend,” said Jason Wolf, president, Fullstory. “More intentional demand means that success will be defined less by volume and more by precision. The travel brands that can deliver the right experience at the right moment—while removing friction and building trust—will be best positioned to win market share and customer loyalty.”

Travelers are spending more cautiously — but travel demand is holding strong.
Despite economic pressure, travel demand remains resilient, with 70% of respondents indicating recent or planned travel activity. However, consumers are showing greater cost sensitivity and planning discipline, optimizing timing and budgets, to maintain their current travel frequency.

In addition to booking earlier and reducing the duration of trips to avoid higher prices, 20% of consumers are choosing alternate travel options, such as driving instead of flying.

Consumers over the age of 45 are least likely to adjust plans in response to rising costs, with 25% of Baby Boomers and 18% of Gen X reporting no changes to travel behavior, compared to 14% of Millennials and 8% of Gen Z.

Traditional planning tools still win with travelers.
Consumers continue to rely on established digital channels when planning travel:

• Search engines (53%)
• Online travel agencies (51%)
• Direct airline or hotel websites (44%)
  

But AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude are beginning to enter early-stage travel planning, with 15% of respondents using AI platforms to start their search, including 19% of Gen X, 17% of Millennials, 15% of Gen Z, and 4% of Baby Boomers.

Rising costs and uncertain economic futures contribute to the value of streamlined, flexible booking experiences. The most important factors influencing consumer travel decisions were:

• Price/value (77%)
• Customer service quality (51%)
• Convenience of booking (48%)
  

When asked what would incentivize them to book directly with airlines or hotels, respondents cited lower or price-matched pricing (44%), faster booking experiences (19%), and loyalty perks or exclusive offers (19%).

Poor booking experiences and hidden costs drive consumers away.
The survey highlights persistent friction across the booking process. Nearly 70% of respondents said they would be likely to switch travel brands after a negative experience, emphasizing the importance of providing a seamless customer journey.

Top pain points include:

• Hidden or unexpected fees (61%)
• Delayed or unhelpful customer service (37%)
• Limited availability or inventory issues (34%)
  

Booking abandonment is also common, with 31% of consumers citing last-stage price changes as the reason they fail to complete purchases, while 24% leave to compare options and do not return.

Personalization must deliver savings and simplicity.
Consumers are receptive to personalization, but they want tangible benefits rather than inspirational recommendations.

More than half of respondents (55%) said personalized pricing, discounts, or bundled offers would be the most impactful way to improve their travel experience, showing that cost savings remain the strongest driver of perceived value. Fewer respondents prioritized destination recommendations (41%) or content-based suggestions (26%), signaling that personalization is more effective when it directly supports decision-making and affordability.

When asked which digital tools matter most throughout the travel experience, consumers cited features that improve convenience and visibility, including mobile boarding passes and check-in (63%), real-time alerts and notifications (56%), and centralized itinerary management (49%).

FAQs

• Question: What did Fullstory’s travel survey find?
  • Answer: Travel demand remains strong, but consumers are becoming more price-sensitive and experience-driven, with increased focus on transparency, value, and seamless booking.
• Question: Are people still traveling despite rising costs?
  • Answer: Yes. 70% of respondents traveled in the past year or plan to travel this year, though many are adjusting behavior through earlier bookings, shorter trips, or lower-cost options.
• Question: What channels are travelers using to plan trips?
  • Answer: Search engines (53%), online travel agencies (51%), and direct airline or hotel sites (44%) remain the primary planning tools, with 15% using AI tools to start their booking process.
• Question: Why do people abandon their travel plans?
  • Answer: Hidden fees (61%), poor customer service (37%), and late-stage price changes (31%) are the top reasons travelers abandon bookings.
• Question: How important is personalization in travel and hospitality?
  • Answer: 55% of consumers say personalized pricing, discounts, or bundles would most improve their travel experience, making value-based personalization the top priority.

Survey Methodology
The Fullstory 2026 Travel & Hospitality Survey was conducted in May 2026 by a third-party research provider. The study surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers to understand evolving travel behaviors, booking preferences, and digital experience expectations across demographic segments.

About Fullstory
Fullstory is the leading behavioral data company that helps technology leaders make smarter, faster decisions by integrating rich behavioral signals into their analytics stack. Its patented technology captures every digital interaction and transforms it into high-fidelity, actionable insights at scale. With agentic AI, Fullstory empowers enterprises to anticipate the needs of both customers and employees, personalize experiences in real-time, streamline workflows, and drive meaningful business outcomes. From boosting efficiency and conversion to increasing loyalty and revenue, Fullstory turns digital behavior into a competitive advantage. Headquartered in Atlanta with teams across North America, EMEA, and APAC, Fullstory is trusted by the world’s most innovative organizations to transform behavioral data into business impact.

Fullstory Media Relations
Alexandra King
Director of Communications
pr@fullstory.com

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.