With travel costs rising and household budgets under pressure, Priceline set out to understand what summer travel looks like for Americans in 2026. The answer: Americans remain deeply committed to their summer vacations and are cutting back on nearly everything else to make them happen.
Priceline released its inaugural 2026 State of Summer Travel Report, based on a survey of 2,500 nationally representative U.S. adults conducted by Wakefield Research in March 2026. The findings span consumer sentiment, generational behavior, spending patterns, and the growing role of AI in travel planning.
Summer Travel May Feel Out of Reach. Americans Are Going Anyway
Forty-four percent of Americans say a summer vacation feels out of reach this year. Yet 73 percent plan to do whatever it takes to make one happen and 79 percent expect to take at least one trip this summer. Americans are also planning longer trips, with the number planning four or more days of summer travel up across every bracket compared to last summer. Nearly 7 in 10 (68 percent) say it simply would not feel like summer without a vacation.
The affordability pressure behind those numbers is real. Eighty-four percent of Americans say they are paying more and getting less when it comes to travel, and 55 percent find travel less affordable than last year. The spending data points to a K-shaped travel economy: more Americans are planning budget-level trips this summer, fewer are in the middle, and spending at the top is holding steady.
More than one-third have already started cutting everyday expenses to fund a summer trip. Eighty-three percent of adults 21+ say they would give up alcohol before giving up vacation, while 45 percent of all adults would give up dining out, and 20 percent would give up sex.
“What we’re seeing is a traveler who hasn’t pulled back on the aspiration but is being more deliberate about how they get there,” said Brigit Zimmerman, CEO, Priceline. “People are cutting back everywhere else, spending more time researching deals, and making trade-offs they later regret. Our goal is to help them find the trip they want at the price they can afford.”
Parents and Millennials Are Feeling It Most
For families, the pressure is sharper. Parents are 34 percent more likely than non-parents to have already cut everyday expenses to fund summer travel, yet 89 percent still plan to travel this summer. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) have had to cancel or drastically change vacation plans due to rising costs, compared to 16 percent of non-parents.
Millennials reflect a particularly striking tension. Thirty-six percent say trips that once felt attainable now feel like a luxury, the highest of any generation. At the same time, 28 percent plan to spend $5,000 or more on summer travel this year, also the highest of any generation.
The Cost of Cutting Corners
Sixty-nine percent of Americans say they have made travel cost-cutting decisions they later regretted—staying with family or friends instead of a hotel (20 percent), driving instead of flying (20 percent), taking a shorter trip (19 percent), and booking a flight with multiple stops instead of nonstop (19 percent). Yet many reported that they are considering similar trade-offs this summer.
Finding a Deal Has Become Its Own Challenge
Eighty-one percent of Americans say planning a vacation is exhausting, and 43 percent point specifically to the hunt for the best deal as the source of that frustration. Sixty-five percent believe finding a truly exceptional deal is basically impossible, yet 85 percent say scoring a great deal feels as good as the vacation itself.
Half of Americans plan to use AI tools to find better travel deals this year, a figure that climbs to 69 percent among Millennials and 62 percent among Gen Z.
“Parents and Millennials are feeling the most financial pressure this summer, yet they’re also planning to spend the most on travel. That’s exactly why they’re the most likely to turn to AI for help planning their trips,” said Christina Bennett, consumer travel trends expert, Priceline. “When the cost of getting it wrong is highest, that’s when people want the most help getting it right.”
Ahead of this summer, Priceline introduced the next generation of Penny, its agentic AI travel assistant. Built to address the exact friction points travelers describe—deal hunting, trade-offs, and comparison fatigue—Penny helps travelers uncover savings opportunities and move from trip planning to booking in a single conversation.
Key Findings from Priceline’s 2026 State of Summer Travel Report
- 79% plan to take at least one trip this summer
- 73% will do whatever it takes to make a summer vacation happen
- 44% say a summer vacation feels out of reach
- 84% feel they are paying more and getting less when it comes to travel
- 69% regret past travel cost-cutting decisions
- 50% plan to use AI tools to find better travel deals
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