Priceline Finds 70% of Americans Pick Trips by Budget Reach

Priceline, the online travel agency based in Norwalk, Connecticut, published its 2027 "Where to Next?" travel trends report on October 13, 2026, naming eight behaviors and a set of destinations it expects to shape bookings in the coming year.

The company said 70% of American travelers it surveyed select where to go based on the buying power of their money at that destination, and that 65% have redirected money saved on a discount into upgrades elsewhere in the trip. Priceline labeled the pattern "TripMaxxing." Other trends in the report cover travelers planning meals around social media posts, sharing personal details with artificial intelligence tools to shape recommendations, choosing hotels that suit new routines, and using a trip to test out a possible place to live.

"They're not just choosing where to go; they're designing what the trip means to them," said Lesley Klein, senior vice president of strategy and brand marketing at Priceline.

The report was produced with Current Forward. Wakefield Research polled 3,000 U.S. adults online between August 11 and 22, 2026, and Zappi surveyed 2,000 adults between September 18 and 20, 2026, on viral foods. Priceline also used its own search and pricing data from May 2025 through May 2026. The company is part of Booking Holdings Inc.

This story was first reported by PR Newswire.