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It was the best of times (not sure about that), it was the worst of times (or something like that). A new summer travel survey from Deloitte suggests rising travel costs are causing many Americans to rethink vacation plans in 2026 (even as those who do travel prepare to spend significantly more on their trips).
According to Deloitte’s “2026 Summer Travel Survey,” just 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation involving paid lodging this year. This is the lowest level recorded in six years. The findings highlight growing financial pressure on consumers as airfare, hotels, and other travel expenses continue climbing. Among Americans not planning a vacation, 35% said they simply cannot afford to travel, while 32% cited travel costs as too expensive.
At the same time, travelers who are still planning summer getaways appear willing to absorb the higher costs rather than scale back their experiences. Survey respondents expect to spend an average of $4,069 on their longest summer trip this year. This is a 17% increase compared with 2025. Nearly 25% of travelers surveyed said they plan to significantly increase their vacation budgets (up 5% year over year). Much of the increase is being driven by rising airline ticket prices and lodging costs.
The report also found that younger generations are increasingly shaping travel behavior and spending patterns. Millennials now account for 31% of travelers surveyed, up from 29% last year, while both millennials and Generation Z are showing stronger interest in luxury travel experiences. According to the survey, 40% of millennials and 38% of Gen Z travelers plan to book luxury stays during 2026.
Technology is also playing a larger role in how younger travelers organize their vacations. Deloitte found that GenAI adoption for travel planning jumped to 25% this year (up from 15% in 2025). Millennials are leading that trend with 36% saying they plan to use generative AI tools to help build itineraries and research trips.
Short-form video content is increasingly influencing destination choices as well. Gen Z travelers were the most likely to rely on platforms featuring short-form travel videos, with 42% using that type of content to help plan vacations compared with 23% overall. Remote work continues reshaping how Americans travel. This is particularly true among younger generations. About 34% of travelers surveyed said they plan to work during their longest summer trip, which is up sharply from 23% in 2025. Millennials were the most likely to combine work and leisure travel with 57% planning to work remotely while away.
More than 80% of Gen Z and millennial “laptop luggers” surveyed said remote work flexibility has directly impacted their travel habits, allowing for longer trips and more spontaneous travel planning. I know that I do not travel anywhere without both of my laptops (one for business and one for personal use).
Anthony’s Take: Deloitte’s findings are based on a survey of 4,003 Americans conducted between April 2nd and April 9th. They reflect a summer travel season increasingly defined by rising costs, flexible work, and evolving technology-driven planning habits. This is not surprising as airfare and hotel costs this summer are crazy high. You need to weigh if the value of travel is worth the cost. I almost always think it is. Those who have not planned can hope for some award seats this summer as I think we’ll see some open with so much capacity to Europe.
(Image Credits: Cunaplus_M.Faba via iStock and Deloitte.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
