Al Jazeera: 45% of Americans skipping holidays

Al Jazeera reported on July 8 that U.S. summer travel was slumping as higher airfares and rising car-travel costs pushed more households to reconsider vacation plans. The outlet said 45% of Americans were skipping summer holidays because of rising travel expenses, citing industry data and surveys. Deloitte’s 2026 Summer Travel Survey, published in May, offers a firmer benchmark behind the broader affordability story. (deloitte.com) Deloitte said 45% of Americans planned to take a summer vacation with a stay in paid lodging in 2026, the lowest level in six years, while a third of non-travelers said travel was too expensive and 35% said they could not afford it. (aljazeera.com) ### Where does the 45% figure appear to come from? Deloitte said on May 19 that 45% of Americans planned a summer vacation involving paid lodging in 2026. That is not the same as saying 45% are “skipping” holidays, but it does indicate that fewer than half of Americans expected to take that kind of trip this summer. (aljazeera.com) Al Jazeera’s July 8 article described the travel pullback as Americans skipping vacations because of rising airfares and car-travel expenses. The search result and article summary visible online do not identify a poll sample in that excerpt, so the precise survey basis for the “skipping” wording is not clear from the material publicly surfaced here. (deloitte.com) ### What costs are weighing on travelers? Deloitte said rising travel costs were reshaping summer plans, sidelining some travelers and pushing others to spend more to get away. The firm said travelers who still intended to take their longest summer trip expected to spend an average of $4,069, up 17% from last year. (deloitte.com) Al Jazeera has separately reported that airline fuel costs surged in 2026 and that carriers responded by raising fares and cutting seats. In a May 6 report, the outlet said airlines were hiking fares and trimming millions of seats as the Iran war drove up fuel costs. In a June 8 report, it said U.S. airline profits were falling as fuel costs nearly doubled. (aljazeera.com) Al Jazeera also reported on June 16 that U.S. fuel prices would take months to normalize even after a U.S.-Iran deal to end the war, citing output constraints, port bottlenecks and summer demand. That gave motorists little relief heading into the peak driving season. (deloitte.com) ### Are Americans canceling trips altogether or changing how they travel? NerdWallet said in its 2026 Summer Travel Report that 45% of Americans planned to take a summer vacation, while 42% said they would rather stay home than book budget travel. That points to a market in which some households are still traveling, but many are resisting lower-cost substitutes. (aljazeera.com) Priceline described a different slice of the market on June 23. The company said Americans remained committed to summer vacations despite rising costs, based on its own 2026 State of Summer Travel Report. (aljazeera.com) Those findings are not mutually exclusive. Deloitte’s survey points to the lowest paid-lodging vacation rate in six years, while Priceline’s survey suggests travelers who still plan to go are cutting elsewhere to preserve their trips. ### What can be verified, and what remains unclear? (nerdwallet.com) The clearest verified data point is Deloitte’s: 45% of Americans planned a summer vacation with paid lodging in 2026, the lowest share in six years. The clearest verified explanation is that rising travel costs, including flights and road-trip expenses, are constraining demand. (press.priceline.com) The less clear point is the exact sourcing behind Al Jazeera’s phrasing that 45% of Americans were skipping holidays. The article exists and was published July 8, but the surfaced material does not show a named poll, methodology or sample size for that wording. (deloitte.com) Deloitte’s survey remains available on its Insights site, and Al Jazeera’s report remains posted in its economy coverage dated July 8, 2026. (aljazeera.com) (deloitte.com)