Answer extracted from the Morning Brew Daily podcast — listen to the full episode below.
Is fall travel bookings trending upward — and by how much?
Fall luxury travel bookings are up nearly 60% compared to last year, signaling a strong recovery in high-end travel spending. Meanwhile, the timing of major trips has shifted: post-Labor Day vacations now account for 20% of all major journeys, up from just 12% four years ago.
This surge in fall travel represents a meaningful shift in how Americans are planning their vacations. Rather than concentrating trips during traditional summer months, travelers are increasingly choosing the autumn season for extended getaways and luxury experiences.
The 60% uptick comes from research conducted by Virtuoso, the travel network behind these bookings, which tracks luxury travel and curated experiences across its member base. This data reflects not just recovery from pandemic-era disruptions, but genuine growth in consumer appetite for high-end travel.
The broader context comes from a separate survey by Deloitte tracking summer travel patterns. The 8-percentage-point increase in post-Labor Day trips over four years suggests a structural change in vacation timing preferences. This could reflect workplace flexibility, remote work arrangements, or simply travelers seeking to avoid peak summer crowds and heat.
To understand the full scope of these travel trends and what they mean for the broader economy, tune in to the Morning Brew Daily episode where this data is discussed in the context of consumer spending patterns and economic shifts heading into the final quarter of 2026.
See also
How does return policy strictness correlate with customer satisfaction ratings?
Trustpilot has found that stricter return policies correlate with a significant decline in customer satisfaction ratings, with bad policies leading to a 1.6-star drop on its five-star scale.
What is the scale of return fraud and processing costs in the U.S. retail system?
Return volume in 2025 reached $850 billion, nearly double the 2020 value of $428 billion, representing 16% of total retail annual sales. Processing a return costs on average 27% of the purchase price.
What percentage of retailers now charge fees for returns and how has this changed over five years?
Nearly 7 in 10 retailers (70%) now charge a fee to return items, up from just 43% five years ago. Major brands including Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, and TJ Maxx all charge between $4 and $12.