NEW YORK, May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes
to summer travel, more than half (54%) of Americans prefer
non-holiday weekends for their getaways and the majority (72%) are
planning to travel by car, according to a new nationally
representative sample of U.S. consumers conducted on behalf of the
Citi ThankYou Premier® card. With gas prices lower than last summer
and more travelers expected to hit the road, the Citi ThankYou
Premier card is one of the most competitive travel rewards cards in
the market with 3 points for every $1
spent on travel, including gas, rental car, tolls, parking, hotels
and more.
"We want to reward our customers for their loyalty, and whether
they are taking a weekend road trip or commuting to work, they get
rewarded for every dollar they spend," said Chris Fred, Head of Proprietary Product
Management at Citi Cards. "With more consumers hitting the road
this summer, they can go on vacation while earning for their next
trip more quickly."
The Citi ThankYou Premier Summer Travel Survey also revealed the
following trends:
- Saving Time for the Dog Days of Summer: On average
consumers who are employed full time save more than one-third (37%)
of their annual vacation days for the summer season. Another 30%
save more than half of their annual vacation days for summer
months.
- Staying Home for the Holidays: More than half (54%) of
consumers prefer to travel on non-holiday weekends due to traffic
(47%) and high costs (30%). Only one quarter (25%) feel
Independence Day is the best summer
holiday for travel, followed by Memorial
Day (11%) and Labor Day
(10%).
- Opting for Weekend Getaways over Long Vacations: Nearly
half (46%) of respondents say are likely to take frequent weekend
trips instead of one long vacation as compared to five years
ago.
- Watching your Budget: While most consumers look to curb
spending when booking and experiencing travel, nearly 60% say they
exceed their summer getaway budget each year.
- Booking a Room: When it comes to accommodations, most
Americans are choosing to stay in a hotel (57%) or with friends and
family (27%). Less frequented accommodations included renting a
home or apartment through online services such as AirBnB (6%) and a
bed and breakfast (6%).
About Citi ThankYou Premier
Citi ThankYou Premier enables cardmembers to quickly earn
rewards from a variety of purchases, at an annual fee of
$95 which is waived for the first
year:
- 3 points for every $1 spent on
travel including gas, from taxi and car service, public
transportation, parking, tolls and bike shares – to airfare,
hotels, vacation rentals, cruises, car rentals, travel agencies,
railways, and more;
- 2 points for every $1 spent on
dining out and entertainment, from coffee at a cafe and dining
out at other restaurants to purchases at sporting events, concerts,
movie tickets, music downloads and more; and
- 1 point for every $1 spent on
other purchases.
When redeeming for flights, hotels, cruises and car rentals
through the ThankYou Travel Center, ThankYou Points are worth 25
percent more as compared to gift cards. For example, 30,000
ThankYou Points can be redeemed for $375 towards a flight on any airline, with no
blackout dates – compared to $300 in
gift cards. ThankYou Premier cardmembers also have the option to
easily transfer their ThankYou Points to 13 elite travel loyalty
programs.
For more information on ThankYou Premier, including how to
apply, visit www.citi.com/thankyoucards.
About the Citi ThankYou Premier Summer Travel Survey
The Citi ThankYou Premier Summer Travel Survey was conducted by
Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 35-54 between
May 5, 2015, and May 12, 2015, using an online survey.
About Citi
Citi (NYSE: C), the leading global bank, has approximately 200
million customer accounts and does business in more than 160
countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations,
governments and institutions with a broad range of financial
products and services, including consumer banking and credit,
corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction
services, and wealth management.
Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com |
Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog:
http://new.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/company/citi
Media Contacts:
Emily
Collins, Citi, 718.248.3901, Emily.collins@citi.com
Christine Xenakis, Edelman,
212.277.3797, Christine.xenakis@edelman.com
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SOURCE Citigroup Inc.