SPRING BREAK 2023

Dallas spring breakers escaping to this ski playground more than any other destination, report says

Dallasites really love Mt. Crested Butte in Colorado, per the new report.

Griggsortho.com

It's spring break week for most Dallas-area families, and many are escaping the bustling city for the crisp Colorado air and ski resorts.

Where are they going most? In the latest report from vacation rental specialist Key Data, more Dallas spring breakers have set off for Crested Butte (specifically Mt. Crested Butte, at the base of the ski area) than any other destination. No wonder hop-on jet service JSX has launched new flights there.

Key Data determined their rankings based on the average nightly rate, the number of nights sold, the total accommodation cost, and the length of stay by travelers from Dallas who made bookings in the month of March.

Coming in at the No. 2 spot for the top destinations for Dallas spring breakers is a city in the sunshine state: Watercolor, Florida. Three other ski resorts in Colorado - Breckenridge (No. 3), Steamboat Springs (No. 4) and Mountain Village (No. 5) - round out the top five.

For the curious minds wondering how much the average spring break stay is for the ski resort in Crested Butte, Key Data’s figured it out. The cost of the average 4.8-day accommodation at the resort adds up to $550 per night, or $2,643 total.

For those looking to venture to the warm and humid Florida beach, you’d be surprised to learn you’re not saving much money. Visitors will spend $1,045 per night, or $6,820 total for accommodations in Watercolor for the 6.3-day average stay.

In a press release, Key Data’s executive director of data insights Melanie Brown says the city’s spring breakers are divided into two categories this year: vacationers looking to see the mountains and embrace the snow, and those who want to catch some rays at the beach.

“While snowy Colorado mountain destinations are the most popular, there’s a portion who plan to spend their break on the beach in Watercolor, Florida, perhaps to escape the bustle of the city,” she says.

The top 5 destinations for Dallas spring breakers is:

No. 1 – Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado
No. 2 – Watercolor, Florida
No. 3 – Breckenridge, Colorado
No. 4 – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
No. 5 – Mountain Village, Colorado

Key Data also determined that 11 million nights for this year’s spring break week have been booked through online vacation rental marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo. That’s up 22 percent from last year, which accounted for 9.4 million nights.

Didn't make it out of town for spring break? Don't worry - there's still plenty to do this week in DFW. Here's a list of 10 cool new events and attractions to hit on a DFW spring break staycation.

spring break destinations Spring Break colorado florida ski resorts

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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