SURVEY: VACATION IS AMERICANS’ FAVORITE WAY TO SPEND TAX REFUND

Beach Getaway is Top Post-April 15th Trip for Taxpayers


NORWALK, Conn. – April 3, 2007 – More than 126 million Americans will receive an income tax refund this year. According to a new survey at Kayak.com, the world’s largest travel search engine, nearly 40% of taxpayers want to spend their hard-earned, returned cash on a vacation.

Of the 6,800 people who have participated in Kayak.com’s tax survey, 67% say they will be getting money back this year. Thirty-nine percent plan to spend their refund from Uncle Sam, an average of $2,427 per person filing, on a vacation. Being frugal is almost as popular–35% will use the money to pay off debt, while 1 in 5 expect to set aside their refund for savings. Just 2% say they’ll spend it all on shopping spree. When it comes to taking a tax break, Kayakers prefer to kick back on vacation. A beach getaway is the top choice for a post-April 15th getaway (70%), with adventure travel coming in a distant second (14%). Nine percent want to spend their refund at a spa, while only two percent plan to kick up their heels with a nightlife trip.

Whether taxpayers are spending small or planning a big-budget getaway, Kayak.com makes it easy to find the perfect itinerary for every budget with innovative search tools, including the site’s popular Buzz functionality. Kayak Buzz displays the lowest fares searched by Kayak.com users from a specific airport. Consumers use Kayak Buzz to price multiple destinations from their own airport instantly. After first-time users enter a home airport, Kayak.com remembers the information for future visits and displays fares from that airport, whether a user is signed in or a previous visitor recognized by the sit e. Travelers undecided on a specific destination can use Kayak Buzz to search for real-time fares and availability by region such as South America or Caribbean.

Above results based on current data from survey conducted online from March 26th-April 3rd, 2007. Survey results available upon request.