Home

Omnichannel

Most winter travelers haven’t booked yet. Here’s how advertisers can reach them.

Most winter travelers are still deciding where to go, what to book, and which brands to choose. And with more than half saying an ad on the open internet influenced their final booking decision, travel marketers have a timely opportunity to reach people from early research to final purchase.

Share:

Around September, winter travel demand rises, but many travelers are still undecided on a plan. Research from The Trade Desk Intelligence and Appinio found that 73% of winter travelers surveyed say they have not booked anything as of mid-summer, while another 19% are only partially booked. Even among the 8% who are fully booked, half plan to book another trip.1

This creates a timely opportunity for travel brands, airlines, hotels, cruise lines, destinations, and online travel platforms. According to the research, now is the window where many travelers are turning to the open internet to weigh costs, watch for deals, and compare options. Advertisers that show up now can help shape those decisions before they are finalized.

Use this window to help reach travelers while they are still comparing options and weighing trade-offs. The research finds booking timelines vary by category:

The signals of winter travel

Airlines

Flights are most often booked two to three months in advance.

Cruises

Cruises are booked the furthest in advance, with the most common window being 4 – 6 months ahead of a trip among 30% of travelers.

Lodging

Accommodations are often booked closer to the trip, with 46% of winter travelers booking within one month.

Road trips

42% of winter travel activity online is tied to drive-based behaviors: family road trips, visiting relatives, regional getaways, and drivable ski resorts.2.

That gives you multiple points of entry across the planning journey, from early inspiration to last-minute booking decisions.

When you use an omnichannel strategy to reach potential travelers across channels, you can stay present as consumers move from planning to research to booking.

Use Black Friday and Cyber Monday to help convert demand

When it comes to winter travel, Cyber Five — the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — can be decision-forcing moments. 
 
More than two-thirds of winter travelers, or 68%, say they watch for travel deals during the Cyber Five shopping period. Among those deal-watchers:

  • 37% would book a trip they were already planning
  • 29% would upgrade or extend a planned trip
  • 11% would be swayed into booking an additional trip

That means the right offer can increase the value of a planned trip or inspire a new one.

During a deal-heavy window, audience intelligence tools like Audience Unlimited can help you reach travelers who are actively planning their winter trips.

Travel marketers can use Audience Unlimited to help:

  • Reach travelers by intent, destination interest, deal-seeking, or category need 

  • Test more audience strategies with predictable pricing 

  • Find more high-propensity travelers with AI-powered expansion 

  • Scale the audiences that perform as demand builds

Stay present across the open internet travel journey 

The winter travel journey does not happen in one place. Travelers move across AI search engines, publishers, travel sites, brand websites, review platforms, streaming environments, and other online destinations as they gather ideas and validate decisions. 

AI search tools may help travelers get started: 

  • 69% of people agree AI is useful for travel inspiration and planning 

  • 61% regularly use AI in the early stages of the booking process before turning to other online resources2 

But the open internet still plays a critical role as travelers compare options and build confidence before booking: 

  • 64% of travelers use the open internet to research and plan travel3 

  • Open internet travel ads are 22% more memorable than travel ads in walled gardens3 

  • 54% of winter travelers say an ad on the open internet influenced their final booking decision1 

The open internet offers a way to stay connected across the full journey. CTV, for instance, can help build awareness while travelers are still imagining the trip. Travel publishers and review environments can help influence consideration. Display and online video can keep a brand visible as travelers compare prices, locations, and amenities.

The path to booking may begin with a prompt, a search, or a deal alert. But the final decision is often shaped by the trusted sources and open internet environments travelers use to validate what comes next.

Illustration of an airplane climbing through clouds, with blue pipes connecting a stack of blocks to a browser window, representing advertisers reaching winter travelers.

Artificial Intelligence

How travelers move from AI prompts to purchase decisions

Before booking, most travelers still rely on the open internet and other vital resources to validate AI-generated recommendations.

Explore more travel trends

Reach winter travelers before plans are set in stone 

Most winter travelers are still in-market, and many are watching for deals. The open internet is influencing decisions from early planning to final booking. 

By reaching travelers in the environments where they spend the most time, you can show up while plans are still flexible, capture demand during the Cyber Five window, and stay present as travelers move closer to booking. 

This information is provided solely for background and is not a representation or guarantee of any future performance. 
 

Source:
1. The Trade Desk Intelligence and Appinio, Winter Travel Study, June 30 – July 3, 2026, U.S.
2. Dat​a​cy​.com, AI, 10K Winter Travel-related consumer interactions, October 2025 – February 2026.
3. The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting, Travel Booking Journey Research, n=1500, December 2025, U.S.