Report: Travel buyers will wait to buy holiday tickets

According to the report more than half of US travelers will wait a while before beginning the search for cheap flights and other travel deals for the 2012 holidays.

"Consumers are always looking for great deals and ways to save, and holiday travel is no exception," said Marc Braunstein, co-founder and CEO of ShopAtHome.com. "Though some of our members traditionally think of us as a place for retail coupons - some of the largest savings we see come from coupons and cash back on things like flights, hotels and car rental."

The 2012 Holiday Travel Buy-havior Report finds anxiety about not getting the best deal is what is keeping most travelers from booking early. Many, researchers found, believe the best deals will be had later in the season. Other interesting findings include:

• 43% of respondents say they won't travel over the 2012 holidays
• 17% say they have one week or more for holiday travels
• 60% say if they had a choice they'd go tropical for their holiday vacation
• 52% say they'll spend between $100 and $1000 for travel over the holidays

Those who are traveling will find deals later in the season, but the experts at ShopAtHome say some of the best deals can be had now:

• Look for parking and shuttle services
• Try booking actual travel days as Tuesday - Thursday to avoid the crush Friday - Monday
• Save plane fees by buying gifts online and shipping to the destination rather than paying for extra baggage

Tags: 2012 holiday trends, ecommerce trends, online travel, ShopAtHome, travel commerce