Qunar: Mid-holiday airfares fall 20% from Oct 1 before return peak

The mid-holiday dip is a timing signal: pricing power shifts from outbound to return traffic, and the platform's data captures both. For travel and consumer-watch analysts, the key read is whether this return peak matches last year's, which would indicate demand resilience despite softer outbound pricing. Whether the post-holiday easing extends into a broader slowdown is the open question.