More people are going to be traveling, and it will be more expensive for a couple of different reasons, with aircraft delays being one. By 2025, there were supposed to be new aircraft in the sky, like the Boeing 777X, but there have been huge production delays with both Airbus and Boeing, which means that airlines are not able to grow their fleets and get fuel efficiency like they thought. This means they are flying older jets and can’t increase capacity like they planned, or they need to charge more fees to grow. Unbundling fares is something we heard Delta Air Lines talking about, so you’ll now be paying for things you might have previously gotten for free.
How to find deals
Redemption rates have been rising, and sometimes deals can be hard to find. The bottom line is you need to be savvier about booking flights — use technology and paid tools to find deals. Use Google Flights alerts that you can set in advance to be notified when certain routes drop below a certain price. For instance, if you want to travel during spring break next year, start setting those price alerts now.
Leverage those points and miles
There are even paid services for cash and award deals. I love Thrifty Traveler — it’s $100 per year, and it delivers a really great email every day filled with award flights and regular deals, including details on how to book. You can also follow social media accounts like The Flight Deal and Secret Flying for top deals. You need to be as flexible as possible in order to snag some of these deals.
The effects of overtourism
Overtourism is having an effect across the industry, so many travelers will be looking to visit popular destinations like Spain and Italy in the offseason or shoulder season. We saw residents in Barcelona spraying visitors with water guns this past summer. It’s a wake-up call not only to travelers but also to the industry. You’ll have a much better experience in a destination when it’s not peak season.
Experiential travel
Travelers are craving shared experiences with friends and family members, as evidenced by Taylor Swift’s wildly popular “The Eras Tour.” I expect this trend to continue with groups of friends booking festivals and events globally. Get ahead of the curve and book as soon as your favorite artist or event announces dates — snag a hotel in that city before it sells out altogether.
Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, and this may impact how or where they appear. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Photo Credit: JONNO RATTMAN.
You are receiving this email because you opted in atthepointsguy.com.
Where to find us:
The Points Guy 100 5th Ave., 16th Floor New York, NY 10011 USA USA
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.
Advertiser Disclosure:
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
