Buffalo, NY (WBEN) After several years of COVID-related restrictions, travelers are free to move about the country, and for that matter, the world. Travel experts say this will be one of the busiest travel summers on record.
The advice from AAA's Ashley Selevchuk is to book early. "Everyone is looking to travel, whether it's International, which is really booming, it can be domestic travel, and also road trips. So depending on where you're going, you know, airports are going to be busy, roads are going to be busy, bookings are filling up," notes Selevchuk.
Hayley Berg of Hopper.com says it will be a record travel summer, but that also means an increased risk of disruptions. "We're expecting to see delays, cancellations, maybe even missed connections this summer. Some of that as usual, summer is the busiest time of year airlines run their maximum capacity for weeks on end. So some of that is normal. But given the TSA, FAA and air traffic control are behind on hiring, there will be likely increased disruptions in certain hotspots," says Berg, citing New York City as a disruption hot spot.
If you have travel credits or backlogged vacations as a result of the pandemic forcing you to postpone trips, Sevelchuk says take a close look at your credits. "Every travel credit is a little bit different depending on if it's an airline, if it's a cruise, if it's a tour, tickets, things like that," slays Sevelchuk. "I would definitely make sure that you're aware as to when those do expire. Some have an expiration that you have to book and use those credits by, and also complete travel by some others are a little bit more lenient and flexible, that you just at least have to put something on the books and book something before that expiration date."
Berg says don't forget about those travel credits either. "Oftentimes travelers forget that they have a future travel credit on different airlines. So keep track of those, and when you are planning a trip, you have credit on one airline or multiple airlines, check out which airports they fly into and out of. So you can try to arrange your travel a little bit around where you can book flights with those credits," advises Berg. She says keep an eye on your points, as you can get travel points either through a credit card or through a booking platform.
Berg says travel will be pricey, saying, "Domestic flights are in line with pre pandemic levels, averaging somewhere between $300-$330. But if you're traveling internationally, you should expect some sticker shock. Prices are up anywhere from 20% to 60%, and those are on the high ticket high price tickets, $1,000 or more so you are headed somewhere international definitely booked now and expect to see higher prices."
