The Decline of December, 2018: Why Travel Has Come Back Stronger than Ever in the Covid-19 Epidemic, according to Scott Keyes
This time of the year, hotel prices are more expensive than ever. The average price of a hotel room was lower in October than it was in May, when the price hit a record.
Airfare: Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the number of flights scheduled for November and December is down 15% from the same months in 2019. Many of those missing flights previously were flown by smaller regional carriers serving smaller airports, and some of those airports have since lost service altogether. With more flights on larger planes, there is a greater chance of a seat availability increase, but the number is down compared to this time last year.
At the end of 2021, there was a surge in Covid-19 cases, but this year it has been positively robust according to airlines and industry experts.
“Holiday travel has come back as strong as ever, and leisure travel is why that recovered,” said Scott Keyes, founder of travel site Scott’s Cheap Flights. It was a tradition for so many people to travel over Labor Day and July 4, as well as over Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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The good news about gas prices is that they are well below the all-time record set in June. The average was down 27% as of Sunday. The average price for a gallon of gasoline has dropped 11 cents in the last week.
But prices are still 8% higher than this time last year. The price of gas is typically at its seasonal low at the end of the year, frequently just before Christmas.
People are excited to pack their bags after a long time at home. Tourists are trying to save money by shortening trips or avoiding high-end hotels as inflation has risen.
“You have real wage contractions in quite a lot of markets,” Axel Hefer, CEO of search platform Trivago, told CNN. “What that means is you need to save money somewhere.”
Travelers are also looking into less expensive places. For example, those using Trivago’s platform — which allows users to compare hotel prices around the world — have shown a growing interest in Morocco and Portugal, according to Hefer.
In the United Kingdom, which has seen swings in the pound in recent months, domestic travel remains strong. Currency fluctuations can make it difficult to plan for future trips.
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The booking figures from the past four weeks were above average, according to the company. The company noted that it hosted 3.3 million customers in its first quarter, up from 2.3 million a year earlier, and that it had 8.7 million bookings for the current winter and summer seasons.
This climate can lead providers to charge more. Ryanair, which has been capturing market share from rival carriers, expects it will be able to raise prices for flights over Easter and the summer due to strong demand from American and Asian tourists and less competition from other airlines.
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Economy fares originating in the UK are up 36% from the same time last year, according to data from Flight Centre UK, which includes domestic and international flights.
“So though the national average looks pretty normal to us in comparison to pre-pandemic prices, for a lot of travelers a route that they may have taken for years and years to a smaller, more regional airport – that might be two or three times more expensive than what they paid pre-pandemic,” Berg said.
The domestic airfare will be around $350 a round-trip ticket in May, which is 10% more expensive than the year before, but lower than it will be in 2022, Berg said.
Demand is high for the last region to widely lift Covid restrictions and throw open its doors to international visitors. Compared with 2019, Asia fares are about 50% higher, sometimes more, Berg said, while Europe is about 15% higher.
The increase in economy fares to Vietnam has been documented by Flight Centre UK. It is one of the cheapest destinations in Asia. The price is up 50 percent to Thailand.
A New Way to Save Money: Booking International Flights to Athens for Half the Price of $2500$ to 900$$$
If you have your heart set on Santorini, consider booking your international leg to Athens, where deals from US cities can drop below $500, and find a more affordable regional flight or ferry on to the island.
“By splitting up the trip from a single itinerary into two itineraries, you can save $1,000 or more on a big international trip, whether you’re traveling to the Greek Islands or anywhere far flung,” he said.
Berg says for international trips, Friday and Saturday departures are most expensive. If you go on a Monday for spring break, you can save 20% on your flight to Europe. If you fly in mid-week you can save up to 33%.
Keyes said there’s still a lot you can do, including not waiting to book until the last minute, keeping your destination flexible, and tinkering with the exact travel dates.
Coming back a day earlier may yield significant savings, or if you’re really looking for a bargain, reverse your search by looking at where flights are cheap and then picking your destination.
For summer vacations in May, June and July, Berg advises travelers to start tracking those fares now. Planning ahead is key even if you don’t book right away.
That’s 1 to 3 months in advance of travel for domestic US lights and 2 to 8 months for international flights. For peak season deals, it’s more like 3 to 7 months for domestic and 4 to 10 months for international.
At the middle of the goldilocks window, the fare dropped to $76. I booked as quickly as I could. Today, the fare is back up to $350.”
Airfare is something people buy a lot. Today’s expensive flight is tomorrow’s cheap flight, and vice versa,” he said. Keyes watched the flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam go from $800 to $300 to $1,300 in a few days.