Travel in the U.S. is back — in a big way. But this rebound has brought with it new potential challenges which can make the act of hitting the road or taking to the skies require a bit more patience.
If you want to avoid some of the new travel pitfalls, here are some of the most significant mistakes you should try to avoid as you prepare for your next trip.
And remember – having a travel advisor will help avoid and mitigate many of these issues. We monitor and stay up to date on all the policies and potential changes so you can just worry about having fun!
Assuming all travel plans are set
In normal, non-pandemic times, many travel reservations are of the “set it and forget it” nature. Once a travel advisor, has booked your vacation you’re generally good to go. And the experience you ultimately find at your destination is almost always exactly what it was when you planned the trip.
However, the pandemic has changed this significantly.
Under normal circumstances, airline schedule changes can typically be the keys to help you change to a more desirable routing or flight time, but if those schedule adjustments happen too close to departure — as they are right now — you could be left in the lurch.
For example, Breeze Airways recently made its first round of significant schedule updates since launching operations in May — and on certain routes, they took effect within days of the announcement. This left little time for affected passengers to make alternate arrangements — not to mention the possibility of facing a huge added expense of purchasing last-minute airfare from another carrier.
Many other airlines have announced network changes in recent weeks, including Delta dropping six routes, United pulling out of Paine Field (PAE) and JetBlue axing over two dozen routes.
In some cases, even small changes can lead to painful hiccups.
And these unwelcome changes aren’t coming just from airlines.
With housing markets being as hot as they are, a fair number of vacation homes are being sold. As a result, some travelers have run into issues with confirmed vacation rentals suddenly being canceled this summer, just weeks or even days before arrival. And with scarce inventory and high prices for last-minute accommodations, you could be left without a feasible alternative.
This can also be a headache for those looking to leave the country as more international borders reopen and travel restrictions begin to ease. In some cases, destinations began welcoming tourists only to shift policies shortly thereafter.
Tips to prevent these issues
As your travel advisor we are constantly monitoring your flights for any any possible disruptions as far in advance as possible.
Don’t rely solely on third-party sources, and pay close attention to formal announcements from your international destination to ensure you know what to expect prior to departure. As your travel advisor we are keeping up to date with destination changes.
If you’re traveling internationally, have at least one backup plan for getting an eligible COVID-19 test to return to the U.S. We recommend bringing along eMed Covid test with you. These are eligible for travel back to the US.
Planning on normal lines
For anyone who took to the skies during the height of the pandemic, it was probably disconcerting to see such empty airport terminals. However, the lack of travelers did make for shorter (or nonexistent) lines to check in for flights or clear security. And while there weren’t many food options open in those early months, there usually wasn’t a mad scramble at the ones that were operating.
Those days are now largely a distant memory.
With travel demand surging — and both airlines and the Transportation Security Administration struggling to staff up appropriately — long lines are becoming more and more prevalent in airports across the country. There may also be some long lines at hotel check-in desks or car rental locations.
Tips to prevent these issues
Plan extra time at the airport — especially if you plan to check a bag. In fact, you may want to try and avoid checking a bag if at all possible.
Use online check-in if you’re just carrying on a bag, and print your boarding pass (or save it to your phone) to go straight to the security line.
Consider applying for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Clear for expedited security.
If you have hotel elite status, be on the lookout for a shorter elite status check-in line. You may even be eligible for hotel elite status by virtue of a credit card that’s already in your wallet.
Relying on airport or airline food services
Grabbing a bite to eat in the airport used to be simple prior to the pandemic. You either budgeted enough time for a sit-down meal — potentially at a pretty top-notch restaurant — or you could grab something from a fast-casual dining outlet to take onboard or eat at the gate or in the food court.
But, don’t be surprised if neither one of these is a realistic option.
For starters, many food locations in airports haven’t yet reopened. And to make matters worse, those that are open can have exceedingly long waits or missing menu items. This has improved somewhat over the last several months, but you can no longer count on a quick grab-and-go meal — especially in smaller terminals or at peak times.
Then there’s the airport lounge situation. Many airport lounge networks have taken major strides to reopen as domestic travel demand surged, but a number still remain closed. American Airlines, for one, still has a handful of lounges that won’t reopen until August, while United still has over 20 locations that remain closed — in addition to all of its premium, Polaris-branded lounges.
Finally, if you run into long lines and need to rush to catch your flight, you may find a lackluster selection of inflight food options as well. Inflight service continues to gradually come back, but some carriers — like American and Delta — still haven’t restored buy-on-board dining options for economy passengers on longer, domestic flights.
Tips to prevent these issues
Leave extra time if you plan to get food at the airport — and don’t be surprised if there are just a few options.
Pack plenty of snacks for longer flights, especially when traveling with kids or if you have any special dietary needs or restrictions.
Packing everything in your checked luggage.
There’s always a chance of flight delays or cancellations, but 2021 has seen a handful of well-documented operational issues that go beyond the typical. In many cases, affected passengers were unexpectedly stranded overnight.
Problems within an airline’s control — like aircraft maintenance — often lead the carrier to issue food and/or hotel vouchers, but weather events or air traffic control-related delays typically come with nothing other than a basic amenity kit. And the only thing worse than being forced to spend a night in an airline’s hub city, potentially at your own expense, is doing so without any of your personal items.
It’s still likely that everything will go smoothly. Your initial flight will be on time, you’ll have plenty of time to make your connection and upon landing, your luggage will come out without needing to invoke an airline’s checked bag guarantee. But that’s not always the case — especially with new headaches like a jet fuel shortage out west or the runway closure at one of the biggest airports in the Northeast.
Tips to prevent these issues
Always pack at least a change of clothes and items like contacts or toothbrushes in a carry-on bag.
If you are stranded overnight, keep all of your receipts when purchasing necessities — you may need to submit them to either your airline or make a claim with your travel protection.
Not planning ahead with your rental car
The on-going car rental shortage has had extensive news coverage, and there’s no sign of it ending any time soon.
The combination of slimmed-down fleets and the global microchip shortage that’s slowed car assembly lines has led to high rental prices and — in especially popular locales — no availability whatsoever. One of the Hawaiian islands has even launched its own transportation website to help visitors cope with the car rental shortage.
If you don’t plan ahead, you could be left without great options. Very few travelers are interested in renting a U-Haul truck or van for their vacation — but you know what they say. Desperate times …
Unfortunately, even with a confirmed reservation, there’s no guarantee that a car will actually be there when you arrive. Despite your travel advisor confirming your reservation multiple times there is the rare care that there were simply no cars left at pick-up (due mostly to people not returning cars on time). Your only option may be to wait for one to become available.
Also, be aware that the car you do get may be older and with more mileage on it than in the past, so temper your expectations appropriately.
Tips to prevent these issues
Book your rental car and vacation package early - to lock in a decent price and inventory.
Join the car rental company’s loyalty program. This can help not only ensure there’s a car waiting for you but may also allow you to skip the line.
If all else fails, consider a car-sharing service like Turo, explore off-airport rental locations or investigate local car dealerships in your destination — some dealers will rent out their loaner cars to the public. You could also explore getting a car through Uber or Lyft, as both companies recently launched rental services.
Relying on ride-hailing services
If you don’t want to stress about the rental car shortage or worry about parking fees, you may be inclined to use services like Uber or Lyft. But unfortunately, these have become notably unreliable as travel rebounds. The labor shortage is hitting ride-hailing companies hard.
Both Uber and Lyft blamed these trends on the slow return of drivers to their respective platforms. But despite implementing incentives to woo drivers back, both providers cite modest decreases in wait times.
Tips to prevent these issues
If one is available, consider renting a car — it may be pricey but will guarantee transportation when you need it.
Explore traditional taxi options, which can be notably cheaper and easier to book — but are also not immune to supply issues.
Utilize public transportation where possible, even if it means a bit more walking or changing subway lines to reach your destination.
Have your travel advisor reserve you a car service to ensure your transfer.
Not making reservations … for everything
Gone are the days of rolling out of bed in your hotel room, hopping in your car and spontaneously driving to a nearby national park.
Select locations — including Glacier, Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Parks— are requiring advance reservations just to get in the park. And even those that aren’t requiring reservations ahead of time may still limit capacity, meaning an earlier-than-usual wake-up time to guarantee entry.
But planning ahead is key for not just national parks.
Both Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California are requiring reservations for all guests, and some tour providers across the U.S. are continuing to limit capacity for guests.
Luau’s in Hawaii are also booking up months in advance.
Tips to prevent these issues
Your travel advisor can assist in making advance reservations for tours and activities that are must-dos, and ensure you are aware of change/cancellation policies in case you need to adjust.
Research your top restaurant choices ahead of time, and determine which ones need reservations — or consider relying on takeout. Just note that even to-go orders can hit nightly capacity limits at some restaurants.
Believing that everything will go wrong
The final mistake you want to avoid is in direct opposition to everything written above.
Don’t simply believe that everything will go wrong if you decide to travel in the coming months. Sure, there are some things that can go wrong, but for every story about canceled flights, no rental cars and long airport waits for stale chicken nuggets, there’s a competing story about things going perfectly.
In short, just because there is some messiness in the travel world right now doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to have an awful experience.
If you prepare for some hiccups, hope for the best and expect something in between, you will wind up all right — and be excited at the prospect of spreading your wings once again.
Dream Vacations - The Operach Team is a travel agency based in Overland Park, Kansas. We take pride in working with clients across the country who love to travel. We build vacation experiences that will create memories to last a lifetime. Our team has specialties across a wide range of vacation options; custom Europe itineraries, Alaska, escorted tours, all-inclusive resorts, Disney, Caribbean, Hawaii, South Pacific, cruise holidays, and river cruises.
We look forward to making your dream vacations come true!!
No comments:
Post a Comment