If you’re a regular subscriber, you know that. If you’re brand new here, perhaps signing up after reading this NYT Times article, welcome!
We contributed a few tips to the article about saving time and money at airports. If you can’t open the article from our shared link, here are some of our tips:
Save on food at the airport
Buying a meal, or even a coffee and a muffin, at an airport can get pricey. Fast.
Bringing your sandwiches and snacks from home is always an option. Just be sure what you pack is TSA-compliant.
If you can’t bring your own, however, one strategy we use to keep prices down is creating a meal out of appetizers, or kid-sized meals and portions purchased in food courts.
Get power. Or bring it.
Power outlets and charging stations are far more available at airports than they used to be. Thank goodness for that.
But chances are there won’t be a plug available when you really need it. We carry a small multi-outlet cord so we can ask to share an outlet another traveler may be using. That cord often comes in handy in hotel rooms without adequate outlets as well.
And, we’ve learned to always check that those powered banks of airport seats are plugged in before settling in to work.
Pack some mad money
When times get tough at the airport, a treat can help.
For those occasions, we keep $30 cash ( it used to be $20…) tucked in the ‘secret’ part of our wallet to buy a decadent dessert, a cocktail, a book or a silly souvenir.
Doing it with cash is key. The treat can go a long way to making you feel better in the moment and won’t show up on the credit card bill later to remind you of that stressful time.
Stay tuned to Stuck at the Airport for more tips and news about airports and other adventures.
(This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News online)
If you held off on taking a summer vacation don’t worry.
You may still be able to squeeze in one on the cheap.
Record numbers of travelers have been flooding airports since the pandemic, but U.S. airlines now face a surplus of empty seats after racing to add capacity. Many are slashing prices to fill them, making bargain flights more readily available than they have been in years.
“Deals are easier to find this summer since prices are already so low,” said Hayley Berg, lead economist at the travel booking site Hopper.
Flights overall were at least 5% cheaper as of June than the year before, government inflation data shows. Hopper estimated domestic airfares for August are down about 6% since a year ago, and it flagged supercheap domestic round-trip deals this month — like $69 for Chicago to Baltimore and $82 for New York to Nashville.
And it’s not just airfares — costs are cooling off for car rentals and hotel rooms too. They were down roughly 6% and 3% year over year, respectively, in the federal data and are now about flat in most cities on Priceline.
The discounts expand the map for late-season travelers and coincide with a broader value push this summer. Restaurant chains from McDonald’s to P.F. Chang’s are dangling promotions to hang on to frugal customers. The gambit is largely working, with major retailers’ recent sales helping prop up consumer spending and the economy as a whole.
Vacation-planning procrastinators are having better luck this year.
On July 26, Debra Banton, 61, and her 26-year-old daughter Rachel booked a trip overseas departing in two weeks.
“We usually plan way in advance, never last minute,” said Banton, who lives in Charleston, South Carolina. But Rachel works full time while attending school, leaving little downtime, and since she’s never been to Europe and is getting married next May, they figured now’s their best shot.
“With just four weeks’ planning time, I was able to secure the last few rooms at some fabulous resorts in Greece and get them a great deal on business-class air to Athens,” said Kimberly Hilliard, their Annapolis, Maryland-based travel adviser with Front Porch Travel.
While prices typically come down heading into the fall, the current end-of-summer season is a “unique window” for travelers who haven’t booked far in advance, said Jesse Neugarten, the CEO and founder of Dollar Flight Club.
The flight alert site said the average international airfare from the U.S. over the next three months is $401, and the average domestic flight costs $212 — collectively down an average of 29% from the same period a year ago.
“For clients with a little flexibility in their travel dates, I’ve been able to get very low airfare for last-minute trips,” said Ashley D’Aristotile, the owner of Orlando, Florida-based Flyaway Travel.
Lousson Smith, a flight expert at the travel site Going, agrees: “At this point in the summer, if you’re flexible, you can find something really nice under $150 nonstop from major markets, but anything under $200 this late in the game is a decent deal.”
While the costs of U.S. flights to Europe soared during the post-pandemic travel boom, Hopper estimates international airfares have fallen 9% since last summer. Round trips from Boston to Dublin, for example, have been going for as low as $415 this month, Hopper said, and there are $461 options between Chicago and Paris.
Domestically, the Southeast is seeing some of the best bargains, according to Priceline, with both Miami and Nashville making its “most affordable” list for August,
“For families who still have several weeks before school officially begins, you can take advantage of lower prices in some Southern states like Florida and Tennessee,” said Christina Bennett, a consumer travel expert at Priceline.
When it comes to accommodations, “markets and individual hotels will be looking to fill their rooms by offering last-minute deals and discounts,” said Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality analytics for CoStar Group, a real estate data firm.
“In general and on average, room rates are not up a whole lot,” and occupancy is down in some cities, he said. The average daily room rate in June was up just 1.5% year over year — lower than the overall inflation rate of 3% — and ticked down even further, to a 1.3% annual increase in the last week of July, CoStar data shows.
Bargain hunters must be nimble
But bargain hunters will need to be nimble, Freitag said: “A deal may be offered on Wednesday for that Saturday, so the question is: What is your appetite for booking ahead or booking last minute?”
Chirag Panchal, founder of the Dallas-based travel company Ensuite Collection, said that type of appetite has been strong lately.
“The availability seems unusual for this time of year, and I’ve been receiving a lot more last-minute travel requests than usual,” he said. “We’re seeing great availability in places like Colorado and New York City, and many hotels are throwing in extras such as complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, special amenities for kids and extra nights for free.”
If you’re ready to go and have a few destinations in mind, experts suggest signing up for one of the free fare-alert services offered by various travel platforms so you can act fast. Or use a tool like Google Flights to search for the cheapest destinations from your nearest airport. And while travel agents charge their own fees, many get access to reduced fares and packages that may not be available on booking sites.
But don’t worry if you can’t sneak in a summer vacation before August wraps. After all, the season doesn’t officially end until three weeks after Labor Day, and many travel promotions look set to continue.
“I’m finding quite a few locations offering discounted packages moving into September,” said Jennifer Byrne, CEO of the Tropical Travelers, an agency in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
On Friday morning (June 21), from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Southwest passengers traveling to and from Denver Airport will be treated to a class in country dancing. If you’re passing through, mosey on over and join in.
SEA airport says “pay attention, gentle readers”
Have you been watching Bridgerton? Evidently the social media team at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has. Their feed is currently full of Bridgerton-themed travel tips. And they’re very charming.
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 20, 2024
Our completed Upgrade SEA projects are dazzling indeed. This author reminds you that construction is evident, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔, at SEA. Do promenade to the south end skybridges & doors/exits to steer clear of crowded thoroughfares. pic.twitter.com/0mkBQnuLDl
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 20, 2024
Surely you did not think you could arrive late and still make your voyage on time. You must make haste and arrive two hours before your flight. pic.twitter.com/vNmH0FTRj4
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 20, 2024
Dearest Gentle Passengers, it is of great importance that you secure your place in the TSA queue with utmost haste. Do enlist in SEA Spot Saver. pic.twitter.com/XSu6XieSlG
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 20, 2024
We do hope you will consider alternatives for arriving at the airport. We hear good things about 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖌𝖊𝖘, public transit, Link light rail, taxi, ride share options, shuttles, and airporters. pic.twitter.com/3Q9PIQ0zv6
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 20, 2024
It is no laughing matter. Must we remind you to switch it up in order to speed it up. During the most bustling hours, one should utilize the Lower Arrivals Drive for all drop-offs and the Upper Departures Drive to pick up. pic.twitter.com/FR8u02FnhO
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 21, 2024
Finding out your traveling companions are not in fact members of an expedited travel program such as TSA PreCheck or CLEAR. Do make haste and secure a booking through SEA Spot Saver. pic.twitter.com/1lK7K2EUAg
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) June 21, 2024
Early in the week, the inbox is full of tantalizing travel tidbits, news from destinations on our “want” list and fun events in far-off cities that tempt us to jump in the car or get on a plane.
Here’s a sampling:
JetBlue & Spirit: not gonna happen
JetBlue announced on Monday that it reached an agreement with Spirit Airlines to terminate their proposed merger agreement.
That’s a win for travelers, says Going.com’s travel expert Katy Nastro. “Even if consumers don’t fly on low-cost carriers like Spirit, they help to keep fares lower by putting pressure on the legacy carriers. Cheap flight lovers across the board can breathe a bit easier knowing competition is here to stay,” she said.
Want to live and work in space? Here’s what it may be like
(Courtesy of the Museum of Flight)
Wondering what it might be like to live, work, or vacation in space?
Seattle’s Museum of Flight is putting together an exhibit that will offer on clues.
Home Beyond Earth opens June 8 and will be and will focus on space stations past, present, and future with more than fifty artifacts, models, space-flown objects, and uniforms.
Kimpton hotels will loan you accessories.
Now that checked bag prices are up, you may be trying to lighten your load and commit to traveling only with a carry-on bag.
We’ll all for that.
And so is Kimpton.
For guests who have left key fashion accessories at home, the hotel brand now has a collection of items available for loan. At participating properties, the Forgot It? We’ve Got It! Anthropologie Accessories Collection includes bags, sunglasses, belts, necklaces, and other items guests may borrow and, if they like them, buy.
To the relief of many travelers and travel groups, over the weekend the United States lifted the Covid-19 testing requirement for inbound international air travelers.
That means travelers no longer have to find a testing site a day before their flight to the U.S., wait anxiously for results and then, as happened to friends of ours, scramble to find a hotel in an already packed European city and make alternate flight and other arrangements if they get a positive test result.
Experts expect a surge in international travel now.
So look forward to packed flights and higher ticket prices. And consider keeping a mask on during those flights.
Flip sign at TWA Hotel Flips for Pride
If you’re flying out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), stop in the lobby of the TWA Hotel, across from JetBlue’s Terminal 5. In addition to a rooftop pool, a roller rink, and “The Connie” – a 1958 Constellation airplane turned cocktail lounge, this month the retro-style flip board in the oh-so-60s lobby is flipping in rainbow colors to celebrate Pride.
Our ship, the upgraded MS Santa Cruz II, was perfectly-sized, with 50 cabins, a library and science corner, and a bar. And we were thrilled to learn that among the guests on our expedition were Will Jardell and James Wallington, the honeymooning winners of Season 32 of The Amazing Racereality TV show in which teams of two race around the world in hopes of winning the $1 million first prize.
We joined them for dinner one evening to chat about airports, of course, and to ask them to share some of their travel tips. You’ll find the full list in the story we put together for the Points Guy site. But here are some of their travel gear must-haves and some useful tips for gathering information about your destinations.
Fanny Packs
Trendy for now, Jardell and Wallington say they use Eagle Creek fanny packs to hold travel essentials such as passports, wallets, money, travel guides and documents, hand sanitizer, snacks, Chapstick, hand lotion, and extra masks.
Playing cards and games
Books and magazines are always good to have, but Jardell and Wallington always pack a deck of cards or a game they can play together or with people they meet along the way.
Smart ways to gather information
During the Amazing Race contest, Will and James couldn’t take along laptops or phones for researching a destination or plotting out routes before arriving in a city.
They said they could sometimes work around this by visiting electronics shops in airports selling phones and other gear that was on display with WiFi connections.
This is a great tip for those times we might find ourselves in an airport without a charged phone or good network access.
Flight attendants often have lots of helpful information about destinations, they told us, as do some of the short videos most of us skip over in the inflight entertainment line-up.
Eco-Friendly Tips
Meet the winning couple and pick up some eco-friendly and sustainable travel tips in this short video.
We’re a few days late on the Icelandverse bandwagon. But we want to do our part to make sure everyone takes a look at how Iceland is promoting tourism with a hysterical swipe at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and the ‘metaverse’ concept.
In the video below, which comes to us courtesy of cheeky Visit Iceland, a “Chief Visionary Officer” Zack Mossbergsson -a character that looks and motions like Mark Zuckerberg, extols the many real things you can see, touch, and experience in Iceland in contrast to the virtual world of Zuckerberg’s metaverse.
“Today I want to talk about a revolutionary approach on how to connect our world without being super weird,” says Mossbergsson. “Some said it’s not possible. Some said it’s out of reach. To them we say, It’s already here. Seriously. Look it’s right here,” he says pointing out the window.
If you’ve been to Iceland before or are just packing to go to the “Icelandverse,” this video reinforces the fact that the country offers “enhanced actual reality without silly-looking headsets,” “water that’s wet” and “skies you can see with your eyeballs.” And whether you’re a fan of the company formerly known as Facebook, or not, you’ll get a kick out of this video.
Visit Iceland has a long history of quirky videos. Many are part of the Iceland Academy Series, including the one below about what to pack when visiting Iceland.
“On me” offers 10,000 free airline vouchers to four key Tennessee airports – Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. All travelers have to do is purchase a 2-night stay at TennesseeOnMe.com.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s budget puts aside $2.5 million to promote tourism through $250 digital gift cards from Delta Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines for travel to Tennessee. The promotion aims to give away 10,000 digital gift cards to visitors who book a 2-night hotel stay in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, or Chattanooga. More than 60 hotels are participating in the promotion.
Visitors must book a 2-night minimum stay at participating hotels, including at least one night of the stay between Sunday-Wednesday.
Visitors can choose their destination city (Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga or Knoxville), their hotel of choice in the city, and which airline voucher they prefer (Delta, American or Southwest Airlines).
Book between now and July 5 – September 15, 2021. Travel between July 11 – December 30, 2021.
All promotion reservations can be booked through www.TennesseeOnMe.com, which details FAQs, restrictions and additional information.
All hotel package reservations are pre-paid at time of booking and are non-refundable.
One airline voucher is available per hotel package (not per person). Other terms and conditions apply.
Have fun. Let’s hope more states roll out campaigns like this. And let’s hope more people in Tennessee get vaccinated.
Arc de Triomphe, Paris c. 1870, courtesy Ace Architects
[This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News]
International travel is back on the agenda this summer for millions of Americans who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination regime.
But with some countries fully open to U.S. travelers – and many still not – the challenge now is figuring out when and where it is possible to go. And what restrictions may be in place when you arrive and when you head back home.
“For the summer, the countries that have already posted their border openings are the most likely bets.” says Misty Belles, Managing Director at luxury travel network Virtuoso. “Many vacationers are already able to visit Mexico and many parts of the Caribbean,” as well as Greece, Iceland, Croatia, Turkey, and some other countries.
On May 16, Italy began welcoming passengers arriving on government-approved “COVID-tested” flights from several countries, including the United States. Travel requirements for these flights include a negative COVID-19 test before departure, at boarding, and on arrival in Italy.
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines are already offering some COVID-tested flights to Rome and Milan from several U.S. cities. More flights and cities will be added to the schedule later this summer.
Other countries have announced various ‘opening dates’ for when travelers from the United States will be welcome as well.
Spain was going to open its borders to all vaccinated tourists – including Americans – on June 7. But that date has been pushed back to at least June 30th.
ENTRY RESTRICTIONS SPAIN-EU♦ ️ Order of the Ministry of the Interior of Spain extended until 24:00 on June 30, which, following the EU, restricts non-essential travel from third countries to the European Union due to the health crisis of covid-19 👇https://t.co/AgtlOXgMxE
— Embajada España Omán 🇪🇦🇴🇲 (@EmbEspOman) May 30, 2021
More countries will be joining that list. “But it’s going to be a hodgepodge this summer,” says Scott Keyes of Scott’s Cheap Flights, “For most countries, you’ll need to either bring proof of vaccination or a recent negative test.”
Lending encouragement is the fact that this week seven of the 27 countries in the European Union –Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia, and Poland – began using the EU Digital COVID certificate, known as the Digital Green Certificate, a month ahead of schedule. Other countries will adopt the program that securely verifies the COVID-19 status of EU citizens in the next few weeks and “these countries will be able to decide if they will allow U.S. travelers to participate,” says Keyes.
What about travel to Canada, Japan, the UK, and other countries?
Non-essential travel, which includes tourism, is still restricted between the United States and Canada. Ahead of the summer Olympics, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory warning against travel to Japan.
In mid-May, the United Kingdom rolled out a “traffic light system” for international travel. This puts countries on red, amber, and green lists. The lists are set to be reviewed next at the end of June, but for now, the United States is categorized as “amber.” That means anyone arriving from the United States must fill out a passenger locator form, provide notification of a negative test result prior to travel, quarantine for 10 days on arrival, and take a COVID test on day 2 and day 8 after arrival.
Keeping track, making plans
While countries may be constantly changing their entry requirements in response to COVID-19 cases and conditions, “generally speaking, the one-way ratchet is towards more reopening,” says Keyes. He recommends checking the US State Department website for updates, as well as individual government and embassy websites before making any bookings.
Flexibility and generous cancellation polities are still the mantras when booking hotel stays, airline tickets and cruises, or buying passes to theme parks, museums, and attractions.
But don’t worry if you are not ready to hit the ‘buy’ button right now.
“Demand is strong, causing availability to be limited in some places while also driving up rates,” says Virtuoso’s Belles. “While Europe is slowly opening this summer, fall is when people will likely feel more confident about setting their travel plans,” and when rates may settle down.
(This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News online)
Summer travel may cause some headaches
Memorial Day weekend and a unusual travel season are just around the corner.
Experts expect a summer travel tsunami fueled by a dip in Covid-19 infection rates, rising vaccination rates, and the reopening of attractions, resorts, and other tourist destinations.
AA predicts that 34 million Americans will take road trips 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday, May 27-31. That is a 52 percent increase compared to last summer — although still about 9 percent below the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
More than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) plan to take trips this summer, according to the latest results of a Harris Poll survey.
But with everyone rushing to go somewhere – anywhere – travelers may find their dream destinations hard to book or sold out already.
“Travelers should be aware that there is still limited supply, as airlines haven’t brought back fleets in full, there are hotels that haven’t opened or are at limited capacity, and car rental fleets are still reduced,” said Kelly Soderlund of travel management company TripActions. She advises travelers determined to hit the road this summer to book as arly as possible to avoid being disappointed by a lack of inventory or by high prices.
Here are some of the summer travel “hiccups” travelers may encounter — and some tips for how to handle them.
Gas prices were expected to flirt with $3 per gallon leading up to Memorial Day weekend. But last week’s shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline caused prices to spike weeks ahead of the holiday.
“Americans will still take their road trips,” says AAA spokesperson Jeanette McGee, “They just may not travel as far as originally planned and may spend a little less.”
To save money on gas, make sure your car is tuned up and your tires are properly inflated, join gas station rewards programs, and download one or more gas price apps to your smartphone so you can compare prices on the road.
Crowded planes, high ticket prices
Right now, flights are 77 percent full on average, compared to 85 percent to 90 percent pre-pandemic, said Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights. “But hidden under that topline average is the fact that popular leisure flights to places like Hawaii and Florida are regularly seeing completely full planes. With Memorial Day such a popular time to travel, expect airports to be crowded and planes filled to capacity.”
While the dirt-cheap fares airlines floated during the pandemic are long gone, there is some good news for air travelers.
“Two new budget airlines, Avelo and Breeze, will introduce more low-fare seats and increase competition,” said travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research. In addition, “United Airlines just announced it is adding more domestic flights, and Southwest is adding new flights between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii.”
Long lines at security checkpoints
Passenger volumes continue to rise at airports across the country. In many airports, that means the return of long lines at security checkpoints.
JUST IN: @TSA screened 1,408,017 people at airport checkpoints yesterday, May 18. During the past 10 days, checkpoint throughput has ranged between1.3M and 1.8M, quite a swing. Tuesdays and Wednesdays see lightest volume. Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays tend to be busiest.
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) May 19, 2021
“We are encouraging people to arrive at their airports early, like they were asked to do prior to the pandemic,” TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.
Expect longer lines at airports where the TSA is short-staffed and unable to open all checkpoints during the busiest times. Elsewhere, lines may stretch out because passengers who have not flown in the past year have rusty packing skills. In addition to finding a lot of oversize liquid containers in travelers’ carry-on bags, TSA officers are finding that many passengers are still forgetting to leave their firearms at home.
For a refresh on what can be put in carry-on bags, travelers can consult TSA’s “Can I Bring?” feature online and on the MyTSA app or tweet to @AskTSA.
High Hotel Rates
Have your heart set on a beach vacation? So does everyone else. So this summer is an especially good time to seek out hotels in secondary or alternative cities.
For example, Adit Damodaran, an economist at Hopper, a price comparison site, found that while hotels in Southeastern beach destinations, such as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Galveston, Texas; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are booking up quickly, hotels in Florida towns with similar vibes — like Jacksonville, Tampa, Fort Myers and Daytona Beach — are showing increased availability.
Elusive rental cars
During the pandemic, many car rental companies sold off big chunks of their fleets. Now, many Americans who hope to rent cars for summer road trips are finding cars unavailable or renting at a premium.
To increase your chances of finding a rental car for this summer’s vacation, Priceline and others suggest booking your car at the same time as, or even before, you book your flights, booking a travel bundle that includes a car rental, checking for cars at off-airport locations and exploring services such as Zipcar and peer-to-peer car-sharing programs.
Shifting protocols
This summer, “travelers researching a destination will need to pay attention to how that location is handling Covid protocols and what might be expected of you as a visitor to the community,” said Tori Middelstadt of Oregon’s Willamette Valley Visitors Association.
That includes noting and adhering to the rules about masking. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people can forgo wearing masks indoors and travel in the U.S. without getting tested before or after they travel.
But a federal rule not set to expire until Sept. 14 requires that masks be worn when traveling by air, rail, or bus. Cities, states, and individual businesses are still able to set their own rules.
The current unknowns of travel and the pressures around booking that first vacation in over a year understandably make many travelers anxious.
“There are just too many variables in play right now, from the basics, like availability, to the more complicated, like Covid-19 protocols. If you’re thinking about a summer trip, you need to move past the thinking part and swiftly get yourself to the booking process,” said Erika Richter of the American Society of Travel Advisors.
