Life after coronavirus: why you need to plan trips and book tickets now

Dreaming of a tropical vacation? Now is the time to plan your next trip, reports Reader`s Digest.

Photo: Shutterstock

If you now spend more time on the couch than usual, then use this time to plan your vacation. The fact that you are sitting at home right now is not a problem for preparing for life after a pandemic. We all do not hurt to have a good rest in connection with the experienced stresses. Experts say it’s wise to take advantage of today's low airfare and plan your trip in advance.

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Why you should think about the future

Flights are canceled daily and, of course, you should not go on a trip right now, even if you really want to. Such a bleak reality is hitting the aviation industry. According to preliminary estimates, coronavirus will cost the airline industry $ 113 billion in lost revenue, although these figures may increase even more, as many countries close their borders. As a result, we are seeing a significant reduction in airline ticket prices and much more sparing cancellation rules. So that people can take advantage of low ticket prices, many airlines and travel sites have posted cancellation and change rules on their pages.

When to book

As news bulletins keep coming in, it's hard to say how long we will distance ourselves from each other. But the experts we spoke with had a few ideas. “I will certainly reserve seats for the holidays in September and December by the end of this month. By this time, theoretically, everything should already be in order, ”says Andrea Krom, head of marketing at SN Travel.

According to Joshua Greenberg, travel consultant at the Ovation Travel Group, if you book your tickets now, you can not only get the best seats, but also save yourself the problem of high demand. After all, when it's over, many will want to fly somewhere, and tickets in this case may not be enough for everyone.

However, before booking your seats, find out what your cancellation window is. It is always a good idea - now it is especially important. If you book tickets, be sure to look at the cost of making changes. For example, at American Airlines, all travelers who place their bookings in March for flights prior to January 30, 2021 will not be charged for booking changes. Hotels also make their policies softer to stimulate business.

“If before the cancellation period ended two weeks before arrival, now it’s 24 hours,” Greenberg explains.

When to travel

So, now you know when to book tickets, when you can go on a trip. Although no one is 100% sure, given the information currently available, our experts have suggested their best options. Currently, Krom recommends planning a trip after September, and Greenberg hopes that it will be possible to travel by the end of spring. “The most incomprehensible thing is when exactly the quarantine will end,” says Greenberg. “Wrong, you should not book a trip, at least until May.”

International travel is now the most unpredictable, so if you plan to travel in the near future, it is more advisable to consider booking domestic flights. If you want to get to a more exotic place, plan for the second half of the year or the next year. For example, how do you like the trip to the Southern Hemisphere next winter? A round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, in January 2021, currently costs about $ 350 less than usual. The average temperature in Sydney at this time of the year is an ideal 79 degrees (26 Celsius).

Where to go

Once you decide on the time of your trip, the question becomes where to go. “The Caribbean is the perfect place to travel in December,” says Krom. “Barbados is an all-in-one option with vibrant nightlife, stunning beaches and plenty of interesting places to explore.” Christmas on a white sandy beach? Yes please! If you're more of an adrenaline junkie, consider the eco-friendly Dominican Republic. “You can swim with whales, climb volcanoes and enjoy many outdoor sports,” she adds.

As the virus spread rapidly to densely populated cities and countries, Greenberg suggests looking for more distant places to travel. “First of all, people will go to places that are closer to home, and which were least affected by the spread of COVID-19,” he said. “For example, South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.”

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How to protect your trip

If you have always been a staunch supporter of the opinion that “travel insurance is fraud,” you will have to change it. Any trip you will book in the coming months needs full protection. This is one of those times when travel insurance is worth it. “We recommend getting travel insurance and consulting your travel agent so that you can change your plans in the event of any worst-case scenario,” Crom explains.

Also make sure your trip is fully offset by cash or travel vouchers. “At present, we do not recommend booking anything if money cannot be refunded,” Krom emphasizes. - It’s better to pay a little more and be able to change plans if necessary. And with such low prices, such insurance does not seem like an expensive pleasure. ”

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