Travel Planning for a Post-Pandemic World

Travelling during an pandemic is inadvisable, and we appreciate everyone doing their part to maintain social distancing and follow stay-at-home orders.

But if staying home all the time has you daydreaming of a time when you can travel again, we’ve got some advice for taking advantage of low airfare and great deals for future travel. While situations may change between now and the holidays or travel season 2021, those willing to book future travel today may experience lesser risk and higher rewards!

Planning a trip now is a cost-effective choice. Airlines are currently offering some of the cheapest airfare in nearly 20 years. While most airlines aren’t currently advertising their sales, a ticket to your dream destination is likely less than half the usual cost.

However, you’ll likely be better off booking directly through airlines than through third-party sites. Most airlines have instituted new “peace of mind” change and cancel waiver programs to give travelers flexibility in altering their plans, but some of these offers may not be backed up by third party sites.

Many airlines have also extended expiration dates on credits from the standard 12 month “use by date” to 24 months from the date of issuance. There’s much less pressure to use it or lose it, so you can plan your next trip at your leisure, and if you still feel uncomfortable traveling come autumn and winter this year, you’ll be able to cancel tickets and have more than a year left to apply credits to future travel.

If you’re still wary of committing to anything too far in advance, there’s an option for you, too. Many airline-affiliated credit cards are offering welcome bonuses and additional miles; for example, cardholders can spend $3,000 on a card within three months and earn up to 60,000 miles. Since the IRS filing deadline for taxes has been pushed out til June, you may even be able to make progress toward your miles by paying your taxes with a credit card. That way, you can have miles on hand when you are ready to book a flight!

Whether you’re looking forward to a time when you can visit family again or take a trip to your dream destination, booking flights now is a great option to consider. Once squarantines are lifted, whenever you’re ready to take the leap and travel again, we will be here, ready to serve as your connection to the world.