Traveling these days

[dvcgirl67]

You can usually cancel without penalty within 24 hours of booking a flight. After that you're generally out of luck (aside from airlines like Southwest, where you can get a credit for the difference).

Oh...that's good to know....I think my husband mentioned that to me once when we booked a couple of trips during covid (then canceled). We were post 24 hours when we cancelled those trips, but with lenient and forgiving Covid airline policies....we just used the flights at credits for trips to Cabo and Costa Rica. One we had to use by the end of last year....and so we chose Costa Rica for the first time....amazing!

When we booked these Hawaii business class flights it was $400 more per person for fully refundable, and we jumped on that. I think it's a smart strategy for the airlines to offer this option. After covid, we won't book any hotel that has more than a 14 day cancellation period and always hope to book refundable flights. We'll definitely pay over $1,000...but not much more...for a refundable business class flights for two of us to South Africa. Then our Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a decent amount of travel insurance. For that trip I'm just going to add medical/health insurance only as the credit card matches all of the benefits that a separate travel insurance policies would cover.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Thank you! I know my mom would have wanted us all to go even though she’s not with us.

The package price only includes 2 days of lodging. The other 7 days, we’re staying with family at my parents’ Westin condo. It would have been a smokin’ deal if it included lodging for all 9 days.

You’re going to love South Africa!!! DH and I took our kids, who were in their early 20s, to London and South Africa for a safari back in July 2019. I researched and planned the whole thing myself to keep it in budget. We loved the whole experience! Amazing!!!

Oh that's great that you have a week of lodging! I think I remember you mentioning a trip to SA in another thread. We're super excited for that one....but for Hawaii too, seemed like a good place for our 25th .

 

[kdonnel]

I wish flying would go back to the height of Covid times. Crazy cheap fares and empty planes. We paid $137 round trip for 4 people from Atlanta to Orlando. $17 a person each way.

The Delta SkyClubs are slammed, planes are full, tempers are hot.

At least masks are gone and there is one less point of contention between travelers and airline personnel.

Many of the airlines accelerated plane retirements thinking the slowdown would last longer. The result of fewer planes with pre Covid domestic demand equals higher fares.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I admire everyone's commitment. I just get super annoyed at the jumping around of prices which ruins it for me. I went from looking at WDW and Miami to researching a drivable bleach resort and maybe rent boats near by or continue with day trips. The whole up and down pricing is just too frustrating, I have been cycling like this for quite a while & have no patience for it.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I wish flying would go back to the height of Covid times. Crazy cheap fares and empty planes. We paid $137 round trip for 4 people from Atlanta to Orlando. $17 a person each way.

The Delta SkyClubs are slammed, planes are full, tempers are hot.

At least masks are gone and there is one less point of contention between travelers and airline personnel.

Many of the airlines accelerated plane retirements thinking the slowdown would last longer. The result of fewer planes with pre Covid domestic demand equals higher fares.

True...we've taken two trips since July.....you'd never for a minute know that the stimulus money has mostly run out, or credit card debt is at an all-time high....people are traveling like crazy.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I admire everyone's commitment. I just get super annoyed at the jumping around of prices which ruins it for me. I went from looking at WDW and Miami to researching a drivable bleach resort and maybe rent boats near by or continue with day trips. The whole up and down pricing is just too frustrating, I have been cycling like this for quite a while & have no patience for it.

Google Flight alerts definitely gives you a feel for it though. For the Hawaii trip and South Africa....I got a really good idea of the low end and pounced on that first one when I saw it was low. For the South Africa trip...the lowest I've seen is 10,600 for two RT...and if I see that in October, I'll pounce again. Otherwise I'll wait a bit and watch, but won't go. higher than 12K as I see that pretty regularly.

 

[easyas123]

How do you find travel organizing these days

Not 100% sure what you mean by organizing? Do you mean juggling plans and/or making arrangements? We don't have to much of a issue, but maybe we've been lucky? In August we flew thru Philly and San Diego, November we flew thru Dulles, Frankford & Munich Germany, as well as Budapest with zero issues in terms of delays or hiccups with luggage or anything else. I'm flying to Dallas next week and the Cayman Islands two weeks later, those two are work - related trips, and though I don't recall the exact price of our flights, I think they were in the $600-$800 each range. I booked a flight to Fort Myers from BWI in April just a few weeks ago and the cost was in the $300 range r/t. I didn't have any problems locating and securing the flights/seats I wanted for any of the flights and found there to be plenty of seats thankfully...in fact I'm watching my flight to Dallas next week as I booked a window seat and so far on both flights the middle seat is empty. Always subject to change though, so I just make sure I book what I want, and hope to get the same or similar if my flight changes.
I am sending 9 employees to a conference in Vegas later in March. I paid about $400 each for their r/t tickets. $175/night thru the convention for each of their hotel rooms for the 4 nights they are there. Didn't think that was horrible.

*Combination of American Airlines, Southwest and United/Lufthansa for above referenced flights.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Interestingly we had been looking at going back to Hawaii with our promotional companion pass it was the lodging that we found we didn't feel like spending much on (so that's how we ended up going to Puerto Rico. SWA was very reasonable as was Delta. We had flown Delta back in 2016 to Hawaii but flights had been reduced in pricing overall due to SWA's presence there. We had been looking at Maui or Kauai.

For us we know we'd have to take a stop on the west coast or the pacific northwest (Seattle) but pricing was a lot lower than people are talking about on this thread. Back in 2016 our flights with Delta had been about $750 PP RT however the flight home we had 2 stops and I wouldn't do that again (it was Honolulu to LAX to MN to KC), one of the tickets was used up with Delta points which had been 55K back then).

I think with SWA there was still at times an issue getting back home in one day because of the lack of red eyes but I think it's getting better, maybe it was day of the week dependent now IDK.

None of the SWA flights would be anywhere near the pricing listed. I'm down to spend $500/PP one way to get to Maui Many flight options are low $200s PP per way.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Not 100% sure what you mean by organizing? .

I mean the whole entire process. Back when I started to travel in the 90's used to be thoroughly enjoyable to collect wins where some things were easy and some took a bit of effort but mostly ended nicely, the process itself was the best part. Now the experience leaves me feeling like I am playing a video game with no reward.

Thinking back there would be little wins by scooping a great deal I'd stumble across in a newspaper, like maybe a $99 RT fair to Florida that would kick off the process which would unfold with lots of enjoyable little steps as I built my trip. Back in the 90's and 2000's it was almost more fun to plan a trip than take the trip. These days it is one giant chore, the execs algorithmed all the joy out of it, and have noone to blame but themselves for shortfalls.

Process might be efficient but it is NOT fun, well done for machines once more misunderstanding humans.

 

[Karin1984]

Not different than before covid. The thing I notice most is that hotels have gone up in price. But the booking process and organization, same old, same old.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I mean the whole entire process. Back when I started to travel in the 90's used to be thoroughly enjoyable to collect wins where some things were easy and some took a bit of effort but mostly ended nicely, the process itself was the best part. Now the experience leaves me feeling like I am playing a video game with no reward.

Thinking back there would be little wins by scooping a great deal I'd stumble across in a newspaper, like maybe a $99 RT fair to Florida that would kick off the process which would unfold with lots of enjoyable little steps as I built my trip. Back in the 90's and 2000's it was almost more fun to plan a trip than take the trip. These days it is one giant chore, the execs algorithmed all the joy out of it, and have noone to blame but themselves for shortfalls.

I get e-mails all the time about SWA's sales which they run frequently enough. One just started today actually.

I guess since you're talking about the 90s and 2000s how long has it been since you've travelled/made big enough trip planning?

 

[easyas123]

I mean the whole entire process.

I see. Well, I guess at this point in my life I don't approach the trip planning - at least the flights - as a game or as a angst filled ordeal, I just make the arrangements and move on. I'm more about the destination and what I'm doing there. I like getting a deal - sure, who doesn't! But my objective is to secure the flights & accommodations I like/want and call it a day without dithering over them. And try to keep in mind that things happen in this day & age of travel and to try to roll with the punches (which I fully admit I'd dodged more than my fair share of, so it would seem I'm due for a big snafu sometime soon) and keep in mind that I need to be flexible.

All that being said, I don't find travel to be a hassle, nor do I find it stressful. I love to travel, and will do so at every change I get, even if it's just work travel.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Google Flight alerts definitely gives you a feel for it though. For the Hawaii trip and South Africa....I got a really good idea of the low end and pounced on that first one when I saw it was low. For the South Africa trip...the lowest I've seen is 10,600 for two RT...and if I see that in October, I'll pounce again. Otherwise I'll wait a bit and watch, but won't go. higher than 12K as I see that pretty regularly.

Maybe I'll look into something like that, only thing is these processes tend to pigeonhole.
I'm into more of an, "I'm up for grabs tell me I'm pretty, smooth talker," vacation experience

 

[Stratman50th]

You said "travel", not necessarily flying so we do it different from most who have answered.
We don't fly any longer. We purchased a motorhome several years ago and we drive everywhere. Our planning consists of what is our final destination. We find a place that we want to stay at that is central to what we want to do and see while there. Once at the destination we start our previously planed sightseeing and tourist stuff. Backtracking, we plan a route to the destination, choosing layover stops along the way if there is something we want to see our do.
We tow a car so we have transportation with us to do the sightseeing once there. Look at it as having your vacation condo near your destination and driving like you would normally do from your home or hotel. Obviously there's more details involved but that's a high level look at out trips.

 

[TippyThomas]

You said "travel", not necessarily flying so we do it different from most who have answered.
We don't fly any longer. We purchased a motorhome several years ago and we drive everywhere. Our planning consists of what is our final destination. We find a place that we want to stay at that is central to what we want to do and see while there. Once at the destination we start our previously planed sightseeing and tourist stuff. Backtracking, we plan a route to the destination, choosing layover stops along the way if there is something we want to see our do.
We tow a car so we have transportation with us to do the sightseeing once there. Look at it as having your vacation condo near your destination and driving like you would normally do from your home or hotel. Obviously there's more details involved but that's a high level look at out trips.

Never been on a plane in my life and doubt I ever will. Travel with my RV and it's such an easy process.

 

[focusondisney]

I try to always use incognito windows when pricing out flights and rooms. They will jump when you look at them a second time in a regular browser regularly it seems

I‘ve tried this many times over the years. I’ve never seen any difference in prices using private/ incognito browsing. I only fly SW or JB tho. Maybe it works for other airlines, but doesn’t help with them in my experience.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I‘ve tried this many times over the years. I’ve never seen any difference in prices using private/ incognito browsing. I only fly SW or JB tho. Maybe it works for other airlines, but doesn’t help with them in my experience.

It def. is a thing. We've seen it happen before our eyes on Delta for example back for our Hawaii trip in 2016. Generally I search SWA on incognito mode for trips in general then when I'm ready to book I use the normal browser, whether it's really an issue for SWA in particular maybe maybe not but I also then get targeted e-mails about "still thinking about a trip to ___" if I don't use incognito mode so it helps on the marketing end for SWA lol.

 

[China Expat]

I've been traveling extensively as pandemic entry rules were eased. I hop on Expedia and book away! THe high cost of airfare is annoying, but what can you do?

 

[SirDuff]

I‘ve tried this many times over the years. I’ve never seen any difference in prices using private/ incognito browsing. I only fly SW or JB tho. Maybe it works for other airlines, but doesn’t help with them in my experience.

I've never seen it either (and I fly many airlines and a lot). I believe that others have seen, but I have not (and I've tested it).

 

[LuvOrlando]

I get e-mails all the time about SWA's sales which they run frequently enough. One just started today actually.

I guess since you're talking about the 90s and 2000s how long has it been since you've travelled/made big enough trip planning?

No, I have traveled but as I was getting annoyed during the planning I started to consider what it was that I used to enjoy so much back then. The flirting is gone, back then businesses used to woo us & I guess I realized now it feels like the process has all the romance promised by travel tinder, which ain't my scene. Sigh, I miss being wooed by destinations.