Were you a frequent traveler before the pandemic? If so (or even if you weren’t), are you itching to travel again?
Money expert Clark Howard has advice for people planning to travel sometime this year – and save money in the process.
He recommends you Book flights now for later in 2021 – but keep waiting to book a cruise.
When will Clark travel again?
The short answer is “not quite yet,” but Clark says he’s planning for the future.
“I keep trying to book trips and my wife keeps saying, ‘Whoa, wait! You are not booking a trip yet! “
“It drives me crazy because I’ve traveled so much, mostly for work,” he adds.
As we all know, the travel industry has been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. When will everything look “normal” again?
When will the trip get back on its feet?
Clark predicts the journey will begin in the second half of 2021.
“They expect the demand for travel to be very strong at the beginning of summer and especially in the fall,” says Clark, referring to the airlines.
“Getting more shots in people’s arms will bring the hospitality, restaurant and travel business back to life,” says Clark.
Let’s look at two of the key cogs in the travel industry – airlines first, and then cruises – to see what customers can expect.
Airlines
According to Clark, the aviation industry was quick to recognize customers’ uncertainty about travel during the pandemic and adjusted some of their rules to make them more accommodating.
“They now generally have much more customer-friendly policies than before,” he says.
Most airlines have suspended fees for changing or canceling flights during the pandemic, but the end dates of these policies are imminent.
Should you book now?
The fee waiver expiration date, as well as some real flight deals, is why Clark says:
“If you think you will be traveling later this year and find a real deal now, book it. “
Cruises
According to Clark, the cruise industry generally does not currently offer customer-friendly policies.
“A lot of the cruise companies make their deposits non-refundable even if something happens and you can’t take that cruise,” he says. “They are silent about what happens if they cancel the cruise.”
Should you book now?
“I don’t recommend booking cruises until the industry reforms,” says Clark. “And by reform, I mean, with all the unknowns related to coronavirus, that they have very generous refund policies or are able to push for full value.”
Bottom line
In conclusion, Clark is optimistic that the trip will return sometime in 2021.
“Because I can tell you when the trip comes back and I think it will come back this summer, you’ll see tariffs go sky high,” he says.
Listen to Clark’s journey:
