FAQs about Travel Dates and Discounts for the rest of 2020 and beyond.
Lately, there are three questions I’m getting over and over from folks considering their travel plans for the next 6-18 months.
So following the adage, “if two or three people have the same question, someone else will too”, I thought I would share the answers with you today.
Question 1
When will the Caribbean islands reopen?
A variation of this question – When will this particular All-Inclusive Resort reopen?
Great question – with LOTS of answers – that are constantly changing as every island, resort, airline, government, etc evaluates the latest CDC and WHO recommendations and their own current tracking with COVID-19 cases & testing.
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association has a list of anticipated reopening dates along with some of the safety and health protocols announced for arriving passengers. Expect new entrance procedures to include health declaration forms, screenings, and thermal checks.
Check out this article for a glimpse at what travel will look like in a post-coronavirus world.
Beyond the Caribbean, other countries like Greece, Portugal, and Iceland are set to begin reopening their borders in June too.
Question 2
Will you let me know when a great travel deal becomes available?
Yes! I sure will. In fact, if you are on my mailing list, I already do!
Looking for sun, sand, and quick escapes? Just this past week I sent these options for some featured offers across the country.
If you are looking for a little more adventure across our great nation that also includes peace of mind travel plans, check out these specials. The risk-free, hassle-free, worry-free, strings-free peace of mind vacation package – on top of the bonus offer – makes these vacation packages worthy of a look.
** I need to add a caveat here. **
“Those who can’t wait to get out there again (*raises hand wildly*) will need to understand that travel as we know it is going to be different for a while. It might even be a little confusing and overwhelming at first.”
These changes include, but are not limited to, travel deals.
Discount pricing, online specials, and cheap deals are somewhat of a myth and misnomer for what is happening in this second half of 2020 and, in my personal opinion, what we will see happening in the foreseeable future.
Discounts and deals are all about supply and demand.
If hotel occupancy percentages are being lowered in order to meet the social distancing requirements for public areas and restaurants, then hotels will not be offering discounts. They will have more than enough – maybe too much – demand for what they will be able to accommodate given the new safety protocols. Same for airlines, same for cruise lines, same for everything.
If people are clambering for a particular travel product where social distance concerns are minimal – for example, domestic RV rentals – the demand is high and therefore the need to discount is also eliminated.
That’s not to say a great vacation value is not available – there are some fantastic domestic offers currently available.
You’ll just need to be savvy about what you are looking for and be ready to take advantage of the offers as soon as they become available.
Speaking of savvy travel planning, I have a few tried and true tips for saving the most for your next vacay:
1. Book early.
In travel, the early bird most definitely gets the worm!
Time and time again, the very best, absolute lowest pricing is available as soon as the new dates/itineraries are released for a destination or supplier.
As families book, the supply lowers and the demand increases the cost. Make no mistake: the lowest price – with or without a discount – is still the lowest price. 🙂
#BookEarly
In most cases, if a lower price is released at a later date, you will be able to take advantage of the offer. Travel suppliers allow this …because they rarely need to adjust a package price, since the pricing is primarily going to go up and the same vacay package will cost more – even with a discount. Make sense??
2. Go off peak.
This has always been a money-saving technique in family travel.
Peak travel happens during school breaks: Spring break, Fall break, Holiday breaks.
Off-peak travel happens when the kiddos are back in school.
For 2020, your family may be in a waiting period to see what the school calendar is going to look like. August / September Back to School timing may be different this year.
But now, more than ever before, maybe off-peak travel – where you have to take the kids out of school – won’t be seen as cumbersome as before and you’ll be able to take advantage of these traditionally lower cost time frames.
3. Invest wisely.
Spend your travel dollars wisely and with reputable sources.
Working with an advisor means that if something goes wrong – a hotel shuts down, a flight gets cancelled, a trip is suddenly cut short – it’s handled. That peace of mind can be priceless. “Things are changing on the fly,” Largay says. “It’s best to trust an expert who knows the latest developments and rules – and will answer the phone when you call.”
If you DIY your vacation plan, read ALL THE FINE PRINT.
Using the xyz.com online booking engine or big box travel department, which won’t allow revisions or refund your money aren’t much of savings if you end up losing all of your vacation money on plans that cannot happen (many, many travelers found this out the hard way during the COVID-19 travel bans).
Looking for ways to protect your vacation planning time and money?
- Engage the services of a trusted travel advisor.
- Review the terms and conditions of all suppliers carefully.
- Protect your vacation with the appropriate travel insurance plan.
Question 3
When can I book my 2021 Disney Vacation?
I had a complimentary consultation call with a new subscriber this past week. She wanted to know more about booking her 2021 Disney World vacation with me. As we were chatting, I mentioned that I had already booked several 2021 Disney vacations for clients.
She didn’t even know 2021 dates and packages were available!
Of course, if you are on my weekly email list then you know I released 2021 booking information on May 5th.
What you might not know is that Disney has temporarily paused their reservation system and no one can book anything, much less 2021 right now. We are waiting for the new system to be announced and for the 2021 dates to reopen.
Those that moved early and made the decision to take advantage of early bird pricing, have their 2021 vacations on the books.
Those who have since requested a 2021 quote from me are first in line for securing their spot in what is currently a very competitive market based on resort occupancy and theme park admission restrictions.
What questions do you have about the future of travel?
