Here's Why You Should Think Ahead and Book Your Future Flights While on Lockdown
Before the COVID-19 crisis, traveling was easy. The process of selecting dates and booking flights and accommodation was easy. Now, it is very difficult.
The pandemic had paused every travel plan of the people. There is still no answer on when they can resume those plans.
Plan and Book Flights Today For a Cheaper Price
Despite the hindrances brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, people are given a long time to plan and book for their future travels after the pandemic gets under control. Booking and planning for a trip will depend on the travelers' flexibility, tolerance to risks, and willingness to participate in the upcoming latest developments, says an article.
According to the founder and CEO of Dollar Flight Club named Jesse Neugarten, it had noticed that a lot of its members have been booking flights from July onward.
Neugarten says that they are telling their customers that they can book cheap flights now for future travel. This advice comes as the company claims that the prices for flights have not been this low since 2001. Also, these prices will gradually increase when the demand rebounds.
Neugarten also says that flights for peak summer, Christmas, New Year's Eve, to South America and Europe are getting as low as a few hundred dollars for a round-trip. A lot of people are already booking those cheaply priced flights.
Check these out:
- COVID-19 Survival Guide: How Annoying is Your S.O. and How to Deal With It
- Here's Why We Need to Let Our Abuelas Know We Love Them
- Here is Why You Should Not Immediately Hug a Family Member After COVID-19 Recovery
The next thing that people need to look into is the strict cancellation policies. When people want to change or cancel a booked flight, they expect to pay a few hundred dollars plus any fare difference. Currently, many of the major United States carriers are allowing free change and cancellations for booked flights.
Everyone is reminded that if a canceled flight cannot be given a rebooking option, airlines are obligated by law to surrender a refund to the traveler. It means that people can reject any voucher or credit because they are entitled to a refund. The airline may try to offer credits or bonuses instead of a refund but the choice is still dependent on the traveler.
Competitive Accommodation Deals for Travelers
Hotels and other accommodation businesses are also relaxing their cancellation and rebooking policies.
According to a letter to customers dated April 8 by Marriott International's CEO and president Arne Sorenson, the company will be allowing changes and cancellations to reservations with no charge if made a day before the scheduled date of arrival. This applies to all guests who will be making reservations for a future date. These reservations include those with pre-paid rates from March 13 to June 20. This is relevant because the pre-paid rate is normally discounted and cannot be refunded.
Airbnb has made the new due to its primary COVID-19 cancellation policies that do not cover bookings in places where there are lockdown orders.
They had already expanded their policies to include all bookings made before March 14 to May 31. Any booking not covered within those parameters are still under their standard cancelation policy. However, an exemption to this rule is when a guest or host contracts the novel coronavirus.