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![Post-pandemic summer travel illustation](https://valetmag.com/gr/daily/living/travel/book_post_pandemic_summer_travel_now_030722/art-airline_travel.png)
Book Your
Summer Trip
Right Now
Plan on traveling in 2022?
Buy sooner rather than later.
Expedia’s CEO Peter Kern has told several media outlets that “summer 2022 will be the busiest travel season ... ever.” And he's not the only one. Last month, the World Travel & Tourism Council updated its economic modeling with predictions that U.S. travel and tourism would exceed pre-pandemic levels by 6.2%. “We've been talking about pent-up demand for a long time, but until now there have been too many restrictions in place for people to do too much with it,” Kern told Bloomberg. Scott Keyes, the man behind the very popular travel resource Scott's Cheap Flights, says that since we've stayed home for so long, we've underestimated how exciting and fun it is to have a trip to look forward to. He likes having getaways booked to have something to look forward to and science agrees with him.
Several studies have shown that the anticipation of travel can actually boost our happiness in the meantime. Planning and looking forward to your trip can almost be as enjoyable as going on the travel itself. Which is why now is the perfect time to book your summer getaway. You don't need to have all the answers now. You don't even need to have all the money now. You simply have to have a desire to go somewhere and the hope that by summer, all will be right (or at least, a lot better) with the world. Herewith, some solid reasons why you should consider booking right now.
5 Reasons You Should
Book Summer Travel Now
![Man summer travel illustration](https://valetmag.com/gr/daily/living/travel/book_post_pandemic_summer_travel_now_030722/art-man_summer_travel_illustration.png)
The cost of flights are still, on average, lower than pre-pandemic ticket prices. Business travel still hasn't fully recovered either. Which means you're able to score last-minute sales on seats that would have gone to business travelers who historically would pay full price. Hotel rooms in warm weather getaway destinations have been increasing fast, but in large cities like New York and San Francisco, prices are lower than normal. And internationally, you can find even better deals than you can in the States. However, with the conflict in Ukraine, some travel agents are warning that you may want to hold off on booking some Eastern European trips that could be affected by the crisis.
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Prices Will
Be RisingThe great deals won't last and the reality is that prices are going up. They're going up little by little everyday. According to Hopper's recent Consumer Affairs Index Report, airline fares will likely increase 7% per month for the next several months. Plus, pent-up demand is leading to a surge in interest. Travelers are also sitting on larger point balances, both because they haven't been redeeming their points and because they've been adding to the pile over the last two years with credit card purchases tied to airline loyalty accounts. The more people start booking trips, the faster those prices will rise.
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Airlines and Hotels
Have Never Been More FlexibleOne upside to the pandemic is that as travel demand plummeted, consumers got a lot more power. Airlines dropped their notorious change fees and hotels ditched cancellation fees. While some restrictions for basic economy tickets have returned, they're still more flexible than pre-pandemic. That means you can book an ideal summer trip now and make any necessary changes if your schedule (or the state of travel) changes later on. Keep in mind, that booking directly with a hotel or airline is the best way to ensure you get the most flexibility. And take advantage of miles and loyalty programs, as airlines are desperate to sign people up.
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Flying Will Be Easier
Experts predict that both the mask mandate and the negative test to re-enter the U.S. will disappear sometime this year. By this summer, you likely won't have to wear a mask—though some of us will still feel safer masking up and wiping down our tray tables for the foreseeable future. But you'll be able to relax a bit more. And most major carriers have resumed serving alcohol on flights as well.
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You Can Book Now
and Pay Later
There are a slew of companies offering buy-now, pay-later deals for their flights, cruises and vacation packages. Uplift now works with United Airlines and Royal Caribbean Cruises, while Affirm offers plans with American Airlines, Delta, Expedia and Vrbo. Think of it as a layaway plan for your future trip. Qualified buyers are provided interest-free plans, but some deals can run upwards of 30%. Just make sure the interest is lower than what you'd pay on a credit card.
Outsmart Dynamic Pricing
Have you ever found dirt cheap airfare, but then the price suddenly jumps when you check it the next day? That’s dynamic pricing in action. Make sure to clear your cookies and browsing history before you shop—that way, you’ll be seen as a “new customer.” Or sign out of your accounts and use “incognito mode,” so retailers can’t target you with dynamic pricing.