While some workers return to the office this year, many others continue to work remotely indefinitely. This seismic shift has changed where people live and work and, increasingly, how they travel.
In the first quarter of 2022, nearly 25% of job openings at the 50,000 largest companies in the US and Canada were for permanently remote positions, according to job listing service Ladders . This is up from a mere 4% before the pandemic.
“It’s allowed us to expand commutes, leave early and work different hours,” says Kirsten Reckman, a credit risk manager based in Tampa, Florida, who works remotely. “My boss is very accommodating as long as the job gets done.”
Reckmen’s experience reflects a larger trend. One in five travelers this summer plans to work on the road, according to a report by Deloitte, an international network of professional services. Of these so-called “laptop luggers”, 4 out of 5 plan to extend the length of their trips due to schedule flexibility.
Remote work has blurred the line between business and personal travel. Instead of rarely leaving home for vacation, remote workers can travel at any time. This has the potential to change long-standing travel patterns.
“Many travelers who have the opportunity are choosing to combine remote work with trips for a change of scene as well as to maximize PTO,” or paid time off, explains Mark Crossey, travel expert at Skyscanner, an engine of travel research and agency. “The jobs allow people with flexible home and work lives to become ‘half tourists’ for a period of time.”
This kind of freedom appeals to Lisa Wickstrom, an Arizona-based mortgage underwriter who now works from around the world with just a suitcase.
“I have three weeks of vacation before,” says Wickstrom, “But I never feel like I have to take vacation time because … I’m always on vacation.”
For the travel industry, these nomads offer enormous opportunities. Remote workers can spend much more time — and money — in distant destinations. However “bleisure” travelers don’t fit the typical tourist mold.
“You can’t freely go anywhere,” explains Derek Midkiff, a patent attorney who left San Diego during the pandemic and never looked back. “You’re living somewhere but you also work. Someone asks me, ‘Did you do this and that,’ and I have to say, ‘No, I’m working, it’s not the same as when you’re on vacation.’ “
Before the pandemic, it was expensive to fly on weekends and cheaper during the week. All that could be changing with remote work.
According to data from travel booking app Hopper, the cost of domestic flights on Sundays and Mondays increased by 5.90% and 2.97%, respectively, in 2022 compared to 2019, while the -cost of flying on Friday and Saturday decreased by 3.04% and 1.60%. It is now cheaper to fly on Saturday than on Monday, on average.
Additionally, remote workers may take longer commutes during busy holidays, flattening the “peak” of peak travel dates.
“Since 2020, we have observed a small but noticeable shift toward Thursday departures for Memorial Day weekend itineraries,” says Craig Ewer, a spokesperson for Google Flights, “which suggests that the location flexibility is indeed having an impact on traveller’s behaviour.”
Many workers fled big cities during the pandemic, filling the suburbs and rural areas. But remote work has changed the calculus more drastically for some, freeing up budgets to allow for more travel.
“I save over $2,000 a month after taxes by living in Florida,” says Reckman. “We’re traveling a lot more because of it.”
A lower cost of living and tax incentives means more freedom for some remote workers. And some companies are seeing a potential windfall.
Airbnb, the vacation rental platform, reports that the number of long-term stays (more than 28 days) has doubled in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2019. The company has even introduced an “I’m Flexible” search functionality for travelers who don’t. There is no need to return to an office on a specific date.
“I found that Airbnb is cheaper, and has better rules,” says Midkiff, explaining why he chooses vacation rentals over hotels. “And I like to stay a month to get the discount.”
No longer constrained by vacation days and returning from a trip by Monday, remote workers have changed the travel landscape, perhaps for good. While executives continue to hammer out plans to return to the office, remote workers are happily sending emails from afar.
“I think about office politics, baby showers, all that,” Wickstrom says with a shudder. “I can’t even imagine doing that all over again.”
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Sam Kemmis is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: skemmis@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet: Laptop lugging: Should your next trip mix work and play?
https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-workcation-laptop-luggers
