Airport workers stand next to lines of passenger luggage arranged outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, June 19, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
NEW YORK, Aug 9 (Reuters) – Planning to squeeze some travel out of the rest of the summer? Good luck – you need it.
Flight cancellations have already surpassed last year’s total. Delays affected 890,000 flights in the first half of the year. Prices have shot up as pandemic-weary travelers are desperate to go anywhere. Baggage “cemeteries” are piling up at airports around the world, as lost connections increase.
Welcome to the travel apocalypse.
USE THE RIGHT CREDIT CARD
Have you tried to get the airline compensation for delays and cancellations? Even if you succeed, you may end up in failure after a long struggle. This may interest you : Colombia and the United States sign a bilateral seventh freedom agreement for cargo services.
“My best hack for navigating the travel apocalypse is to always book travel on a credit card that offers travel coverage,” said Brian Kelly, founder of popular travel website The Points Guy.
“When the airlines merge, it’s much easier to get compensation from your credit card than it is from the understaffed airlines.”
GO CARRY-ON
Minimize the chance of things going wrong – and save money – by limiting yourself to hand luggage. Checking a bag increases the chances of your things being lost, delayed, stolen or damaged.
The first checked bag usually costs around $30, and the second $40 on most carriers. To see also : Europe is considered the worst place to travel this summer due to the chaos of the airport. The benefit of a “free” checked bag increases airfares.
“Traveling light will make it easier if you have to rebook flights for any reason and give you a lot more flexibility,” said Thiruvengadam. “It will also minimize the chances of your luggage getting lost or stuck in one of the many airport piles around the world.”
CONSIDER CRUISING
Cruises offer tempting deals as virus-phobic travelers avoid large groups in cramped quarters. Read also : Airline ticket prices are finally starting to cool down as the peak summer travel season comes to an end. Now what?.
According to the website Cruise Critic, August’s average starting cost per person is $108/night for the Caribbean, $56/night for the Mexican Riviera and $125/night for the Mediterranean—with the lowest starting prices well below that.
“There are so many deals to be had right now because people are still a little nervous about cruises,” said Laura Begley Bloom, a travel expert and content strategist.
“One of the best value cruise lines is MSC, an Italian-owned line. Check out these prices: $498 per person for a seven-night cruise from Miami to the Caribbean. That’s $71 per night – and includes all your meals .”
THINK TWICE WHILE ONLINE BOOKING
Most people book travel online, which leads to a couple of “classic mistakes,” said Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News.
The first is that the algorithm can show you flight connection times in just over half an hour – because a computer doesn’t know any better and assumes that everything will go smoothly and on time (highly unlikely).
“It’s not just ridiculous, it’s suicidal,” Greenberg said.
The second mistake is to think that Expedia, Travelocity, or any other site lists all available options.
“You may have to do the unthinkable and actually have a conversation with someone, either with a travel agent or the airlines themselves,” Greenberg said.
“Because what they see on their screens isn’t always what you see on your screens. If you just look online yourself, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”
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Editing by Lauren Young and Richard Chang
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