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I think lots of people that would be travelling internationally are going domestic which is just packing domestic destinations
There's some of that too I bet.
Another factor is the type of trip. Destinations that are outdoor-oriented and private/spaced seem more popular. I can find rooms left and right for standard rooms in resort towers, but if you want a private villa or bungalow, they're 2-3x the price they were 2-3 years ago, if you can find them at all.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by id77
There's some of that too I bet.
Another factor is the type of trip. Destinations that are outdoor-oriented and private/spaced seem more popular. I can find rooms left and right for standard rooms in resort towers, but if you want a private villa or bungalow, they're 2-3x the price they were 2-3 years ago, if you can find them at all.
Camgrounds are tough too now.
I booked some for FL for the spring, and had to move my target dates a few times.
For better or worse, some of the National Park campgrounds there, like the Everglades, are first come/first serve, so I need back up plans.
Leisure travel has closed some of the gap as people are spending more on travel than they did pre-pandemic. People who used to rarely book premium seem to be doing it regularly for the extra space/privacy. Even private charter jets are flying up (no pun intended) in popularity.
I've been looking at seat maps to Maui where the economy cabin is wide open but the business class cabin is already either fully booked or down to 1-2 seats. Rooms that used to be $600-700/night are now $1400-$2000/night, if they have any availability at all.
I'm curious as to how many people are using accumulated miles to book upgrades to premium cabins for leisure travel? Many of us spent the last nearly 2 years racking up miles and now that we're traveling again, we're using them. I have a glut of upgrades and companion tickets that I've started to burn through. Without business travel really happening, it seems that upgrading to business/first with miles is a relative bargain (at least on the routes I've been flying). I flew BOS-MIA-BOS just before Thanksgiving and upgrades us both to "first" (business) for 10k miles (2,500 each person each way) RT. A no brainer since AA has been using 777 with their internationally configured business class 1x daily on that route and I actively sought it out for both directions. I've also found that upgrade lists are a lot shorter on most of my recent flights, so scoring an upgrade seems a whole lot easier even with the lowest status levels. Cash fares even seem cheaper for premium cabin seats.
I would guess that when business travel starts to return, you'll see less availability for most leisure travelers's budgets. I have a hard time remembering it ever being this easy to fly in the premium cabins without shelling out a lot more cash/points.
I think lots of people that would be travelling internationally are going domestic which is just packing domestic destinations
I've seen that quite a bit. I've gone down south three times so far and it's packed. On the negative staff isn't cleaning rooms as often. I found a receipt of a restaurant dated three days before I came in
I'm curious as to how many people are using accumulated miles to book upgrades to premium cabins for leisure travel? Many of us spent the last nearly 2 years racking up miles and now that we're traveling again, we're using them. I have a glut of upgrades and companion tickets that I've started to burn through. Without business travel really happening, it seems that upgrading to business/first with miles is a relative bargain (at least on the routes I've been flying). I flew BOS-MIA-BOS just before Thanksgiving and upgrades us both to "first" (business) for 10k miles (2,500 each person each way) RT. A no brainer since AA has been using 777 with their internationally configured business class 1x daily on that route and I actively sought it out for both directions. I've also found that upgrade lists are a lot shorter on most of my recent flights, so scoring an upgrade seems a whole lot easier even with the lowest status levels. Cash fares even seem cheaper for premium cabin seats.
I would guess that when business travel starts to return, you'll see less availability for most leisure travelers's budgets. I have a hard time remembering it ever being this easy to fly in the premium cabins without shelling out a lot more cash/points.
I wonder this about hotel rooms and points more than airfare. As inventory drops, the price to use miles goes up. Dropping 10k to upgrade to MIA is a far cry from dropping 200k for J to HNL or OGG, though I suppose it’s possible some just don’t care about valuation and spent whatever it took. That same HNL/OGG route was 40-80k miles for J pre-pandemic.
I’m still sitting on my pile of miles, saving them for transoceanic business where the cost is rarely lower than ~$4000. That is, I can’t see blowing the same amount of miles on a flight that’s temporarily overpriced due to demand when I can use them on flights that are always expensive.
Speaking of miles, I need to do something with the jillion miles I have with American. I’m pretty sure they expire at the end of March if I don’t show some activity in the program.
Speaking of miles, I need to do something with the jillion miles I have with American. I’m pretty sure they expire at the end of March if I don’t show some activity in the program.
Edited: April 11
Use the AAdvantage shopping portal for your next online purchase. Or link your card to AAdvantage Dining and get takeout from a participating restaurant. Either of those will push the expiration out another year.
We just returned from a cruise. #5 since restart.
Even with all pressure CDC applied to cruise industry and draconian conditions they are trying their best.
People returned, but with Omicron more cancellations came (more people test positive or just scared).
Cruises in my observation is the safest place to be right now outside of own home.
Speaking of miles, I need to do something with the jillion miles I have with American. I’m pretty sure they expire at the end of March if I don’t show some activity in the program.
Edited: April 11
Easy fix.
Next time you need to make a small purchase, go through here. All it takes is one mile to reset your clock.
We just returned from a cruise. #5 since restart.
Even with all pressure CDC applied to cruise industry and draconian conditions they are trying their best.
People returned, but with Omicron more cancellations came (more people test positive or just scared).
Cruises in my observation is the safest place to be right now outside of own home.
Are they operating at full capacity? I've been wanting to do a cruise for some time now. Doing it with the possibility of reduced number of passengers would be a win to me (I hate crowds)
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