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boiMAG.com - Travel Trends
The $200 airline change fees
In 2020, American, Delta, United and Alaska Airlines, looking to get more passengers on planes in, stopped charging customers exorbitant fees (typically $200) just to change or cancel domestic flights. They recently extended that policy to include international flights (with some exceptions for Basic Economy fares). It looks like the trend will continue since think airlines are going to be doing everything they can to get people on flights.
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Flexibility is the New Norm
Before committing to a trip, travelers will want assurance that they can easily cancel their cruise, hotel or tour without penalty. Providers like Celebrity Cruises are responding and is now allowing customers to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours before departure and rebook through May 2022 (certain conditions apply). Intrepid Travel, which offers small group tours, allows customers to change the departure date and/or destination up to 21 days before a trip for no fee.
Last-minute getaways
This is another response to the unpredictability caused by recent health concerns. Those folks that used to plan their big vacations months in advance may now wait to do more close to departure. The more spontaneous, waitand-see approach to travel is likely to continue.
Travel in the United States
States. International travel will come back slowly, so U.S. travel, especially road trips, since many people are still wary of flying, will be popular. With borders opening and closing, it’s made many people somewhat uneasy about international travel.
Outdoor Attractions
With the emphasis on social distancing continuing into 2021, travelers will want their trips to include outdoor activities. Recently many Americans splurged on equipment like boats, RVs, bikes and camping gear and by the end of last summer, national parks had again become popular destinations for adventurous travelers.
More High-tech “Touchless” Options
That will include the continuing implementation of touchless payment options in hotels and other tourist spots and digital check-in and checkout at hotels. Touchless screening technology at airports will expand, including the use of facial scanning to replace or confirm other forms of identification. The TSA is now testing biometric scanners at a few airports in the Washington, D.C., area, with the goal of speeding up the screening process and limiting the opportunities for virus transmission.
Digital Health Passports
It’s unclear whether it will become standard for destinations and travel providers like airlines and tour companies to require COVID vaccination for entry, but one tool for doing so could be health apps that can reliably confirm negative COVID-19 test results and proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is developing one, the IATA Travel Pass, that will allow travelers to store verified test or vaccination results on their mobile devices. JetBlue is already preparing to use a similar app, CommonPass, developed by the nonprofit Commons Project and the World Economic Forum, on flights to Aruba; passengers will be able to test themselves for COVID-19 at home, send their test to a lab, and have their results uploaded to the CommonPass app.
