Travel Booking Strategies During COVID-19

It is time to talk about travel booking strategies as we approach the inevitable end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am not writing this article to convince you to book now.  If you are uncomfortable booking travel now, of course, we respect that.  We will be here when you’re ready.

However, I see a tsunami of travel bookings coming once we can get back to traveling as we did a year ago.

And with many late 2021 itineraries nearly sold out, we don’t want you to be frustrated when you can’t get that 2021 or early 2022 booking you desire.

Here’s The Current Booking Situation

• We had many 2021 bookings on our books before this pandemic hit the travel industry.  2020 was all but sold out, so people began booking into 2021.
• When the pandemic hit, roughly 60% of our clients rebooked into 2021 and a few into 2022.
• Every travel brand is reporting fabulous bookings for late-2021. Further, we are amazed at how many bookings we already have for 2022.
• Here’s the rub: the 40% that haven’t already rebooked are going to come in a colossal wave once they feel the coast is clear.  These people want to travel.  We talk to them every day. They are reluctant to rebook until they feel safe.  Who can argue with that?
• Also noteworthy, cruise lines are today beginning to cancel all cruises through the end of March.  This isn’t surprising as they are all working hard to comply with the CDC’s new cruising guidelines.

Here Are Some Booking Facts

If you are one of the 40% who hasn’t yet rebooked, let me propose a strategy for your contemplation:

• Every travel brand under the sun has some form of “risk-free” booking policy. Generally speaking, this means that if you book now and find yourself uncomfortable traveling, you can cancel and rebook into the future without penalty.
• Further, deposits made on reservations are generally refundable up to a certain point, depending on each travel company’s cancelation policy. Many will have a small cancelation penalty. However, if you rebook instead of canceling your trip, those penalties are generally waived. Furthermore, some companies are putting these penalties on a future travel voucher instead of imposing a financial penalty.

So What Am I Saying?

If you desire to travel in late-2021 or early-2022, don’t wait for the inevitable booking surge that is just around the corner.

Let’s have a conversation about your travel desires.  We are experts when it comes to understanding all of the various booking options available.

Together, we’ll help you sort out whether you should get something on the books now or wait.

No pressure.  Just a conversation between friends.

All of this to say: I don’t want you to be frustrated when the tidal wave of bookings hits our doors.  Let’s discuss the options before then. 🙂

For more information or to talk about your next travel booking, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here), and we’ll reach out to you.

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