Locking in savings is usually a win for travellers, but is it worth buying now when there’s currently no vaccine for COVID-19 and, in some cases, no guarantee you’ll be able to travel safely? There’s no right or wrong answer, but if you do your due diligence, you may find that booking now can work to your advantage. Here’s what you need to know:
Air travel may or may not be more expensive
Some people think that flying will be more expensive in the future. The theory is that since there will be less demand and airlines will need to follow new health regulations, which may include an empty middle seat, prices will go up.
This is entirely possible, but I did a quick search of various destinations, and I have not noticed prices that I would consider higher than average. I’d argue that prices are going down in some cases as some airlines are eager to get passengers back on board.
Hotels have some of the best deals
Even if you don’t have set dates in mind yet, you should be paying attention to hotel deals as some of the offers are incredible.
One of the best deals out there right now is Fairmont’s Stay Close promotion, where you get every second night free on stays until April 30, 2021. There is a one-night prepaid deposit required, but it’s fully refundable. This deal applies to many of the Fairmont hotels.
Not to be outdone, Marriott International is offering up to 20% in savings if you’re looking to book a trip this fall. This is an excellent opportunity if you’re thinking about travelling within Canada or beyond.
Although some of these deals have dates that may be outside of your comfort zone, it doesn’t hurt to make reservations now. Many of the offers I’m seeing have a short booking window, so if you think you might want to take advantage of a deal, do it, since you can cancel later without any fees if the travel you had in mind isn’t yet possible or still feels uncomfortable to you.
Refund policies should be at the top of your list
No matter what type of travel you’re considering in the future, you need to read the refund policy before purchasing anything.
If you book now and we get a second wave & another lock down it may be hard to get a refund or credit from a canadian carrier so you may as well flip a coin on that decision.
Air Canada and WestJet have stolen the money of many innocent Canadians by not providing refunds for booked flights that were cancelled by these airlines. They have instead provided time-limited vouchers which may or may not cover the cost of any similar future flight – which most air passengers don’t want. Don’t give these airlines any more of your hard earned money until they do the lawful thing and provide refunds to original form of payment to all the passengers they have duped so far with cancelled flights.
Hi, it may not be the best place to ask this question, but it is relevant : I am planning a future RTW trip with my family in a few years. I have a good amount of Aeroplan miles but not enough to cover everything.
My question is: should I jump on offers like 60000 miles or more for a fee of 600$ and get an AMEX platinum card or VISA infinite card (50000 for 500$) ?
Also, on the year of our trip (hopefully if Covid ends!), should I pay extra to get a platinum/premium card ? Are the extra benefits worth the extra fees ? Would be travelliing in Africa, India and Asia. We would not visit luxury hotels or restaurants. I know they offer better lounge accesses but still, there are constraints (we are 4) and lounge access depends on what airports you fly to and what airlines you fly with.
Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Have a great day!
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