The Points Guy expert tips, lowest prices for summer travel
Summer is usually the time of year when people are gearing up to book their flights, pack their bags and set their OOO email replies — leading to crazed airports and sky-high travel prices.
Contrary to what most people would think, according to Eric Rosen, the director of travel content at The Points Guy and a Kayak report, flight prices for summer travel are down 7% year-over-year.
'It's quite significant for prices to drop that much,' he told The Post.
So, if you've been looking for a sign to dust off your suitcase and scrounge around for your passport this summer — let these money-saving travel hacks be it.
Go international
8 Lucky for international jetsetters — flight prices to hot spot places like Sydney and Milan are down right now.
Shutter2U – stock.adobe.com
Rosen said international airfare is seeing an even greater price decrease, with flight tickets to long-haul hot spots like Sydney, Hong Kong and Berlin — down by 23%, 16% and 13%.
And if you've been daydreaming of a romantic European vacation, run, don't walk to book it because airfare prices to destinations like Stockholm and Milan are currently down close to a whopping 20%, Rosen shared.
Go Fourth
8 Summer holiday weekends usually lead to busy airports — but this year, people are a bit hesitant to hop on a flight to go somewhere.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post
While the hot season has people excited about travel — it's expectedly always worse during July 4th and Labor Day weekends, as those dates are usually a pricey, in-demand time to book a trip.
And that might still be the case this year — but to a certain extent.
Rosen said he and his team are seeing a 'softening of demand' in travel for these dates due to confusion and fear evoked by President Trump's tariffs, the new Real ID rules — and of course some of the chaos going on at airports — looking at you, Newark.
Save your coin
8 It's important to keep in mind that even if you didn't get your Real ID yet — you can use your passport in lieu of it.
Jenna Hidinger Photo – stock.adobe.com
Luckily, there are a few ways sightseers can take advantage of this hesitation among American travelers.
Regarding the tariffs, if travelers are planning to vacation outside the country this summer, Rosen said they should try to prepay for hotel accommodations or transportation in a foreign currency.
'Especially a strong one like a euro, the British pound or New Zealand dollar — you want to lock that in now because we're not sure what will happen with price fluctuations due to currency shifts,' he advised.
To do this, you first need to exchange your currency into the foreign one, then make a payment through a bank transfer or online payment platform, like PayPal.
And with the recent Real ID rules, keep in mind you can use a valid passport in lieu of it for travel, but if you choose this route, Rosen said to make sure you allow yourself extra time at the airport, 'in case TSA asks you questions' — which is a possibility.
Find a hidden gem
8 Soon, people will be able to hop on a United Airlines flight from the US to Greenland.
Cavan – stock.adobe.com
Another way to save some dough on summer travel this year is to think outside the box and explore hidden gem vacation spots. Rosen told The Post that travelers can do this by searching for off-the-beaten-path routes that airlines are adding to their network — and in turn skipping the hefty travel prices and elbow-to-elbow crowds of annoying tourists.
Rosen said on June 7, United Airlines is launching routes to Madeira — a stunning autonomous region of Portugal, which, according to him, is dubbed the Hawaii of Europe. This under-the-radar spot will give travelers 'that European feel' with a short flight.
'United is also putting a Greenland — which is in Denmark — flight into service on June 14, which could be interesting for folks who want to take an adventure-type trip,' Rosen suggested.
Explore America
8 If travelers can handle the heat, Rosen suggests checking out Tucson, Arizona, because it has a lot going on there in the summer.
jdross75 – stock.adobe.com
If you don't want to be bothered with flying, considering that gas prices are also easing up, and prefer to have a summer staycation, Rosen said to check out 'some wonderful places in your backyard you might not have considered that's within driving distance.'
For some inspiration, Rosen recommended Tucson, Arizona, if you can handle the summer heat — because it has 'a lot of food festivals happening this summer.'
'Indianapolis, Indiana, interestingly enough, has a ton going on right now. They just opened the Intercontinental Hotel there, which is their first luxury hotel in nearly two decades. Buffalo, NY, also has a ton going on [this summer] in terms of festivals and new restaurant openings,' Rosen explained.
Consider a staycation
8 Staying local during the summer can score you otherwise hard-to-get restaurant reservations.
Adobe Stock
And if your idea of a staycation is staying local, especially if you live in a major city, according to Rosen, there are most likely a ton of great hotel deals in your surrounding area.
'Rates are lower — probably a fraction of the price you would normally be paying — because people are leaving the city,' he told The Post.
'Reservations would probably be available at their [hotel's] fabulous restaurants, you probably can't get into otherwise and there will most likely be room at the pools and spas.'
Keep an eye on your bookings
8 Keeping an eye on the price of your reservations will allow you to save money in the long run.
REDPIXEL – stock.adobe.com
Whether you're galivanting off on a faraway vacation, taking a road trip or staying local, if you really want to nickel and dime your summer travel and time is on your side, try to 'garden your reservations.'
'We always tell people to garden their reservations — which is to make a reminder to check in once a week or so on your flight or hotel reservation,' Rosen said.
'If that airfare drops between the time you book it and the time you fly, you can cancel it (depending on which type of ticket you have), rebook and save some of that money as a credit towards a future reservation,' he explained.
'And same with hotels. You might book something several weeks out that costs $600, and you find that the price drops to $400. If you've booked a refundable reservation, save yourself that money and book a new reservation.'
The magic booking day? Not quite
8 It turns out there isn't a 'magic day' to book travel to save a buck.
Sergei Fedulov – stock.adobe.com
Speaking of saving money on reservations, not to burst anyone's travel bubble, but Rosen said there is no such thing as booking a trip on a certain day of the week to spare your wallet.
'Airlines and hotels have very sophisticated algorithms determining those prices,' he said. 'You're not going to game the system by waiting until 12:01 a.m. on a Tuesday to purchase your ticket.'
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