Travel Trends and Hacks for the Summer of 2025
Americans are feeling upbeat about summer travel, with 92 percent of them planning to fly or hit the road in 2025, according to Fidelity National Financial Company's
While airlines lament a decline in passengers, road trips are the No. 1 choice. According to
As the economy remains tenuous and funds are tight, these travel tips and hacks may save you money and time.
Airlines May Cut Prices on Domestic Flights
With air travel still projected to be popular, airlines are seeing a mixed bag of travelers. International flights are holding strong, but domestic flights have weakened.
A couple of factors weighing on airlines are a drop in government travel. Government layoffs have diminished domestic ticket sales for many airlines. Business travel is also down. Business travelers are key to major carriers as they are less price-conscious and book at the last minute when ticket prices are high.
As regular domestic travelers are boycotting airlines as well, this could result in lower ticket prices.
According to the
Related Stories
5/5/2025
4/24/2025
With lower ticket prices, flying might be a viable option for travelers.
Average Cost of a Road Trip
Road trips are generally less expensive than flying. But expenses like gas, food, and motels can add up quickly.
It also depends on whether you are traveling to one state or five states. However, according to
Tips for Trips
There are many ways to save time and money—from planning your trip by day to using travel apps. Here are some tips that will come in handy.
AirHelp App for Canceled or Delayed Flights
AirHelp analyzes flight details to determine eligibility for compensation and handles the entire claim process. It files the claim and will even take potential legal action if you want.
The app is free, but it charges a fee if it successfully recovers compensation for you.
Track and Use Points With Daily Drop App
The app has features like tracking points—so you don't have to—deal alerts, and a community forum.
Overall, Daily Drop helps people maximize their miles and points.
Travel App That Tracks Spending
The
Log expenses
Split costs with fellow travelers
Track budgets
Manage multiple currencies
It automatically converts expenses into your home currency and allows you to tally the costs in different currencies.
Viator for Booking Attractions and Activities
Input your destination and travel dates, and the site shows all available activities, tours, etc. It also gives you ratings and prices, making it a good way to plan your itinerary and budget.
Stay Connected With Inexpensive eSIMs
An eSIM or embedded subscriber identity module is a chip built into your phone that stores your cellular service profile.
When you travel internationally, your local carrier, like AT&T or Verizon, doesn't go with you unless you pay a hefty fee or pay expensive roaming charges.
An eSIM for travel is a digital SIM card embedded in your phone that allows you to connect to a local cellular network without needing to swap physical SIM cards. It lets you stay connected while traveling without paying roaming charges.
Use Gasbuddy for Best Gas Prices
Although many on the West Coast would disagree,
that the average price for regular gas in the United States was $3.15 in April. According to the
gas prices in California were $4.77 at the same time.
Regardless of where you travel, if you're driving, try using
As an added benefit, it has GasBack Rewards, where you earn points for purchases through GasBuddy partners. Rewards can be redeemed for future gas purchases.
It also has a fuel card that allows you to save money at participating stations.
The Epoch Times copyright © 2025.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump job approval at 38 percent in new survey
President Trump's approval rating dipped to 38 percent, the lowest of his second term, according to the latest poll from Quinnipiac University. In the June poll, 38 percent of registered voters approved of the way Trump is doing his job, while 54 percent disapproved. The results mark the first time Trump's numbers dipped below 40-percent threshold since returning to office in January — when he enjoyed an all-time high job approval rating of 46 percent. In February, that number slumped to 45 percent; in March, to 42 percent; and in April, to 41 percent. Quinnipiac University did not release polling data in May. Immigration remains the president's best issue, with 43 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval ratings. But the numbers have declined slightly from April, when 45 percent approved and 50 percent disapproved of his handling of immigration. On the issue of deportations, 40 percent approved and 56 percent disapproved — a slightly downward turn from April, when 42 percent approved and 53 percent disapproved. Trump's approval is 40 percent on the economy, 38 percent on trade, 37 percent on universities, 35 percent on the Israel-Hamas conflict and 34 percent on the Russia-Ukraine war. 'As the Russia – Ukraine war grinds through its third year, Americans make it clear they have little appetite for the way the Trump administration is handling the situation,' Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement. Polling averages maintained by Decision Desk HQ show Trump's job approval rating at 47 percent approval and 49.9 percent disapproval. A poll this week from YouGov/The Economist has Trump's approval among registered voters at 45 percent and his disapproval at 53 percent. The latest poll was conducted June 5-9, with 1,265 self-identified registered voters. The margin of error is 2.8 percentage points.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5 Retirement Contingency Plans Gen Z Can Start Working on Now
No one wants to spend their 20s or 30s thinking about what could go wrong decades from now. But if there's one thing we can learn from what boomers and Gen X are dealing with, it's that retirement doesn't always go as planned. Some older Americans spent decades saving diligently, only to watch the market tank right as they were ready to retire. And others were even forced to delay retirement altogether due to a variety of factors, like inflation and medical costs. Read Next: Check Out: But don't worry. If you're still young, you have plenty of time to do things differently. Here are a few smart (and not-so-obvious) retirement contingency plans Gen Z can start working on now. Your investments could be on track for years, and then suddenly crash 30% because of one global crisis. And though the stock market has always recovered eventually after major crashes in the past, the recovery time can take months or years. So if you don't want to be so dependent on your portfolio, consider investing in a high-income skill that can help you make money regardless of how the economy is doing, like content creation, coding or freelance photography. That way, you won't feel forced to pull money out of your retirement account at a loss if you know you can earn a few thousand a month on the side. Learn More: Retiring in a high-cost U.S. city can be difficult if you don't have much in your nest egg. If you'd rather have financial breathing room than stress about covering rent in a big city, consider moving abroad or downsizing. Even though you might not be retiring soon, you can start researching alternative retirement destinations now. That could mean scoping out low-cost cities in the U.S., learning about countries with digital nomad or retirement visas, joining Facebook groups or Reddit threads where expats share real numbers and experiences, learning about what it means to downsize, or calculating how much you'll need to retire comfortably, depending on your desired living situation. The idea of never working again sounds nice until you realize how long retirement can last, and how expensive healthcare, housing and just living can be. If you don't mind continuing to work after 65, semi-retirement can be a plan that works better for you than fully retiring. That can mean working seasonally or part-time doing something you enjoy, taking a few years off and returning to work later, or taking mini-retirements throughout your life instead of saving it all for the end. What makes semi-retirement worth considering is that it gives you more control and lets you stay financially afloat even if the markets don't cooperate. Even the most 'safe' investments can take a hit when the economy gets shaky. Stocks go through bear markets. Bonds lose value when interest rates spike. Real estate markets can crash. In other words, there's no such thing as a totally risk-free investment. That's why you should never put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to investing for retirement. So if you haven't already, work with a financial planner to help you create a mix of assets that can support you no matter what the market's doing. You'll also want to diversify your income streams so you can keep growing your retirement fund even if you lose your main source of income. You can have a diversified investment portfolio, a fully loaded retirement account and a six-figure income, but if you're still carrying high-interest debt into your 50s and 60s, it can drag down everything you've worked for. Especially in retirement, when you're no longer earning a full-time income, debt payments can feel heavier than ever. If you focus on paying off high-interest credit cards and minimizing lifestyle inflation in your 20s and 30s, you free up money that can go toward savings, investing or building the kind of flexibility you'll need later. It also makes it easier to retire on your own terms, without being tied to monthly payments that limit your options. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard Mark Cuban Tells Americans To Stock Up on Consumables as Trump's Tariffs Hit -- Here's What To Buy I'm a Retired Boomer: 6 Bills I Canceled This Year That Were a Waste of Money This article originally appeared on 5 Retirement Contingency Plans Gen Z Can Start Working on Now Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Posts falsely claim Namibia has announced ban on US gas and oil exploration
'Namibia cancelled contract with US from Mining their OIL & GAS,' reads an X post published on May 30, 2025. With more than 16,000 likes, the post adds: 'They ended the Oil & Gas contract with the US and told the US Government to immediately stop all Mining Operations in Namibia as Namibia ventures into State-owned mining operations.' The post includes side-by-side photos of Namibia's President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and US President Donald Trump. Similar posts were shared thousands of times more on X and other platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and blogs. Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was elected in March, placed the country's oil and gas industries under direct presidential control the day after her inauguration. They previously fell under the Ministry of Energy and Mines (archived here). However, the government has not announced the cancellation of any energy contracts with the United States. A keyword search for 'Namibia cancels oil and gas with the US' turned up more posts repeating the false claim, as well as articles debunking it (archived here). The posts began circulating at about the same time as claims debunked by AFP Fact Check alleging that Namibia had announced the deportation of 500 Americans. As reported by AFP in April, Nandi-Ndatiwah explained that the oil and gas sector had the potential to transform Namibia's economy within the next five years by securing energy supplies and creating jobs (archived here). 'Mining contributes 12 percent to our gross domestic product and over 50 percent of our foreign exchange earnings. Regrettably, this figure does not reflect the true potential of mining and our mineral resources,' she was quoted as saying. On May 30, 2025, her presidency responded to the viral posts by labelling them 'fake news' (archived here). Fake news! — Namibian Presidency (@NamPresidency) April 15, 2025 Namibia's presidency reiterated this to AFP Fact Check on June 4, 2025. 'The Namibian government has not at any point cancelled any contracts with investors from the United States in the mining, oil and gas sectors,' said press secretary Alfredo Hengari. He added that 'it is not the policy of the government to cancel contracts that are binding'. A US State Department spokesperson told AFP Fact Check on June 11, 2025: 'The online claims that Namibia has cut off the United States from mining and gas are false.' Contrary to the claim, Namibia has become a global exploration hotspot with several international gas and oil companies actively exploring its coasts in recent years (archived here). At the start of 2025, American firm Chevron announced that it had not found commercially viable gas in Namibia's Orange Basin (archived here). By April, however, the company confirmed it would continue exploration in the Walvis Basin in 2026 or 2027, where firms including TotalEnergies, Shell, and Galp have made discoveries. Similarly, British multinational Shell deemed its Namibia oil discoveries uncommercial due to high gas levels in January. However, France's TotalEnergies believes it can handle these geological challenges, but its investment decision hinges on maintaining production costs below $20 per barrel (archived here). Another American corporation, ExxonMobil, is investigating (here and here) the country's potential in the Namibe Basin (archived here and here). The state itself, through the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), holds a 10 percent stake in its exploration partnership with TotalEnergies (50.5 percent), QatarEnergy (30 percent) and Impact Oil and Gas (9.5 percent) (archived here). As a top uranium producer, Namibia also announced in April 2025 that it will launch talks this year on its first nuclear energy plant, seeking to exploit its rich natural wealth to transform its economy (archived here).
