When I recently started research for some of my 2024 trips, I found that hotel availability was disappearing rapidly. Travel continues to thrive since COVID-19 and people are making their plans months in advance. Reasonably priced rooms and flights are booking up faster than usual which drives up the prices for whatever stock is still left.
If you have any trips in mind for the first half of 2024, you might want to start researching them NOW. Even if you aren’t ready to book yet, having a baseline knowledge of pricing and what is available is super helpful when you are.
It is better to make a reservation now and cancel it if you change your mind than to not be able to get one later. You can safely make reservations now if you review the cancellation policy first to ensure that the booking can be modified or canceled if necessary.
Important so I am saying it again: BOOK REFUNDABLE TRAVEL!!!
When it comes to flights and car rentals, you should continue to track rates for reservations made months in advance. Even if you don’t book your car rental through Autoslash, they have a free rate tracker that will monitor the price for your reservation and alert you if that price drops. If rates do drop for your flights or car rentals, you can simply cancel and rebook at the lower rate or contact their customer service to have them help reprice it for you.
We are nearing the end of the year so you should also do a quick check of your credit card and loyalty accounts to see if you have any unused credits or Free Night Certificates that need to be used before they expire. If so, you may be able to incorporate them into your upcoming trip plans.
For example, I still had $50 left of a $100 airline fee credit on one of my credit cards. When I recently booked flights on Southwest, I didn’t add their Early Bird Check-In during my purchase. I purchased it separately later using the card that had the airline fee credit and was fully refunded for the $40 charge.
Final Thoughts
With travel levels at an all-time high, you should consider starting to plan your 2024 trips earlier than usual. This is especially true if you will need to reserve a car, flight, or lodging. Waiting until the last minute may mean paying higher prices and finding limited availability.
Good luck getting great deals and booking some awesome adventures for 2024!
The World According to Dev 