Month: September 2022

Hopper Lead Economist Hayley Berg details how expensive holiday travel is already forecasted to be and how to save on travel bookings. Video Transcript SEANA SMITH: Well, speaking of traveling, millions are getting ready to hit the skies this holiday season. And if you’re one of those travelers, you better get ready to pay more. Flights this holiday season are expected to be at the highest levels that we’ve seen in five years. For more on that, we want to bring in Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist. Hayley, it’s great to see you again. So I guess, first, how many...

Expect some sticker shock this holiday season when it comes to flight prices. According to travel booking app Hopperprices for flights over Thanksgiving and Christmas are expected to reach their highest point in the past five years. For Thanksgiving, that means domestic round-trip airfare will be an average of $350, 22 percent higher than 2019. Over Christmas, domestic flights are expected to cost $463 on average, up a whopping 31 percent compared with pre-pandemic prices. For international flights, trips during Thanksgiving are up 25 percent to $795 and up 26 percent to $1,300 at Christmas compared with 2019. Blame many...

Two and a half years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still feeling its effects on the travel industry in big ways. This summer has been one of the most frustrating periods, as travelers have had to navigate canceled flights, lost luggage, escalating prices and a general sense of chaos. But will this trend persist into the holiday season? Below, experts share their predictions for holiday travel this year ― as well as advice for keeping the stress to a minimum. Even more people will travel for the holidays this year. “While I still think 2022 holiday season...

If the summer was any indication, air travel’s hustle and bustle will carry over into the end of the year. That’s the outlook from airlines and the tourism industry going into the fall travel season and looking forward to the winter holidays. Hopper, a travel agency that analyzes data for airfare price predictions, is seeing strong booking demand for holiday travel after an “extraordinary” summer. The pent-up demand after two pandemic years is in part because, for some travelers, this will be the first time they visit family for the holidays since COVID-19 erupted, said Hopper spokeswoman Lindsay Schwimer. “Last...

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — If you’re even thinking about booking holiday airline travel, AAA says the time to do it is now. We are coming off a pretty stressful summer travel season, so travel experts have a playbook to follow if you want to save money and avoid travel headaches. If you’ve traveled lately, you know the prices are at record highs and the inventory is low. Sadly, that’s not going to change heading into the busy holiday season, so the time to book is now. “Inventory is plentiful now and you have a better chance of getting what you want,...

As a brutal heat wave cooks the West in the run-up to Labor Day, California’s power grid manager is calling on electric vehicle owners to avoid charging at peak times. The request is part of a broader effort to keep the state’s grid up and running, while locals crank their air conditioners to outlast a streak of blazing-hot days. Through at least September 2the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is asking residents to conserve energy by “setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits, avoiding use of major appliances and turning off unnecessary lights” from 4 to 9...

Editor’s Note — Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations opening and closing, inspiration for future adventures, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments. (CNN) — Shoulder season is almost here, when travel transitions from peak crowds and prices to something — hopefully — a little more mellow. Join us for our roundup of weekly travel news as well as tips for where to travel in late 2022. Seasons in the sun If you want to vacation like the Europeans do, skip the Riviera and...

In 2016, the Oxford English Dictionary added the word “glamping.” The word is a portmanteau or a combination of two words — glamorous and camping. The vacation trend made its way from a humorous mashup to a full industry. There are glamping publications, blogs and membership associations. There is even a glamping summit. The Glamping Show Summit is a trade event that hosts industry executives, suppliers and operators. So what is this industry and how did it evolve? Here’s what you need to know about glamping and if it’s the right vacation experience for you. What is glamping? Glamping is...

Shoulder season: the time between July peaks and the holiday rush, when the kids return to school and parents return to the office after summer breaks. This represents the perfect time to find fun places to go, especially for an unttached Gen Z set. If you’ve got the itch to go, this is the time to strap on backpacks. Post escalating prices during travel peaks, the US Travel Association’s index indicates lodging rates fell 3.3% in August. And according to an August 1 post from travel-booking app Hopper, domestic airfare will drop 25% this fall compared to May highs. The...

BEIJING (AP) — China has locked down 65 million of its citizens under tough COVID-19 restrictions and is discouraging domestic travel during upcoming national holidays. Across the country, 33 cities including seven provincial capitals are under full or partial lockdown covering more than 65 million people, according to a tally published late Sunday by the Chinese business magazine Caixin. It said that outbreaks have been reported in 103 cities, the highest since the early days of the pandemic in early 2020. Despite a relatively low number of infections, authorities have adhered to a “zero-COVID” policy requiring lockdowns, quarantines and the...