Nicole Tommasulo | Wealth of Geeks
Labor Day weekend travel, whether by air, land, or sea, is not for the faint of heart. Millions of Americans are gearing up for their last summer vacation, an exodus often plagued by jam-packed airports, high fuel costs, and unpredictable weather conditions.
Seasoned wayfarers may be used to pivoting plans at the last minute. But with more people traveling now than ever, the landscape of post-pandemic journeys has changed. But fear not, wanderlust warriors: experts offer a roadmap for salvaging vacation plans, ensuring that a bump in your itinerary doesn’t ruin a well-earned holiday.
Unpacking Travel Insurance and Flight Cancelation Policies
Preparing for unforeseen hiccups begins with buying travel insurance. According to Global Travel Trends Expert Laura Lindsay, insurance is the most important investment you need to make for your trip. But don’t just pick any travel insurance policy; read the fine print to ensure you’re getting the right policy.
“It’s key to purchase a travel insurance policy that suits your needs,” Lindsay tells Wealth of Geeks, adding: “It’s really important to read the small print in advance.”
Not all policies are created equal, and laws vary from place to place, so being familiar with the “small print” of your flights, hotel, and travel insurance policies is essential. Before you leave on your trip, find out how long your trip has to be delayed before your insurance policy kicks in. According to Lindsay, most policies cover travelers when flights are delayed more than 12 hours.
But if your flight is pushed to the next day, your insurance may not cover a hotel. In many cases, travel insurance policies state the airline is responsible if a flight is delayed until the next day. This means the airline should cover getting to and from the hotel and the accommodations rather than your insurance policy.
Travelers also need to pay attention to whether an insurance policy covers cancelations and delays outside a company’s control, whether an airline or a hotel. For instance, trips disrupted by natural disasters like hurricanes may not be eligible for reimbursement.
What Happens If a Flight or Hotel is Overbooked?
A canceled flight is only one way travel plans can go sidewise. You can also get pushed from your flight or denied a room at your hotel. That’s right – overbooking isn’t just an urban legend: hotels and airlines routinely sell more seats or rooms than they have inventory. This is a business decision to ensure they re-coop the losses that come from last-minute cancelations and no-shows.
So what happens if you get bumped? Again, it’ll depend on the company’s policies and local laws. According to hotel tech provider SiteMinder, hotels will often “walk” guests to a nearby facility with rooms available. Hotels may also offer guests compensation for the inconvenience.
If your flight is overbooked, airlines are responsible for rescheduling you for a later flight. According to the United States Department of Transportation, you’re entitled to compensation based on the price of your original ticket and the length of your delay. Most airlines will offer ticketholders double the one-way price of their original flight, up to $775 for short delays and $1,550 for longer delays.
Flexible travelers with direct flights to their destinations often jump at the chance of pushing their vacation off an extra few hours, especially if it means having extra money in their pocket.
Pivoting Plans And How to Score Last-Minute Travel Deals
But if your Labor Day vacation plans get canceled, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on a weekend away – even if you don’t have a backup plan.
No destination? No problem. Travel companies are developing innovative ways of assisting travelers in narrowing down their choices. Skyscraper, for instance, launched a tool called Destination Decider, which will give you travel ideas after answering a few simple questions on Instagram. You can also do an ‘ Everywhere’ search on Skyscanner, listing destinations in descending order from cheapest to most expensive.
The key to scoring the best travel deal, however, is flexibility. Opting to push your getaway to a later date can help you find the best deal. “Searching by multiple dates is one of your best chances of finding a bargain,” Lindsay says, explaining that demand affects flight prices now more than anything, including seasonality.
A lingering side-effect of COVID-19 lockdown days is that the price of flights is no longer tied to seasons, making it difficult for experts to forecast trends. “Consider traveling a day before or a day after your original departure dates,” Lindsay suggests, “as flying on less popular days of the week can be cheaper.”
When all else fails, being a tourist, while staying at home is another great way to enjoy the holiday weekend. Whether you’re literally in your own backyard or walking through your hometown like a visitor, make time to enjoy the place you live and work.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.