How to Make Summer 2023 Travel Plans That Actually Happen

Travel's bouncing back, but ongoing issues in the industry mean having a backup plan is still a good call.
Sam Kemmis
By Sam Kemmis 
Updated
Edited by Meg Lee

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

MORE LIKE THISTravel

After a few years of cancellations, deferments and marathon sessions with airline customer service, many travelers are hoping to book summer trips that actually pan out this year.

“I had the month of May 2020 completely off work,” says Katharine Ng, an engineering program manager in Los Angeles. Ng planned to visit Europe and Morocco but had to cancel and rebook for the following year, 2021. Those new plans were eventually scuttled because she wasn’t yet fully vaccinated by May, and travel restrictions got in the way.

“Thankfully, canceling the trips was easy because of the COVID cancellation policies,” Ng says. Yet while getting a refund was nice, it didn’t scratch the itch for taking an actual vacation.

Many travelers, thrice bitten by summer plans gone awry and faced with high prices and reports of travel chaos, remain shy of making them again this year. But regardless of what happens, travelers can maximize their chances of summer travel success with a few simple steps.

Book flights soon

Travel isn’t just coming back. It’s roaring back.

“We’re already at 2019 prices for airfare,” says Adit Damodaran, economist at Hopper, a travel booking app that tracks airfare trends. “We’ve already exceeded our initial forecast for prices.”

Prices are rising in part because of increased consumer demand, but volatile oil prices may be playing an even bigger role. When the Ukraine conflict caused some travelers to pull back on Europe travel, prices didn’t follow suit.

“In Europe, demand is decreasing, but prices haven’t dropped with it,” Damodaran says. “In fact, they have increased. Airlines could be preemptively adjusting fares for fuel price changes.”

Regardless of the cause, airfare costs are unlikely to drop significantly before peak summer travel. So booking sooner rather than later might help you avoid getting priced out of this travel season.

Keep it flexible

The pandemic ushered in at least one consumer-friendly change: Most airlines and hotels now offer more flexible booking options. And if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that no trip, however well planned, is safe from disruption.

The best way to find flexible booking options depends on a host of factors, but a few simple rules apply.

  • Avoid basic economy airfare as it doesn’t allow changes or cancellations.

  • Choose hotel rooms with free cancellation. Sometimes these rates are slightly higher than their nonrefundable counterparts.

  • Read vacation rental policies carefully. Services like Airbnb and Vrbo generally let hosts choose the cancellation policy.

Data from Hopper shows that the number of basic economy bookings made on its platforms dropped significantly in 2021 after airlines introduced more flexible options for other fares. Now, these bottom-of-the-barrel fares make up only 20% of total bookings compared with nearly 40% before the industry change.

Choose destinations wisely

While travel restrictions have eased by most nations, that could always change, and it's still important to consider your own feelings regarding COVID safety.

“I was planning a trip to South Korea but I couldn’t deal with a seven-day hotel quarantine,” says Ng, citing the country’s strictly enforced rules. Ng opted to visit Europe last summer, where such restrictions aren't currently in place. She feels more confident that COVID-related rules won’t suddenly change right before or, worse, during her trip.

When choosing a destination, start with the countries that have restrictions that match your risk tolerance and work backward.

Of course, these restrictions can be avoided by sticking to domestic travel, but many travelers are eager to head abroad.

Make a backup plan — or several

Even with all these precautions in place, anything can happen. Another surge, variant or military conflict could upend even the best-laid plans, which is why it’s important to make a backup.

First, after planning your main trip, consider making a few fully refundable bookings for a second, separate trip. These can be a hedge to ensure you don’t have to book everything last minute during peak season. Just don’t book airfare unless it is truly refundable — most main cabin fares are refunded as vouchers with the same airline, which aren’t as good as cash.

Second, sketch out an idea for a third trip, with the intention to book it at the last minute if original plans fall through. This step can help psychologically to avoid losing steam when plans change.

Finally, consider taking multiple shorter trips during the summer rather than one long trip to a single destination. This approach not only protects against potential destination-specific lockdowns, but could also help make up for lost visits during the pandemic.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.