Travel prices are hitting record highs. If you’re thinking about planning a vacation, there are some easy ways you can save. Hopper is now out with its 2022 Spring Break travel report. Take a look below. FlightsIf you’re taking a domestic trip, you should expect to pay around $290 for a roundtrip this month. That’s a 21% jump from last year’s spring break travel season. Prices are rising about 45% to $365 between now and the week before departure. For international trips, airfare is averaging $690 for a roundtrip. A week before departure, prices are expected to rise to $800. Hopper says to book at least three to four weeks in advance to get the best deals. Most booked domestic destinations? Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. Most booked international destination? Cancun, Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico, Cabo, Mexico and Paris, France. Travel Tip: Travel experts say if you’re not entirely sure where you want to go, but you don’t want to break the bank, don’t choose the popular destination. Head to a site like Google Flights. Type in where you’re leaving from and the state you’d like to visit. The website will show you how much airfare is going for in multiple cities and you can choose the cheapest option. If you’ve picked your destination, the website/app Hopper will track the price of airfare to let you know when the best time to buy is. When you buy could also save you money. According to Expedia’s 2022 forecast, buying your ticket on a Sunday could save you between 5% and 10%.Hotels Hopper says travelers should expect to pay about $165 a night, which is an 8% increase from last month’s prices. Places like Panama City Beach, Florida, saw hotel prices going up. But there were some destinations seeing price drops as well. Coming off its seasonally pricier ski season, Lake Tahoe saw the biggest drop in prices, down 23%, from $229 a night to $177 a night.Travel Tip: Sign up for a hotel’s free loyalty programs. You probably belong to a bunch, but this could save you money. Many hotel chain programs include a best-rate guarantee, free upgrades, free nights, or items with bookings. Or you can sign up for a loyalty program offered by a third-party booking website. Those programs will also offer free nights as a reward. Make travel easier There are apps that make traveling less of a headache. TripCase and TripIt are apps that act as your travel planner. After you get a confirmation email with your reservation, forward it to the app (whichever you choose). Both apps hold your flight information, hotel reservations, car rentals, etc. all in one place. It’s easy to scroll through rather than sorting through your email inbox. A bonus: The apps will also send you real-time alerts if your flight gets delayed, canceled, or if there’s a gate change. You can get these alerts through push notifications and/or text messages. Save on gas Going on a road trip? Hopper says rental car prices are trending similarly to 2021. For mid-March, expect to pay about $70 a day for a rental car (before fees, taxes, insurance, etc.). Travel Tip: Gas prices are spiking. Before you fill up at the first gas station you see, save at the pump with free apps. You probably already have the Waze app on your phone for navigation, but you can also use it to find gas stations along your route. Tap the “Where to?” button and then the gas pump icon. You’ll see various gas stations along your route with their prices. If the icon is red, that means it’s the highest price in the area. The list of stations will also tell you how far you’ll have to drive. Prices are updated by fellow Waze users. GasBuddy is another app that tracks the gas prices in your area, displaying the price posted on the pump. You can view it in a list form or on a map. But it also saves you money when you fuel up. Through the app, you can get a free card that links to your bank account. Every time you swipe with the card, you can save up to 25 cents per gallon. The app showcases “Deal Alerts”, which are flash sales and coupons for even steeper discounts. Once you activate the deal and swipe the card at the pump, you’ll save money.Additionally, if you are part of a loyalty program like Shell Fuel Rewards — you will get an additional 5 cents off per gallon. GasBuddy came out with a study, tracking gas prices across the country to determine the best and worst days of the week to fill your tank and save the most money. Take a look at the map below to see where your state (or the state you’re visiting) falls.
Travel prices are hitting record highs. If you’re thinking about planning a vacation, there are some easy ways you can save.
Hopper is now out with its 2022 Spring Break travel report. Take a look below.
Flights
If you’re taking a domestic trip, you should expect to pay around $290 for a roundtrip this month. That’s a 21% jump from last year’s spring break travel season. Prices are rising about 45% to $365 between now and the week before departure.
For international trips, airfare is averaging $690 for a roundtrip. A week before departure, prices are expected to rise to $800. Hopper says to book at least three to four weeks in advance to get the best deals.
Most booked domestic destinations? Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles.
Most booked international destination? Cancun, Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico, Cabo, Mexico and Paris, France.
Travel Tip: Travel experts say if you’re not entirely sure where you want to go, but you don’t want to break the bank, don’t choose the popular destination.
Head to a site like Google Flights. Type in where you’re leaving from and the state you’d like to visit. The website will show you how much airfare is going for in multiple cities and you can choose the cheapest option.
If you’ve picked your destination, the website/app Hopper will track the price of airfare to let you know when the best time to buy is.
When you buy could also save you money. According to Expedia’s 2022 forecast, buying your ticket on a Sunday could save you between 5% and 10%.
Hotels
Hopper says travelers should expect to pay about $165 a night, which is an 8% increase from last month’s prices. Places like Panama City Beach, Florida, saw hotel prices going up.
But there were some destinations seeing price drops as well. Coming off its seasonally pricier ski season, Lake Tahoe saw the biggest drop in prices, down 23%, from $229 a night to $177 a night.
Travel Tip: Sign up for a hotel’s free loyalty programs. You probably belong to a bunch, but this could save you money. Many hotel chain programs include a best-rate guarantee, free upgrades, free nights, or items with bookings.
Or you can sign up for a loyalty program offered by a third-party booking website. Those programs will also offer free nights as a reward.
Make travel easier
There are apps that make traveling less of a headache. TripCase and TripIt are apps that act as your travel planner.
After you get a confirmation email with your reservation, forward it to the app (whichever you choose). Both apps hold your flight information, hotel reservations, car rentals, etc. all in one place. It’s easy to scroll through rather than sorting through your email inbox.
A bonus: The apps will also send you real-time alerts if your flight gets delayed, canceled, or if there’s a gate change. You can get these alerts through push notifications and/or text messages.
Save on gas
Going on a road trip? Hopper says rental car prices are trending similarly to 2021. For mid-March, expect to pay about $70 a day for a rental car (before fees, taxes, insurance, etc.).
Travel Tip: Gas prices are spiking. Before you fill up at the first gas station you see, save at the pump with free apps. You probably already have the Waze app on your phone for navigation, but you can also use it to find gas stations along your route.
Tap the “Where to?” button and then the gas pump icon. You’ll see various gas stations along your route with their prices. If the icon is red, that means it’s the highest price in the area. The list of stations will also tell you how far you’ll have to drive. Prices are updated by fellow Waze users.
GasBuddy is another app that tracks the gas prices in your area, displaying the price posted on the pump. You can view it in a list form or on a map. But it also saves you money when you fuel up. Through the app, you can get a free card that links to your bank account. Every time you swipe with the card, you can save up to 25 cents per gallon.
The app showcases “Deal Alerts”, which are flash sales and coupons for even steeper discounts. Once you activate the deal and swipe the card at the pump, you’ll save money.
Additionally, if you are part of a loyalty program like Shell Fuel Rewards — you will get an additional 5 cents off per gallon.
GasBuddy came out with a study, tracking gas prices across the country to determine the best and worst days of the week to fill your tank and save the most money. Take a look at the map below to see where your state (or the state you’re visiting) falls.
