Now that we are coming up on nearly a year of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, we decided to get some anticipation going for when we can begin traveling again. While we are going to explore some awesome destinations, please make sure to remember that safety comes first! We ask you to please consult your doctor before proceeding with any travel.
Also, please remember that All air passengers 2 and older must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test that’s no more than 72 hours old to enter the United States. That includes US citizens returning from trips to other countries. Be sure to get information on testing sites in your destination for your return trip before you go. US embassies report some places are having trouble returning test results within the 72-hour window, though that situation appears to be easing as testing catches up to demand.
International Travel Updates for 2021:
A recent article published by CNN travel lists all open countries and their guidelines.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-international-travel-covid-19/index.html
Our top international picks:
Costa Rica, Mexico, Seychelles, and Ireland
If you have a question about a specific location, you can click here to check for the status and entry requirements of any country in the world.
Saving money:
A great resource for Utah natives is the Instagram page, “Flights From Home Salt Lake”. They post great airline deals weekly flying out of the SLC airport.
Travel is expensive, we get it. Here are some tips from U.S. News spoke to Brancatelli and other travel industry experts about the best ways to stretch your travel budget.
Secrets to booking cheap flights:
- Book the flight seven weeks in advance.
- Passengers pay the lowest price – nearly 10 percent below the average fare – if they buy 50 days before their flight, according to data from the Airlines Reporting Corporation.
- Buy at the best time: Tuesdays at 3 p.m. EST.
- a study by FareCompare.com says the best time to buy airline tickets and shop for travel (domestically) is on Tuesday at 3 p.m. EST.
- Fly on the cheapest days, which are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- According to a FareCompare.com study, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday for domestic travel. “Flying on these days of the week is almost always the cheapest option in the U.S.,” according to the website.
- Fly out early.
- The cheapest flight is typically the first flight of the morning. “Yes, that means you have to get up at 4 a.m.,” says Rick Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com
- Check low-cost airline prices individually.
- Sometimes comparison sites such as kayak or hopper don’t check for every airline. Check sites individually and make sure to do your homework to understand what extra charges, such as carry-on or checked baggage fees, might increase the cost of your ticket.
- Sign up for free price alerts.
- Almost every major online booking site offers airfare alerts that ping you when fare prices fall. We recommend the app Hopper. Just plug in where you want to go and when and it will notify you when the best time to buy is.
- Build a relationship with the airline.
- If you carry the airline’s credit card, you automatically have a leg up on other travelers. Credit cards tied to airlines now offer perks that were once standard, such as free checked bags, priority boarding and seat selection, so they may be worth signing up for if you fly frequently on one airline.
- The best airlines to build a relationship with while residing in Salt Lake City are Delta (a hub here) and American Airlines.
Adapted from https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/spending/articles/insider-secrets-to-booking-cheap-airfare and https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-international-travel-covid-19/index.html
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