Make the most out of your upcoming trips by keeping these travel hacks in mind
It has long been a tried-and-true mantra in the travel industry: If you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg, book early, book early, book early. Yet in these post-COVID times, many travelers are doing exactly the opposite.
According to the 2023 Travel Trends report from the airfare tracker Hopper, Americans are spending 30% less time planning trips compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Turns out travelers are beginning to search online for a trip just five weeks before departure, which is down from nearly seven weeks before the pandemic.
Even more notable is the explosion of hardcore last-minute bookings. Last year, more than half (55%) of hotel bookings made on the Hopper app were for same-day check-in. Hopper notes that this marks an 8% increase compared to 2021 and an 11% jump compared to 2020.
Unfortunately, this trend looks like it’s only getting stronger because, in the first three months of 2023 alone, Hopper noted that nearly two-thirds (63%) were same-day bookings.
Meanwhile, the uptake in tourism travel among Filipinos this 2023 is prompted by the so-called revenge travel or the phenomenon when people try to make up for a lost time during the pandemic.
Read: Here Are The Top 2022 Travel Destinations For Filipinos, According To Airbnb
But to save on an upcoming trip, even a last-minute one, there are three pieces of advice that you have to keep in mind.
Be flexible.
“Flexibility is key to getting the lowest prices on flights and hotels,” says Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist. That means staying open to alternative destinations or being able to travel midweek or at off-peak times of the day. This is an especially handy hack for remote and hybrid workers.
Steer clear of Saturday.
Avoiding the Saturday-night stay at a hotel can save travelers an average of 25% off their nightly rate, according to Hayley.
In 2022, Hopper saw hotel bookings for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday check-ins grow significantly faster than Thursday and Friday, historically the most popular days of the week. Thursday and Friday arrivals have lost a 15% drop in share since 2019.
Choose a city break.
Last-minute travelers can often get lower rates by booking in major cities, says Hayley, but cautions that they run the risk of hotels selling out over event weekends or during peak season.
Banner Art Paulo Correa
