Even though we are at home doesn't mean we shouldn't think about travel. It's okay to think about travel. We are living in unprecedented times with International travel bans, cities on lockdown, and demand for travel spiralling close to rock bottom. Despite all this I'm here to tell you there is lots to look forward to after this pandemic is over and we can start traveling again.
Sales and Promotions
Did somebody say SALE? Once the proper authorities give the green light for travel to resume, airlines and hotels will need to convince travelers to travel again. How do they do this? By launching incredible sales and promotions. The sales might not always be massive discounts, but may sometimes be more value centered. An example, would be a hotel including breakfast with your stay or maybe some spa credits bundled with your booking. If you're wondering if prices will be higher since airlines are trying to get back what they lost from the pandemic the answer is NO. Although some destinations will still be expensive, flight demand will increase where planes are full and thats where prices will tend to be higher. As the economies slowly restart we'll see more limited time promotions pick up and be thrown here and there so thats a win for us travelers.
Loyalty Program Incentives
With airline travel going through almost zero demand, airlines will struggle to get planes filled once it becomes okay to travel again. In order to help fill planes airlines will most likely look to give more award availability at discounted points/miles through their loyalty programs at even greater flexibility for 2020 and 2021. Using loyalty programs help us save cash by being able to travel for free while while we can keep our cash at hand for supplies, our bills, and other necessities.
What We Need to Do
Travel companies right now are in a cash bind and several are struggling. Some airlines, like Virgin Australia and Flybe to name a few have gone into "administration", while Norwegian Air shut down four of its subsidiary companies and is fighting for its survival. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific will most likely survive this pandemic and follow similar strategies made by other international airlines. Travel companies right now are looking to raise money, and how do they do that? By selling massive amounts of points and miles to banks and credit card issuer at huge discounts. That means there will be tons of points and miles up for grabs in the market. Because some airlines are in danger of going bankrupt, it'd be best to focus on earning transferrable points so you'd have options incase one of your preferred airline goes under. So the best thing to do right now is be patient, plan your future travel goals, continue to purchase goods with credit cards with points and transferrable miles, stay positive and most importantly keep safe and healthy.
Comentarios