4 Habits to Help You Travel Now, Not Wait for Later
How often do you find yourself booking flights and accommodation for a trip only to find out a week later, much to your exasperation, that prices have dropped significantly? Especially when the money saved could have paid for an additional night’s stay or a meal at that local restaurant so many travellers have been raving about
When it comes to making the most of our travel budgets, there are many variables we cannot control from fuel prices to the state of the global economy, but there are others that we can. Lifestyle habits are a good example and we have identified four that could get you travelling sooner rather than later!
1) No Time Like the Present. Stop procrastinating!
At the end of a long day, it is tempting to just shut down and let tomorrow take care of the things that need to be done. While you might be forgiven for shelving your laundry plans, there is a lot more at stake when it comes to making travel plans for a sanity check and giving yourself a much-needed break.
In fact, there is no better time than now to get organized and start planning for your next trip. As average air ticket prices (ATPs) around the world continue to drop – ATPs for economy class journeys are at their lowest since 2013 – and airline capacity continues to grow, travellers now have more options to fly to more destinations, and at lower prices than ever before. All across the board, ATPs for economy round-trip itineraries declined about 5 percent in 2016 compared to the year before.
Tip: Air Ticket Prices for economy class journeys are at their lowest since 2013
2) Don’t Waste Those Weekends
If work is getting to you and you are thinking of spending the weekend moping around in bed, don’t. Chances are, you are not going to feel much better and by the time the realisation hits, the weekend would be over. When feeling like this, there are two good ways to break this cycle – either go on a trip or book one.
Weekends are perfect for travel bookings because average flight prices are generally at their lowest. Flights to the US, for instance, have lower average prices on the weekends and almost 50 percent lower on Sundays than on Fridays. In terms of the actual trip, average hotel rates for itineraries beginning on Sunday (including Sunday-night stays) also tend to be less expensive than those beginning on other days of the week.
3) Be Decisive
To travel or not to travel? What if the economy worsens? Where should I even go? Arghhh.. Don’t tear your hair out!
We know. So many interesting places, limited budget, it can be tough deciding. Rather than thinking yourself in circles and dwelling on the what ifs, a good way to start is by breaking it down into little steps. Choose a continent. Done. Now ask yourself, do I want to explore the region or beyond? Do I want to visit one city or a few?
The good thing is, any of the above options can be planned for and booked without breaking the bank. The key is to look for value-for-money options such as package deals and bundled bookings. On Expedia.com.sg, you can book your flights and hotels together and when you do, you could see savings of $600 or more per trip.
Subscribe to membership programmes to earn points every time you travel. This gives you the greatest returns.
Tip: Expedia+ members who book through the mobile app receive 2x rewards points, which can be redeemed for discounts.
4) Travel like a Millennial
Some might say ‘Millennial’ describes a state of mind more than a demographic category. When it comes to travelling, that includes: choosing authentic local experiences over cookie-cutter offerings; personalising your trip with alternate places to stay; and making savvy, informed decisions with your own research.
When researching hotels, for example, take time to understand what hotels are typical and recommended in that place. Find out when and where to go. Peer reviews on platforms like Expedia can offer useful insights and help you filter through the thousands of properties listed on the platform. Extensive guest reviews means you can see which properties are popular with travellers.
Market gurus also confirm that staying in alternate locations is not only more economical but is also imbued with a deeper sense of local culture. Next time you’re in London, stay in Shoreditch instead of Covent Garden. In Sydney, stay in Newtown instead of Circular Quay.
Small lifestyle changes can often yield great returns. By developing the right habits, you might just find yourself spending less but travelling more!
Read on for more tips on the best times to book your flight and hotel booking trends!