Appearing live in-studio on TODAY earlier this morning, Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, shared her "5 Things I Would Never Do" when booking air travel!
Her biggest tip? She would never fly without Disruption Assistance.
“During the summer, we see 60% more delays and cancellations…at booking, I add a Disruption Assistance plan so I have real-time options if I am delayed or canceled, I sign up for alerts from my airline, and I know what other flights are going to my destination.”
Check out the full segment below:
We are back 811 with the new today's Five Things with Morial Day weekend on the way, we're focusing on summer travel with experts ready to share this morning what they would never do when it comes to flights, to Rd. trips and to cruises. So we'll start in the air with travel expert Hayley Berg, the chief economist at Hopper. Hi, Haley. Good morning. Morning. Let's get right to it. You would never depart after 10:00 AM. Early bird gets the worm. I guess early bird gets the worm. If you leave after 10:00 AM, you are two times more likely to be delayed. Were cancelled. Save yourself the headache and get out early. And if you get out early and something goes wrong, there's more options. Plenty of options to rebook. OK spend. You would never spend hours searching for the lowest airfare. Why not? We all think we need to spend a ton of time to get the lowest price. You just need a price monitoring tool. Let big data machine learning do the work for you. Get notified when prices are at their lowest and you can go on and book. You can put in a flight that you're watching and it'll alert exact trip rather than using the book on a Tuesday or 6:00 AM. Get advice on your exact. OK, you say you would never pick the destination over the deal. This is interesting. Explain. We often get really fixated on a specific place we wanna visit, but sometimes those are the most expensive. Take Asia for example, very hot region for American travelers. If you go to Seoul or Hong Kong, you'll pay about $500 more than if you switch that trip out for Singapore or Tokyo. So go where the deals are so you can stretch that budget a little further. And that works for European cities too. Sometimes instead of Paris, go to Copenhagen. Hagan, OK. You wouldn't fly without a disruption plan. Well, how can you plan that? You have to plan for disruption during the summer. We see 60% more delays and cancellations. It's probably gonna happen. So first at booking, I added disruption assistance plan, so I have real time options. If I am delayed or cancelled, I sign up for alerts from my airline and I know what other flights are going to my destination. Is the disruption, is that some different than the insurance they're always asking you to buy is different from insurance? It's very specific. If you're disrupted and you don't have any options, you can use a disruption assistance plan to rebook on any available flight or get a refund because you might need those funds to book a hotel or book something different. OK, And then finally, you would never skip the fine print. I do. I skip the fine print all the time. This is important. You have to know what's included in your fare so there are no surprises when you get to the airport and you don't have seat selection or baggage included. We often go for those basic fares because they're so inexpensive, but they might not have everything you need. So always look at what's included. OK, Haley, thank you so much. Craig, over to you. Alright, Savannah, Thank you. I'm here with CNBC's Seema Modi. Seema's got some great advice for anyone who might be taking a road trip this summer. So you got folks out. I've got friends like this. Like, I'm just gonna. I'm gonna hit the road and see where the car takes me. You say that's a terrible idea. You would never start a road trip without a plan. Yeah, Craig, there is this common misconception that if you're getting on a road trip, you don't need a plan. Do not fall for that trap. Craig, fill your tank of gas. The night before, pack a cooler with food, drinks, snacks. It's not really healthier, it's economical. That way you're not forced to buy a snack at the gas station or opt for fastfoodandusegasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas along your route. A great way to save money and the cooler thing? That's especially, I would imagine, true for children. Next up, you would never hit the road after 4:00 PM Why not? Well, especially coming into this long weekend. AAA says the best times to travel on Thursday and Friday is before 11:00 AM. The worst time is between 12:00 and 6:00 PM because you're gonna hit rush hour no matter where you are, no matter where you are, where you're going. Yeah, You would also never get on the road without a check up, without checking in the car. Yeah, I mean, not only do we want a smooth ride, we want a safe ride. So examine everything from your tire pressure, your washer, liquid, your wiper liquid tires, your sensors, your lights. Make sure everything is working before you get on the road. The last thing you wanna do is have to pull over, right? I find this next one very interesting. Seema would never rent a car from the airport. Provocative, right? Yeah. There is data from Nerd Wallet that shows you can save $130.00 by renting a car from a downtown location versus an airport. The airport. Craig charges the rental car company a fee, which they then pass on to you. So again, you can save money by renting downtown versus the airport. And the other experts we spoke to say there's another benefit here. Yeah, you get better inventory and usually shorter lines as well. You just taught me something new. Last but not least, Seema says you would never forget to enjoy the ride. You have to. Especially this summer, Craig, the big trend is experiences. It's less about where you're going, but what you're doing on the trip. So familiarize yourself with national monuments, parks, viewpoints that could be along the way. It's a great way to, you know, create new memories of fun with your family. Or Wilker loves the National Park, loves the Nashport. Simoda. Thank you. Thank you, Chanel. I love that. Alright, let's closeout today's Five things with Colleen McDaniel, the editor in Chief at Cruise Critic. Good morning to you. Good morning. Alright, let's dig into our five first, you say, and this makes sense. And though I'm guilty, never booked based on a fair alone. Yeah, and this is a big one, I would never book a cruise based solely on price. And the reason is there is a cruise for every person in this world, but you gotta find it. Yeah. Instead do your research. Visit a site like cruisecritic. com where you can read reviews from experts or from fellow cruisers. Just like you. You know, because people see a deal and then they just book it because it's cheaper. They do. But then you need to have some things that are included too. So alright, next one you say, Never fly into the departure port on the day of sailing, which makes sense. And maybe this is just my people do bad luck. Yeah. Yeah, they do. Instead, fly in a day or two before. That way you get time to explore the city. You can visit the port at your leisure and you won't be rushed. You've spent a big amount of money on this vacation and it would be terrible to see it sidetracked. I've been on planes with people who missed their flight or their flights delayed, and then they miss getting on the cruise because it takes. I mean, you know, they're just cutting it close. All right. Never, you say never bored without a cruise. Carry on. What do you mean by that? Well, in cruising, it works a little bit different. You show up. Support. You have your big bag with your vacation stuff in it and then you've got the carry on. You hand off your big bag to the Porter and then it magically makes it way into the cruise ship. But it might be a couple hours before you actually see it. So having a well prepared carry on with items like sunscreen, a change of clothes and the swimsuit can really help you get your vacation started. You can get you can enjoy yourself Zach. Alright, that's good. Alright, next one you say never wait to book on board reservations. What do you mean by that? Well there are things on a cruise that are not included and that might include like a shore excursion. Or dinner at a specialty dining restaurant that makes if you have your heart set on an excursion, you have to book it before you even get on board because there's nothing more disappointing than having your heart set on something and then it's sold out. So book those things ahead of time, alright? And finally a lot of you guys have said this, forget, never forget to read the rules and regulations. Yeah, cruising is a little bit different animal and there are things that simply aren't allowed on board that might include a clothes iron or alcohol. Additionally when you visit ports there are local laws and. Lessons that you really need to be aware of. So do your research and find out what those are. It's very smart. Colleen, thank you and thanks to all of our experts today. You can check out their full list of summer travel tips on our web.
Thank you so much Hopper for sharing such an insightful video! As a frequent traveler, I can definitely attest to many of these points as well to ensure a successful trip! Especially, when Hayley Berg mentioned to choose the destination over the deal. Staying flexible was what allowed to me solo travel to 10 countries over 4 continents last year! As much as I would've loved to have visited Italy and Spain, I saw that visiting Asia was a much cheaper option, which would allow me to visit even more cities and stay even longer, than visiting my dream country of Italy for even just a week! And because of my decision, I had the chance of experiencing the beauty of Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines. Staying flexible is a tip I give so many. I wonder out of these five tips, what is the top tip you would recommend to follow and why is triumphs the other four?
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This week’s broadcast of Eye on Travel is from Los Angeles. Peter Greenberg has all the travel updates, including the latest suit from major U.S. airlines against the U.S. Department of Transportation over proposed rules requiring transparency and full disclosure in pricing. Geoff Freeman, President & CEO of U.S. Travel Association, on the continuing visa issues for people traveling to the U.S. and a substantial travel trade deficit. Adam Burke, President & CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, on the city's explosive cultural and experiential renaissance. And switching coasts: Fred Dixon, President & CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, on some huge tourism numbers throughout the city, not to mention Broadway. Boeing 737 pilot Dennis Tajer returns to the show to discuss the ongoing Boeing investigation. Last but not least, Christopher Elliott, Founder of Elliott Advocacy, talks about the continuing argument about airplane etiquette -- who gets the armrest and when to recline. There's all this and more on this week's Eye on Travel.
Check your local CBS News Radio listings for times and stations in your area. You can also listen to the stream on PeterGreenberg.com at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 18th.
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Navigating the complexities of air travel can be challenging, especially with the unpredictable nature of flight delays, cancellations, and unforeseen changes. Yet, amid the chaos, there is a silver lining for consumers: the new Department of Transportation (DOT) policy on automatic refunds aims to streamline the refund process and enhance consumer protection.
As we dive into the intricacies of these rules, let's explore how they're poised to transform the air travel experience for passengers
https://buff.ly/4ceLfll#BeSuper#TravelIndustry#CustomerService#Airlines#CustomerExperience#TravelAgencies
Apparently Southwest Airlines is eliminating their open seating approach.
Through the years I've seen advantages and disadvantages to the model. As a business traveler with status boarding alone, it works. I can usually book a seat up to the day of travel and, because of my boarding priority, always get a good seat and overhead bin room.
On the other hand, traveling with family is awful, as it's nearly impossible to board the entire group at once. Southwest makes you board based on the least advantageous boarding number in your group, so chances are you won't sit together if you do that. Or the person with the best boarding number (usually me) can board first and fend off passive aggressive side eye from other passengers as I try to save seats for my group.
Then there's the part where a certain subset of the flying population can't seem to wrap their minds around the idea of lining up in order of numbers they are all holding in their hands.
On balance I think Southwest's open seating approach creates chaos and solves few problems. I'm happy to see it go, even if they are probably changing the approach in order to capture more revenue for good seats.
What say you?
#businesstravel#southwestairlines#openseating#travelpro
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Flair CEO Hits Back at Globe and Mail, Vows 'It's Here to Stay'
Flair Airlines CEO Stephen Jones has sent a statement to media outlets saying the portrayal of flight cuts, which were first reported by The Globe and Mail, and carried by this publication on Friday 22MAR, are misleading.
#flairairlines#media#ceo#airlinebusiness#airlinenews
Flights are expensive, and they're often what hold people back from traveling. What if I told you there was a way to score cheaper flights, without opening a credit card? Read this article that talks all about Southwest's Wednesday morning flight discounts.
https://lnkd.in/gn2C8cG6#flight#traveladvice#traveladvisor#travelcheaply
I've recently engaged in all sorts of discussions around how airlines could fix the travel experience - from boarding and luggage handling to treating stranded passengers.
But here is one thing they could fix immediately and with no cost at all.
Given everyone on any plane would play along nicely.
Whenever a plane lands anywhere in the world, taxis to the gate or designated parking spot, and finally that 'bing' sound goes off, certain people jump out of their seats, get their stuff from the overhead compartment or from under their seats in front of them and patiently wait in the aisle to get off that plane.
I belong to this 'tribe'.
Because in 9 out of 10 times I sit on an aisle chair, travel for business, and have someone or something to catch - and little patience to wait.
Even if a bus is waiting outside.
Now, here comes my BIG IDEA.
What if we let those passengers, who went to great length to be ready to get out, leave first and only after those passengers freed the aisle the next cohort starts grabbing their stuff to leave the plane. And the next. And the next.
No more jumping out of a seat, last second, and squeezing oneself between the standing and waiting passenger to pull out one owns luggage.
No more complaining about selfish passengers who wouldn't let others get their stuff while *they* are actually the ones blocking 150 people behind them.
Quicker disembarking. Better mood.
And maybe, just maybe, some passengers who are desperate to catch a connecting flight get a chance to actually make it to the other gate in time.
All it would take is a considered announcement by the crew to ask everyone for a little more mindful and a little less selfishness.
Photo copyright CNNtravel
#travel#travelexperience#customerexperience#airlines
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4monice job and very informative!