7 Tips for Budget Summer Travel
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7 tips for budget summer travel: from the best time to book flights to finding hotel deals With summer right around the corner, here's a guide to finding a more affordable vacation if you're thinking of getting away Summer travel tips for holidaying on a a budget. Courtesy Unsplash With summer right around the corner, if you're thinking about taking a holiday, you're not alone. Travel restrictions in place owing to the Covid-19 pandemic mean that millions of people have not been able to venture overseas in a year or longer. But with vaccination rates ramping up, travellers are once again eager to take to the skies. In the UAE, May was a busy month for air travel with Dubai International Airport named the world's busiest airport for international flights, with 1,895,866 scheduled seats. As traveller confidence returns, it's getting a little more tricky to find the bargain deals that were around a few months ago when airlines and hotels were desperate to get people on their seats and in their rooms. But that's not to say there are no summer offers to be found, if you're willing to put in the work you can still grab a bargain. Full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/7-tips-for-budget-summer-travel-from-the-best-time-to-book-flights-to-finding- hotel-deals-1.1233572 1 Book flights sooner, rather than later While experts have predicted that travelling will get more expensive in a post Covid-19 world, right now we're still in the midst of things, so there are still bargain airfares to be found. If you know where you want to go, set up an alert on Skyscanner or Google Flights, keeping your dates as flexible as you're able to. Once you've tracked prices for a week or two, it's time to get booking, as the majority of fares will only rise as demand returns. Book flights earlier to lock in better fares before prices start to rise. Flexible booking policies mean you can make changes down the line if you need to. Unsplash If the place you want to go to is not yet open for travel, keep an eye on what is happening with border restrictions and possible moves towards reopening. As destinations begin to welcome travellers again, airlines will scramble to launch new routes. This process used to involve lead times of up to six months and thousands of marketing dollars, but during the pandemic, with routes being added without much notice, some airlines are using introductory airfares in place of marketing spend, meaning if you're among the first to book a flight, you could get a bargain. If the destination you plan on visiting doesn't look like it's going to open any time soon, there's no harm in booking your flight now to lock in a better fare for when things change. Most airlines currently offer flexible booking policies, meaning that if you have to cancel Full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/7-tips-for-budget-summer-travel-from-the-best-time-to-book-flights-to-finding- hotel-deals-1.1233572 2 your flight, you can often hang on to your ticket and even retain the same fare for when flights do resume (airline dependent). Check fares on local and low-cost airlines Unless you're a long-time frequent flyer with one particular airline and have plenty of air miles to use, it's worth considering flying with an alternative airline. In the UAE, Etihad has changed its pricing model and now consistently offers flights on a par, or even slightly cheaper than Emirates, to some of the same destinations. Emirates, meanwhile, is operating to more destinations so it pays to check each airline. Even if you're a frequent flyer on Emirates or another major airline, you should always price fares on alternative airlines including local carriers and low-cost ones. Emirates Low-cost carriers are also worth considering. In the UAE, try flydubai, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia where you'll often find lower fares and/or flights to destinations not being served by the bigger airlines. Just be sure to check what your ticket actually includes before you book, as some budget airlines charge extra fees for luggage, meals, seat selection and change fees – meaning you could end up paying more. Don't forget about airlines outside of the UAE. Find out the name of the budget carriers in the destination you plan to travel to, and check where they are operating to and what fares are like. Full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/7-tips-for-budget-summer-travel-from-the-best-time-to-book-flights-to-finding- hotel-deals-1.1233572 3 Low-cost, budget and local airlines are worth researching for cheaper fares or flights to less-visited destinations. Courtesy Flynas A recent search for flights from the UAE to Moscow returned results from both Etihad and Emirates, with fares about Dh2,000. Local Russian carrier S7 Airlines has the same trip on sale for just a little more than Dh1,000, so there are savings to be found. Finally, check out Colibra, a newly-launched app in the UAE. It's designed as a way for travellers to book flights but only pay for them if the journey goes ahead without any cancellations or delays. Expected to go live later in June, the app is free to download from the Apple Store or on Google Play. Don't forget travel insurance, and know what's covered You'd be foolish to travel without insurance during the global pandemic, so factor the cost into your holiday budget. In the UAE, several airlines offer Covid-19 insurance to passengers for free. These policies are designed to cover any health-related costs arising from contracting Covid-19 when overseas. It's important to note that these insurance packages typically do not cover delays, cancellations or any other factors not directly related to contracting the virus. Full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/7-tips-for-budget-summer-travel-from-the-best-time-to-book-flights-to-finding- hotel-deals-1.1233572 4 Not all travel insurance policies will cover delays or cancellations from Covid-19, so read the small print. Unsplash Travellers should also invest in their own comprehensive travel insurance plans, which can be purchased via your bank or home insurance provider, with discounts often available for existing customers. Before you purchase a policy, read the fine print. Now that Covid-19 is a "known pandemic" many policies will not cover customers for changes to travel plans that are related to the pandemic as they say it is no longer considered an unknown or unforeseeable event. However, if you do your research, you'll find plans that will cover these costs – a starting list could include Staysure, Cat 70, Axa and HTH Worldwide. Pick a destination that suits your budget The Abu Dhabi Green List now has 29 destinations on it that allow travellers to return to the UAE without quarantine. If you're returning to Dubai, you won't need to worry about self- isolation. The UAE has also set up vaccine corridors with four countries: the Seychelles, Serbia, Greece and Bahrain, where no quarantine exists for vaccinated travellers. If you're looking for an affordable summer trip, remember that not every destination on the list is equal when it comes to travelling on a budget. Full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/7-tips-for-budget-summer-travel-from-the-best-time-to-book-flights-to-finding- hotel-deals-1.1233572 5 Affordable summer travel awaits in Georgia. Unsplash Russia is on the Green List and flights are operating to Moscow, with fares available from Dh1,000. Travellers need a PCR test to visit what was previously one of the most expensive places in Eastern Europe. These days, Russia is much more affordable so long as you skip the five-star hotels – you can get a decent Airbnb for $50 a night – and journey onwards travel via train if you want to head out of the capital, thus avoiding expensive domestic flights. Morocco is another destination open to those travelling from the UAE, and Etihad has promotional fares on sale with non-stop flights from Abu Dhabi to Casablanca from Dh1,905, and to Rabat from Dh995. Casablanca is often overlooked by travellers in favour of the luxury of Marrakesh or Fez's ancient treasures, but the city is one of the country's cheaper destinations and well worth a visit, while Rabat offers a more intimate experience than the country's bigger cities, with quarantine-free travel on either end. For an off-the-beaten-path budget choice, consider Kyrgyzstan, which is also on the Green List. Air Arabia announced services from Sharjah to Bishkek this week, with fares from Dh1,500 and flights operating from July. Go for untouched mountains, deep canyons and an enthralling history and take your pick from a wide selection of affordable guesthouses, homestays and local hotels. Full article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/7-tips-for-budget-summer-travel-from-the-best-time-to-book-flights-to-finding- hotel-deals-1.1233572 6 For those craving a slice of island life, the Seychelles is one country in a vaccine corridor with the UAE. Despite its reputation as a honeymooner's paradise, there are affordable options if you know what to look for.