Planning Summer Travel? You’ll Have Lots of Company

By Sandra Block
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, a consumer website, and author of “How to Win at Travel,” offers summer travel advice.

Question: Airfares are expected to remain high in 2025. What strategies can travelers use to lower the cost of flying?

Answer: The number of people traveling is expected to increase, so you need to plan appropriately and use technology. Airfares can change multiple times a day, so you have little chance of finding cheap fares randomly on your own. Set alerts on Google Flights for routes you plan to fly so that if the price drops below a certain point, you’ll be notified. In general, airfares rise more than they go down, so if you see a price that’s reasonable, book it. You’re guaranteed 24 hours to change your mind, so if the price drops the next day, you can rebook it without penalty.

Question: How can travelers avoid extra fees?

Answer: People focus on airfares and don’t pay enough attention to fees. What the airline industry calls unbundling—charging additional fees for seat selection, carry-on bags and other services—has mostly hit the economy class so far, but now fees are even starting to hit travelers in business class. This is where co-branded credit cards really come into play. For the perks alone, if you’re regularly flying a certain airline, you need to have one of its co-branded cards. Even if you fly a particular airline only a couple of times a year, you may be paying up to $75 per checked bag. So if the co-branded card has a $50 annual fee, your card will pay off with one round-trip flight a year. Look at the cost of the card and the benefits it provides, such as free checked bags, lounge access and priority boarding.

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Question: Any ideas on how travelers can save money on other costs, such as lodging?

Answer: If you’re going to the places where everyone else is going, you can expect to pay more. If you want to save money, don’t go to peak hot spots, like Italy in the summer. You’ll have a better experience going in the shoulder season to top destinations. Think outside the box. A key trend we’re seeing is people going to Europe in March and April. Scandinavia is a beautiful place to visit in the summer. Go to Iceland instead of Florida. Maybe do your yearly ski trip in the summer in Chile or South Africa, where the U.S. dollar goes even farther than it does in Europe.

Question: The news is full of stories about flight cancellations and delays for everything from weather to technical glitches. Should vacationers buy travel insurance?

Answer: Most travel rewards credit cards have trip delay and cancellation coverage, and since the pandemic, most airlines are pretty flexible about changing flights. So I don’t think you need insurance for domestic travel. I do recommend travel insurance if you have a trip that’s nonrefundable, such as a once-in-a-lifetime African safari, where if you had to cancel, you’d get nothing back. Usually, travel insurance is very reasonable—5 percent or less of the cost of the trip. Don’t buy travel insurance through the cruise company or airline. Go to an independent website, such as www.insuremytrip.com, and compare the top three policies. The devil is in the details, so take the time to review the coverage and limitations. Sometimes the most expensive policies have the least coverage.

Question: The internet is full of travel hacks. Do you have a favorite?

©2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.