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​Summer Travel is Reaching Chaos Mode

This email is a struggle for me because I feel incredibly trivial writing about how my travel is inconvenienced from the fallout from attacks on critical global energy routes when thousands of people have been killed.

At the same time I think my approach to summer travel may help you rethink your plans.

Don't expect things to go as planned.

The days of booking a flight a year in advance, getting on that scheduled plane and arriving on time are long gone. Post-pandemic 90% of my long haul flights changed from what I booked.

Although I fly so often I can easily roll with the punches this summer takes uncertainty up a notch.

My Summer Plans

I'm in Vietnam until June 19th then we're planning a fun 10 day trip to China using their transit visa.

Although Canadians can now travel China visa free, Indonesians cannot. But Alan does qualify for this special visa where you basically book travel from one country and exit China to a different one.

So the plan is to fly HCMC> Beijing> Bangkok.

But after that it gets tricky:

• Mid-July flying to Canada for our family cottage trip
• Late August flying to Rome, my mother and I are going on a Mediterranean cruise
• Mid-September Alan flies to Mexico to explore more of the Americas over fall

Instead of panicking or ignoring what could go wrong, I'm planning for it.

Changing My Travel Strategy

Standard travel insurance won't cover flight cancellations due to fuel shortages unless you have Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.

With that in mind I have looked at each aspect of these trips.

1) I have not booked any flights.

Airlines have already cut nearly two million seats from May schedules alone. Jet fuel prices have doubled in Europe and airlines like Lufthansa have canceled 20,000 flights through October.

The "wait and see" approach is actually smart right now.

Four times a year I fly between Halifax and Kuala Lumpur. I usually book 6 months in advance to get the best prices.

I am now 60 days out and I haven't booked yet. This is a first for me.

I keep checking Google Flights daily. So far prices are holding. The moment they climb I'll book knowing there's risk but at least I got a decent fare.

2) Researching the Most Reliable Airlines

My trip home will be with Emirates. Gulf airlines have been less affected than European carriers and my previous experience with Emirates is stellar.

I'm less confident flying Halifax to Rome. Air Canada and Lufthansa aren't reliable during regular operations and Lufthansa has cut thousands of flights due to fuel costs.

But we're flying into Rome over a week before the cruise starts so we have buffer time to deal with delays or cancellations.

And in September Alan will fly to Mexico via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, as they are a net exporter of jet fuel they don't have fuel supply issues.

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​So I just need to focus on Europe.

3) Planning for the Worst Case Scenario

My biggest worry is getting stuck in Europe after the cruise ends in Barcelona.

Thankfully Barcelona is a major rail hub. Worst case we take the train to Paris, Amsterdam or London where there are more flight options back to North America.

4) Only Booking Refundable Options

Standard travel insurance won't cover flight cancellations due to fuel shortages unless you have Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.

CFAR costs about 40-50% more than regular travel insurance and you usually have to buy it within 14-21 days of your first trip payment. Since I haven't booked flights yet I haven't bought insurance.

Some hotels on Booking and Agoda can be cancelled within a certain time period. It costs more but worth it.

I am not buying any prepaid tours, especially day-of-arrival or next-day activities in case our flight is delayed.

5) Keeping Extra Cash Reserves

Last-minute flights and hotels cost more. If we need to rebook or extend a stay somewhere I want to have the budget ready.

I'm budgeting an extra 30% on top of normal trip costs just for unexpected pivots.

What I'm NOT Worrying About

• Restaurant reservations that require deposits
• Advance train tickets (can book closer to dates)
• Specific activities (most can be booked when we arrive)
• New travel gear (waiting until trips are confirmed)

Summer travel requires flexibility that I've never needed before.

Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens tomorrow the damage to summer travel schedules is already done.

But I refuse to cancel plans entirely. I'm just building in more buffer time, spending more on flexibility and accepting that the trip might look different than planned.

As always if you hit reply to this email you can respond. If you are traveling this summer let me know if you chose to stay close to home or you're also worried about upcoming flights,

Keep Life Delicious

Ayngelina