5 tips for saving money and beating the crowds

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The busiest travel season of the year is almost upon us and according to Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook, international trips are top of mind for travelers, “with flight searches up 15% year-over-year and destinations like Tulum, Mallorca and Tokyo trending. Meanwhile, the fastest-growing U.S. destination for fall, Indianapolis, is up 120%, with interest driven in part by the “Eras Tour” coming to the city on November 2.”

I’m surprised by three of the four destinations they indicate are trending. The only one I can understand is Tokyo since it’s really gained in popularity since the pandemic. The same can be said about Mallorca (just like Barcelona) but after locals began marching in the streets with signs for tourists to go home, it surprises me that these destinations are still trending. I have no desire to go to a place I’m not welcome.

As for Tulum, I can somewhat understand its popularity since it’s just a short drive from Cancun and Cancun has long been the number one international destination for Americans, thanks to the fact that it’s close, cheap and has sun and beach.

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw Indianapolis as the fastest growing U.S. destination but given that Taylor Swift is performing there, it makes sense. Swift has so much power that the CEO of Hyatt, Mark Hoplamazian, said that Taylor Swift had a much bigger impact on Hyatt than the Olympics in Paris and United Airlines said her concerts drove a 25% uptick in demand.

I also found some mixed results from Expedia’s fall travel cheat sheet. Below are their five fall travel tips:

1. Save up to 15% on airfare by departing on Mondays (domestic) and Saturdays (international)
I believe travelers can save up to 15% by departing on Mondays and Saturdays but I think travelers can save even more money by traveling on Tuesday or Wednesday (except during Thanksgiving).

2. Travel on Mondays to avoid crowds
I think the same thing can be said about avoiding the crowds. If you want to avoid the crowds, then depart on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday – the least busy travel days of the week. You can just look at the TSA checkpoint travel numbers. For example, this past Tuesday (October 1) 1,999,634 passed through U.S. security checkpoints. Two days earlier, Sunday, September 29, that number was a whopping 2,744,571.

3. Take morning flights for a lower chance of cancellation
This is 100% true and I’ve been sharing this tip for decades. It makes sense that morning flights have a lower chance of cancelation since the aircraft and crew are usually in the airport from the night before, unlike flights that depart later in the day. Therefore, if one flight is delayed, there’s a domino effect and you not only risk being delayed but also being stuck for the night.

4. Be aware of hurricane season and purchase travel insurance with coverage for weather events
Full disclosure, I’ve been a brand ambassador for Allianz travel insurance for years but even before I started working with them or other travel insurance companies, I would recommend people purchase travel insurance. It gives you a peace of mind that can help you better enjoy your travels. Just be sure to purchase from a third party and do it when you book your trip. For instance, you can’t purchase travel insurance once a storm has been named.

5. Keep an eye on flight prices with Price Tracking
I’ve been a fan of price tracking/fare alerts ever since they were first launched. I used to spend hours monitoring airfares to see if they’d dropped in price but now I just set a fare alert (here’s how) to monitor prices. I also recommend setting a fare alert even after you purchase your tickets just in case the price drops. Here’s why.