This, Too, Shall Pass…

My wife and I had a killer trip planned for last May and, of course, had to cancel due to the COVID-19 lockdown.  Lisa’s daughter had just completed her Master of Fine Arts program and we were taking her to London and the Cotswolds for ten days as a graduation gift.

As long as we were in the neighborhood, Lisa and I also planned to pop over to Ireland for nine days beginning in Cork, wending our way up the east coast to Dublin and then cutting over to Charlestown in Mayo County to see my second cousin and his family.  Maybe next year.

We had some excellent flights booked and even two nights at the Dublin InterContinental all on loyalty program points.  The InterContinental room alone was normally €300 per night so scoring a free stay and then having to give it up is disappointing, to say the least.

Spending literally months of planning, finding the best deals and getting it all booked only to have to cancel it all is like a knife in the heart of any die-hard traveler.

But… this, too, will pass.

The world won’t be in isolation forever and now is the time to start researching that next big trip.  Airlines and hotels are hurting and anxious to start filling seats and putting heads in beds.

There are great deals out there for 2021 and even into 2022 and will continue to be until the travel industry begins returning to something close to normalcy.

If you’re stuck at home, now is a great time to take stock of your frequent flyer points and other loyalty programs.  Make a list of where you want to go and start planning!  While a cruise sounds pretty scary right now, I’ll bet you can get one pretty cheap next year.  By the way, travel agents are reporting huge demand for 2021 cruises.

I read a lot of travel industry publications and believe me, everyone in the industry is anxious to get back in business.  They want to survive and they don’t want to lose their employees.  There are tough times ahead so consider it your duty to get back out there and travel!

Brian

As an avid traveler, Brian has explored and enjoyed cultural encounters in over 40 countries while spending many years refining The Points Game — using credit card sign-up bonuses and other tricks to get nearly free travel.  Getting the most out of every trip is an art and Brian launched My Travel Traxx to help others enjoy the art of travel.