HOUSTON – Summer travel season is nearly here, and so are the sticker shocks.
Airfare is up. Checked bag fees are climbing. Some overseas airlines have reduced flights, leaving fewer options for international travelers. And with ongoing conflict in the Middle East and concerns about jet fuel supplies in parts of Europe and Asia, the question on a lot of travelers’ minds is simple: Do you book now, or wait and see?
According to Rey Alton, general manager at Almeda Travel, who has spent 49 years guiding clients through wars, financial crises and a global pandemic, the answer is clear: Book now.
“You have to be smart, you have to plan. You can’t wait because prices are steadily rising,” Alton said.
He puts a number on just how much prices have moved.
“Prices are rising, I would say an average of 10 to 15%,” Alton said.
But the base ticket price is only part of the story. Fees for extras like checked bags and seat assignments are stacking up fast, and catching travelers off guard.
“The initial price that you may see is not what you’re going to pay,” Alton said. “You’re seeing those compound on your price and you’re seeing more and more of that.”
The average checked bag fee domestically is now $50 per bag, and can run even higher on international routes, according to Alton.
Before booking any ticket, especially internationally, Alton says every traveler should make one stop first.
“Our first step is always to go to the State Department’s website and see what area you’re traveling to, what the travel warnings are. So that’s the first thing,” Alton said.
If the warning level feels manageable, he says don’t hesitate.
“If you feel that, hey, it’s comfortable and the warning’s not high enough, go ahead and book just for it because prices are just going to go up,” Alton said.
His advice extends well beyond summer. Alton recommends locking in fall and winter holiday travel now as well.
“Summer travel, also fall travel, and also winter holiday. I would book now. The sooner the better,” Alton said.
Travel insurance can offer peace of mind — but Alton warns that many travelers don’t fully understand what their policy actually covers, and that gap can be costly. A sample United Airlines travel insurance policy reviewed for this story was priced at $400. But buried in the fine print of many policies are exclusions that often catch travelers off guard — including wars, geopolitical events, government actions and travel bans such as pandemics.
Current global tensions make that fine print even more critical.
“With this conflict with Iran, right, if something was to happen, some of these travel insurance companies don’t cover cancellations of flights or something like that because of it?” Alton was asked. “Correct. Depending on the insurance that you have, most insurance won’t cover war. And so most people don’t realize that. And in those cases, people are out, you know, thousands of dollars,” he said.
His advice? Don’t try to sort through the fine print alone.
“My best advice is to contact a travel professional,” Alton said.
The ripple effects of rising fuel costs don’t stop at the airport, either. Alton says tours and excursions booked at travel destinations have also gotten more expensive, particularly any that involve transportation or fuel costs.
Despite all of it, his bottom line stays the same: If you can travel, do it, and do it soon. Prices, he says, seem to only be going one direction.