One of the first things people want to do when we say goodbye to the coronavirus is travel. So how will travel look different in 2021?
Let’s connect the dots.
Domestic ticket prices drop
Airlines lost a lot of money in 2020. It’s projected the industry will lose $100 billion because of the pandemic. To lure passengers back, airlines are expected to continue offering deeply discounted tickets. An airline trade association did a survey of airlines and found almost all planned to continue to cut fares.
Although there is one exception, ticket prices for international travel next summer are starting to rise.
Fewer flights, longer layovers
However, it’s not all good news. In order to keep making money, airlines are going to have to make cuts somewhere, and that could mean fewer hubs, longer layovers and more dynamic pricing.
The number of routes between cities has already been cut and are not expected to come back any time soon. That’s bad news if you plan to fly in or out of a smaller city with limited demand.
Nostalgic travel cross-country trips
Of course, air travel is not your only option. Experts predict there will be a rise in demand for “nostalgic” travel in 2021, which means cross country trips with family and friends to classic spots like national parks. Those same experts also expect the increased demand for RVs to continue, saying people are craving the comfort on back to basics travel.