Summer travel season expected to be a busy one

the issues affecting you reveal explained discussed now on W. G. L. Eight in focus. Hello I’m Susan Shapiro. Some are calling it revenge travel the sudden travel boom after two years of staying home during the pandemic travel by air train or car is expected to be way up this season. So we’re getting you ready to make your trip as smooth as possible tonight we’re putting travel in focus. I’m joined now by Becky Draba who’s *** travel representative with triple ***. Thanks so much for being here. Thank you Susan for having me. So what are you seeing so far for this travel season? Um We’re seeing *** lot of people booking people are ready to go there. They’re still crazy and they’re just ready to get out and get going. What if you have not made your plans yet? What should you do just to start that process? Um Well the sooner you can decide where and when you want to consider going the better off you’re going to be. We are seeing prices higher because of fuel surcharges higher just because of lack of availability there’s fewer air schedules open right now that members can choose from. So what is open is getting booked rather quickly. Um And then of course if you’re looking to rent *** car and drive somewhere when you get to your destinations we have had problems with car rentals for awhile. Not that we can’t find something for you. Just more what kind of price are you going to pay when we do find something for you? Why I rented *** car on *** recent trip? Why are they so high? Um, I think *** lot of it is still just them trying to get caught up from Covid. When Covid happened, *** lot of those car rental companies, you know, did not have cars got rid of cars because they didn’t want to have the overhead and now they’re having problems getting them back or some local destinations we find actually went out of business. They were franchisees is, and they just didn’t reopen after Covid, some of the car rental companies. So it really has. When you say prices, what other prices for flights and hotels and flights have been up. Hotels are affected. Um, I don’t see it quite so much with hotels as flights and car rentals. At least I personally don’t, there’s always tend to go up and increased just with supply and demand and *** year after year you see the hotel’s inch up *** little bit more. So what are some of the popular destinations right now that you’re seeing? *** lot of our popular destinations are here. Domestic. In the United States, we’ve been doing *** lot with um, florida destinations, Whether you’re going down and spending *** few days before you board *** cruise or whether you’re just going down to do the beach because you don’t have *** passport or you don’t want to deal with the Covid testing to come back into the United States, We’re doing *** lot with, um, national parks trips? *** lot of our tour companies that we work with and partner with our offering more national parks trips and they have *** lot of departures that are sold out. You mentioned Covid, we’ll talk more about that in our second segment with you about some of the restrictions and the easing of those restrictions. But what about you mentioned national parks, I found on *** recent trip, you really have to make sure the places you’re going to visit have space and that you might need to book ahead, correct, correct. *** lot of are *** lot of what we do at triple *** is with packages that are already put together by various tour companies. Um, but we do find when we have members who are trying to do something on their own, the space that is available is at very expensive hotels. Just simply because *** lot of the national park lodges have been booked up from people who had to postpone their trips last year. They’ve just rolled their reservations over to this year. Now they’re finally getting to go. But those members who are looking for something new, something to start planning now are really paying the price for that. I also found *** even tours that you want to take, correct what should you do in that case. Um, *** lot of, *** lot of times we recommend that if there’s not something you can find here wait till you get to your destination because some of the hotels when you get to your destination will have other smaller companies that you can book with when you’re there. But again definitely because everything with availability is confined right now, the sooner you can plan the better off you are. I mean we do still have some last minute people. Um I have some people that are still looking at trips for june and july and just finding availability for them in some cases it’s very difficult right now. But now you can do so much online. You can you can um but there are benefits to going through *** travel agent when you have *** change, when you have an airline change um You’re not the one waiting on hold, you’re calling your travel agent. I had *** couple who their flight schedule was changed. Um And I waited you know on hold for *** few hours with Southwest to get through and get their stuff changed. That’s peace of mind for the members that they don’t have to be waiting on hold and taking *** chunk out of their time to I know that someone else is gonna handle it for that. Does it also help if you have *** possible emergency on, it does help if you have an emergency um you have your travel agent to go back to, we can give you an emergency telephone numbers. Whether it’s through your insurance company. Whether it’s through your package company you’re booked with whether it’s through the airline that you’re flying with we can make sure you have all the numbers you need before you depart on your trip. Alright well Becky stay with us. We’ll talk more about some of those covid restrictions and also travel insurance whether that’s important. So stay with us. This is W. G. B. L. Eight in focus coverage you can count on. We’re talking travel with Becky draw ball. Who’s *** travel representative with Triple ***. Again. Thanks for being here Becky. Um What about when people get places? I know so many places have had staffing issues. Is that gonna be *** problem this summer? Do you think? I do believe it will be my I mean my husband and I traveled and had we not traveled previously it wasn’t quite as um apparent that there were staffing issues. I mean some of the restaurants were only open two or three days *** week instead of all five. Um But yes definitely keep in mind that your weight somewhere might be *** little bit longer because they are dealing with the same staffing issues. We are I’m not saying you’re going to get any less service or any less level of um food um service but it is going to be you’re going to have some more limitations. You might have restaurants only open *** couple of days instead of the whole week might affect the hotels as well. Could. Yes. So as they keep saying, pack your patients right. Exactly. Pack your patience. Is that *** good idea when you travel? It’s *** good idea any time. I mean everybody is at their wits end, everybody’s having to wait longer and longer and longer. And it is something that you I do recommend keeping in mind keep it in mind when you’re at the airport and you’re flying, you know the person behind the counter is doing their very, very best to get everybody taken care of and all the luggage weight and everything taken care of. The same with the hotel check in desk. You might have to sit in the lobby and wait *** little bit. But just keep in mind that they’re all they’re all doing their very best and trying to move through in *** timely manner. And speaking of the flights, there was obviously *** lot of controversy over the mask. The mask mandate has now been lifted for transit. But what should you check out about covid restrictions as to where you’re going? Um *** lot of covid restrictions are being lifted. We are finding that *** lot of various places are lifting them, some of them are lifting on overall whether you’re vaccinated or not. Some of them are lifting them specifically for fully vaccinated. Um So that’s something to you want to make sure that whether you talk to your travel agent about it or whether you’re
just looking online, make sure that you read all the clear cut information read. Is this *** protocol just for those that are fully vaccinated. Is this just *** general, it doesn’t matter if you’re vaccinated or not. And keep in mind too, whenever you leave the United States of America that you are going to need *** test to come back into the country at this point in time, they have not lifted that. Um And they do have to have that administered 24 hours prior to their flight coming back. So that’s something to keep in mind as well. Whether you’re taking *** approved tele med covid test with you or whether you’re getting it done at *** local pharmacy or at your specific resort that you’re saying I know the cost of that is correct. Yeah. Absolutely. I did that when I went overseas we took those the kids that you can get but they were so cheap. You know they’re not cheap. Yeah my husband and I and my daughter going on *** cruise the end of May and we have to be tested two days before we cruise and It’s $49 *** person for *** test but it’s the price of traveling right now. Yeah. Speaking of cruises, what do you obviously you like cruises? Is that *** good way for people to go. Do you think it is? I still have we still have *** lot of members who are concerned with cruising right now because it is *** lot of people in *** small area but just keep in mind that at this point in time to cruise, everyone has to be fully vaccinated. Everyone has to have *** test before they go um on the ship itself. Unless you’re traveling with *** child that isn’t able to be vaccinated. The cruise lines are allowing some wiggle room but they have higher testing protocols for those Children as well. What about travel insurance? How does that work? And it is is it *** good thing to consider? Travel insurance is always *** good thing to consider pandemic or not. Um I have had lots of members who wish they had, it could have used it lost thousands of dollars. I have members who had it and they were very grateful they had it. Um Right now our biggest difficulty we’re finding is just just like everybody else, the insurance companies, their claims adjusters, they’re backlogged, they’re trying to get caught up so claims are taking *** little longer than normal. Um But it is something that is paying off, it might take *** little longer to get you *** check but the insurance companies are sending out those checks to you just quickly, what do they generally pay for? I guess it depends on what kind of policy you get, it will depend on the policy, some policies are canceled for any reason and though pay you even if you change your mind and decide not to go. Some policies are very specific as to what they’ll cover in most cases. Travel insurance will cover if something happens to you yourself as *** traveler or *** traveling companion, *** parent, *** grandparent, *** sibling, *** child that’s not traveling with you. Um then they would reimburse you if you have to stay home to take care of them but they’re going to want documentation from *** doctor stating you know who was being treated, what they were treated for. Um It does um It does not know. I I apologize. Most policies don’t include covid unless you yourself contracted that prevents you from traveling. Um They won’t cover if covid numbers increase in most cases they won’t cover if um you’re just worried about traveling because of the covid numbers. Well Becky. Thank you so much for joining us. Happy travels to you and your family and to the rest of the Susquehanna Valley. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Coming up on W. GAL eight in focus. If you’re flying, things may be different at the airport. What you can do to speed up check in. This is W. G. L8 in focus coverage you can count on. I’m joined now by scott Miller who’s the spokesperson for Harrisburg’s international airport. Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. What kind of travel season do you expect at the airport? It’s gonna be busy this summer. We’re excited about what’s coming up. There is more demand than we’ve seen in *** long time. People want to go places, business travelers returning. So that’s why we’re excited to see full buildings again. What’s different versus *** couple of years ago is there are less flights nationwide. Uh, there are *** lot of people that retired, you know, cruise. So there are less flames flying than there were *** few years ago. So 2019 is *** record year for Harrisburg International Airport and the industry as *** whole. So I think we’ll be 85% of that this summer. That’s what I’m hoping for. And that’s mostly because it’s just not as many flights as they were years ago. Why have airlines cut back on flights? I know we’ve heard *** lot about the pilot shortage nationwide. That’s the big reason is the pilot shortages accrues shortage, also ground handling shortages in certain cities trying to get people who load bags on load bags. Um, and, and you know, there’s always higher fuel prices are paying *** small piece in that puzzle. And still there’s still restrictions to travel someplace internationally, You know, business travel isn’t completely back yet. So *** lot of different factors, but it, it’s, it’s personnel, its crew is the big issue. I’ve noticed just checking flights myself, you see *** fewer nonstop flights if you’re going to *** smaller city, it’s always very much more efficient for an airline to fly you through charlotte through Chicago places like that because it just makes more sense, bigger aircraft and then you have more options. It really takes *** large number of people to fly between *** medium sized city and other medium sized city to do probably 7500 people *** day. So the efficiency of *** hub just makes *** lot of sense. Obviously prices are up. Any tips on what people should do if they’re looking for flights, flexibility, you know, it’s always better if you can be flexible Tuesdays, Saturdays are the slowest day of the week for travel. So sometimes you can save some decent money. They’re booking in advance, staying over saturday night, those rules make sense. Um, it’s just being flexible in your travel schedule. But, and when you see *** fairy things reasonable book it because it will go up. Sometimes it comes down, but not often. Not often. I just heard something take *** look at one way and one way back that you might get *** better deal. You can. That’s part of the flexibility deal. You know, *** lot of these airlines don’t fly every day anymore because they’ve timed it up to where there’s the most demand. So if that’s the whole thing with being flexible and having an open mind, if you can be, um, I keep saying it flexible, you, you can save some money, but fares are much more this year than they were last year and two years ago, even three years ago. What about the flight itself And flying in the airport is you you told me earlier some people may have forgotten exactly what they can and can’t bring onto *** flight. We’re seeing *** lot of people have just forgot. So bottom line is be prepared you know get your airline’s app, download that. That’s the best way to communicate with the airline, know what to pack and where rules are different. Some airlines allow £40 bags, some £50 bags. You know what you can take, go to the T. S. ***. Dot Gov site in advance and know what to pack. Where that’s so important to save *** lot of time at the checkpoint and um explain if you’re traveling with kids, explain what the process is going to be like explaining what the security checkpoints like you know they’re just making sure everything’s okay. Take *** snack that you with them things for them to read and do because they’re gonna be delays this summer. *** thunderstorm over Atlanta is not good for anybody in the in the east coast. So be prepared. I recommend being becoming *** member of TSS pre check program if you can it’s $85 or five years but it’s *** process makes it *** lot simpler at any airport in the country. So how does that extend to expedite the process? What happens is you register, do you do *** complete background check with the T. S. ***. They go through and make sure you are who you ar
e you and there’s nothing in your background that give them cause for concern. So then you get *** known traveler number and you go through special lines and the screen is the same but it’s more efficient. You don’t have to take your shoes off, you don’t have to take your laptop because they know who you are and that’s the key and that we have 35 to 40% of our travelers in Harrisburg that are pre check passengers when things are going on *** normal basis. Does that mean folks don’t have to wait in the long security line? There’s *** special line. *** special line averages 56 minutes during the busiest times. Whereas the longest lines in the morning could be 10 or 15. So it does save you time. And the other thing too is the days of showing up the airport an hour before departure are over because during the pandemic we saw *** lot of that because no one was traveling especially 30% of our flights and our pastors leave before seven a.m. So if you’re at the airport at 4 35 am you’re going to have *** 20 minute line of security. It’s not long but you can’t show up an hour before being the lots two hours before and if you’re checking *** bag. Being the airline ticket counter line 90 minutes before. Alright some good tips scott. Thanks so much for being here anytime Coming up on W. G. ***. L. eight in focus. *** travel agent will show us how to pack efficiently and lightly. This is W. G. B. L. Eight in focus coverage you can count on if you are traveling you need to pack and that can be *** challenge. Joining us. Now is some packing advices travel agent Greta smith with savvy travel design in Lancaster. Thanks for being here. Well thanks for having me. So I know *** lot of us tend to over pack. Yes. Why pack four outfits when 35 will do just fine. Yeah. Um I do the same thing. So the very first thing that I always tell folks about packing is to start with *** list. Um It’s super important that you jot it down. I usually start *** couple weeks before make sure I have everything that I need. I’ve considered all the activities that I’m going to do on the trip. What equipment that I might need for special things or what equipment is provided by the travel supplier as well and take all of that into account. Um Because it’s amazing you can forget things. Oh my gosh yes. Um *** lot of people think we’ll just put some stuff in the bag and that’s how my husband ended up in Arizona with no pants one. Oh boy so all right so what do we have here? This looks like the carry on. Yes. So this would be *** carry on size suitcase. This is the type that would go up in the overhead in an airplane. Um, I do have *** couple of strategies here for saving some room because *** lot of folks like to try to get everything into their carry on on your car and you do want to make sure that you include any valuables and any medication and you want to make sure that medication is in the original container. Um, if you’re trying to save some space, there’s *** couple of methods. The rolling method is really great. Um, this does *** couple things for you. It’ll help you save space. You can really cram things into the little sides and whatever, but it also keeps things from getting wrinkled while you’re traveling so that you think more fits in when you roll things up. I do. Um, and I’ve actually experimented with it and I do end up with piles when I fold and everything sort of fits in very snugly when I roll, um, the other strategy that *** lot of folks like is the packing cube. Uh, this is really cool because it’ll help you keep things separated too. So if you’re taking *** tour where you’re changing hotels often or something like that, you can actually pack whole day outfits in here and then you just grab the packing cube that has the outfit for the day and off you go. Um I guess you could organize that however you like if you want to just put tops in one packing cube and something else in another. Absolutely. *** lot of folks also use them for keeping types of clothing separated like you said um everybody’s kind of got their own little way of using them, but you can get these at amazon or any store where they sell luggage you want to look in that area. Um They’ll often carry them there as well and this let’s move on to this. Yes. So this is *** personal bag, this needs to fit under the seat in front of you in an airplane. Um There’s *** couple of things that I like to keep packed in here uh and basically anything I need to take out at security in the airport. So that’s going to include my laptop. It’s also going to include my toiletries. And this needs to be *** court size or smaller ziploc bag and your products need to be 3.4 ounces or smaller in order to go through T. S. ***. Anything larger than that you want to make sure you pack in your checked baggage. And what about checked baggage in terms of weight? So the you’re going to want to make sure that you check with the airline that you book with different airlines have different weight limits and sometimes the class of ticket that you’ve booked depends on how much weight you can have in your checked baggage. So you always want to double check with the airline and make sure you understand their guidelines, right? And maybe weigh it before you leave home. Yes. *** handheld luggage scale is *** great little gadget. Um They’re not super expensive, they’re easy to get on amazon um and that’s just *** nice little hook it on the handle and pick it up and it’ll tell you how much your luggage ways. Alright and *** little person’s backpack. Absolutely. So it’s great for kids to have *** bag of their own that they’re able to manage. So often *** school backpack from the year is *** great choice. Um And there’s *** few things I’d like to put things in here that will keep the kids busy. So there’s snacks in the front and either gum or lollipops for the trip up or down because their little ears. Um But if it’s *** long trip, *** lovey is *** great thing to include. You can also pack *** ipad with tv shows or movies loaded up, you want to make sure if you do that that you have um headphones that your kids are comfortable with. If they don’t like earbuds or um Airpods then you want to make sure you have something comfortable for them and good for *** road trip as well. Absolutely. Absolutely. And books and little, you know, activity pads, things to keep them busy but quiet and just quickly. Many people will be traveling by car still important to organize and to whittle down. Absolutely. Um well, I feel like we always overestimate how much our minivan can hold. Um, so you want to make sure that you’re being efficient with your packing and really thinking through the trip and making sure that anything that you’re going to need access to you is packed in an area where you can get to it and not on the bottom of the back. I always try to remind myself you’re gonna have to carry it around too. So. Absolutely. So things with straps, things with handles. However, you know, you can plan it so that it’s easy to move around right and you can wear the same outfit *** couple of times. No one’s gonna mind. Absolutely. Especially if you use different accessories. Alright, thank you Greta. We appreciate your tips. Happy traveling. Thank you. You too. Thanks for joining us for W G *** L Eight in Focus for all of us at W. G *** L. I’m Susan Shapiro, join us again next saturday night at seven o’clock for W G *** L eight in Focus right after NBC nightly news and you can watch each episode of in focus plus W G *** L. S latest newscast, original programming and more download the very local app and stream for free on Roku and amazon fire tv happy travels. Mm hmm. Okay

WGAL 8 In Focus: Summer travel boom

Updated: 7:00 PM EDT May 14, 2022

Some are calling it “revenge travel,” the sudden travel boom that’s happening after two years of people staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel by air, train or car are all expected to be way up this season. So, in this episode of WGAL 8 In Focus, we’re getting you ready to make your trip as smooth as possible.

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, Pa. —

Some are calling it “revenge travel,” the sudden travel boom that’s happening after two years of people staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel by air, train or car are all expected to be way up this season. So, in this episode of WGAL 8 In Focus, we’re getting you ready to make your trip as smooth as possible.