So it’s me, with 3 vouchers for COVID cancelled trips. Now I am being urged to book my flights for the same events rescheduled in 2021 because “the prices will go up once the vaccine is widespread, buy now!!”
And in your opinion, will the airlines require proof of vaccination??
Qantas, at least is saying they’ll require it on international flights - though possibly not domestic. Other airlines are apparently looking at international routes as well.
Once demand for air travel returns, prices will undoubtedly rise – it’s just a question of when. My semi-educated guess on the timing for that is spring to summer of next year, because I don’t think that vaccinations are going to be widespread among the general public until then.
I agree with kenobi_65. I’m currently getting e-mails from Air Canada promising me great discounts (like 25% off standard fares) if I booked by November 30. And they’ve extended the discounts to booking by December 31! I have no doubt that they will extend it to January 31, in the last week of December.
Just for fun, I looked at a hotel in Toronto. I’ve stayed there before, and the prices were reasonable, but after a change of ownership, their prices went to about $459 (plus taxes and fees) per night, for a basic room. That was last year, but today? They’re at $179 (plus taxes and fees) per night.
I have no intention of flying on Air Canada (or any airline), nor of staying at a hotel any time soon. But I think it’s an example of how lack of demand correlates with a lower price. Once the demand returns, the price will return to what it was pre-Covid.
And, at this point, the airlines are simply desperate for cash, so they’re creating (probably false) urgency to buy future tickets now at a lower rate, with the implication that rates will be going up soon.
The bottom line is that, yes, ticket prices will go up when demand returns. So, to take advantage of low ticket prices, you need to be willing to book tickets before most people are willing to book tickets. Once most people are willing to book tickets, the airlines have less reason to discount them.
Pretty much, yeah. That’s always part of the pitch: book now, before December 31; and save 25% on any fare anywhere, for travel up to April 30, 2021. (Or whenever.) But the implication is that fares will increase after December 31.
I have nowhere to go right now, or in the immediate future, so their pitches are falling on deaf ears. When I need to go somewhere, they’ll hear from me.
I just now Kayak’d a 3 city flight, SFO->HND (Tokyo)->BKK (Bangkok)->SFO next September 2021, a 3 week vacation which I’ve taken before. Cheapest result is $794, range is up to just under $900. Which is… about what I paid when I flew in that circuit in 2019.
Sounds like prices have already gone up for late 2021.
I hope that the airlines will require proof of vaccination.
Actually, to incentivize vaccinations, I hope that proof of vaccination or antibodies will be required to dine in restaurants, go to movie theaters, attend public events, attend public schools, go to Sturgis, etc. In other words, reward people for doing the right thing and being safe.
Don’t want to get vaccinated, no worries but don’t expect equal rights for being a public health threat. Just like one can choose to be a drunk driver, but then suffer the consequences if you’re caught.
Thinking about this more, I’d guess airline flights one covid is at bay will be in huge demand later this year. Prices may go up far far beyond what they were in 2019, then fall down to sane levels once that pent up demand is filled.
I was thinking about this earlier today. Our vaccine program is about to roll out.
If places start requiring proof of vaccination, what form will that proof take? I suspect that that proof will immediately become a hot item on the forgery market…
The airlines already require proof of a passport. And for a lot of places, they electronically check your visa.
It’s not got all the bugs shaken out yet – we continue to have reported problems with the system for returning Australians – but once countries start demanding vaccination for visa’s, that will be automatic. Before then, I expect to see declarations at entry and before boarding, and perhaps something like the yellow fever card that used to be required.