12/07/2021
The Travel Advisor community is sharing this and it is bang on. Please have a read.
Travel is back.... and I mean back with a vengeance. Travel demand is extremely high...crazy high, and we are working as fast as we can to keep up with the demand. But, in the midst of the demand for clients to take a vacation, there are daily issues. So, I feel the need to give you a little guidance:
1) If you don't have your passport or you need to renew your passport and you plan on traveling any time in the near future, take care of it ASAP. Passport processing is taking as much as 18 weeks standard processing and can easily take 12 weeks expedited. This won't get any better for a long time!! AND, if your passport expires within 6 months, many countries still will not allow entry.
2) Plan now for 2022! For every person who has said, "There are probably some great travel deals for right now, huh?' I wish I had a dollar to put in my own vacation fund. I could fly to an an island for a long time! Remember when you were looking for toilet paper in 2020?
When the demand is this high, there is no need for resorts, hotels, airlines, or tour companies to offer a deal. Pricing is reflecting the fact that demand is outpacing supply for many destinations. You've probably noticed this if you've simply looked for a place to reserve at a local lake rental.
3) When you do travel, you are going to need to be patient and flexible! Be prepared for things that are not normal, with staffing shortages, new protocols, LOTS of flight changes and delays, and long lines. People are going and they are going HARD! Even if you booked your vacation a long time ago, TONS of people jumped on the bandwagon with you within the past few months and it shows!
4) Be patient with me too, or your travel agent (by the by, you should not be traveling without one, now more than ever). I will help you navigate this craziness, because I promise you, so much is going to come up that you don't know! Again, be patient with me, as I am adapting to ever-changing details, too. The influx of demand, the tour operators still being short staffed, as well as a thousand new details that must be taken care of before you can even travel. Our job is so much more complicated than ever before.....I love it, but travel is a little bit of a beast right now.
This is the time that all of us have been waiting for. Let's set out to discover this beautiful planet and all it has to offer while appreciating everything so much more than we did before. I absolutely look forward to navigating with you as we move forward.
