(NewsNation) — With airports across the country only getting busier as we head into the summer travel surge, a travel expert is giving his prediction on flight trends and offeing strategies on how to beat the predicted increase in traffic.
“We’re expecting it to be insane,” said Clint Henderson, a guest of NewsNation’s “Rush Hour” on Thursday.
Henderson is the managing editor of “The Points Guy” — a site that publishes hands-on advice to help people maximize their travel experiences.
“All these people who’ve been waiting to travel for two years during the pandemic, they are going to travel come heck or high water. They don’t care how much it costs, they don’t care how long the lines are — they’re going to hit the roads this summer,” Henderson said.
Continuing with his summer prediction, Henderson says he thinks the days of restrictions and safety measures on planes are coming to an end, citing full flights, the ending masks mandates and crowding at gates.
His prediction is on par with the Transportation Security Administration’s preparation, which includes hiring more TSA agents to help alleviate the long lines.
In Miami, for example, there are more than 150,000 travelers a day — up 17% from last month.
Henderson also has tips:
1. Use points and miles
“Use those points and miles you’ve been hording during the pandemic,” Henderson tells the program. “If you have those points, now is a great time to cash them in because you’re going to get maximum dollar for those points.”
2. Use vacation services airlines offer
“A lot of times, American Airlines, Delta, have vacation packages. You can save up to 40% by booking airfare and hotels and sometimes even car rentals together. That’s a huge hack that’s saved me thousands over the years.”
3. Wait until summer is over
“If you can wait till summer is over, shoulder season is a great time to travel because the crowds are gone and prices are much lower.”
4. Jump on deals
“The other thing you can do is subscribe to websites like ‘The Points Guy’ where we do at least one deal every single day. But when you see a deal alert, jump on it immediately because the deals are not lasting these days.”
5. Book in advance
“Airfare is climbing, so you want to book sooner rather than later.”