With the cost of jet fuel surging, you may have noticed some airfares climbing recently. You may be rushing to book summer fares before they climb even higher. It’s impossible to say for how long fuel prices will increase or when they will drop again. So here are ways to avoid overpaying.
Focus on competitive routes. Fares are least likely to rise on routes that several different airlines fly. Google Flights is a good tool for seeing which, and how many, airlines fly between city pairs. If you’re headed to Italy, for instance, you can quickly figure out which city in Italy will be least expensive to fly into, depending on your origin city and dates. You can also scan our list of nonstop flights to find competitive routes. Check out how many airlines fly nonstop between New York and Milan, for instance. (After I use Google Flights and its many filters for my searches, I book directly with the airline. Online ticketing agencies may dangle attractive fares, but booking through them makes dealing with changes or cancellations much harder.)
Aim for midweek flights. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the least expensive days to fly. If you’re thinking about a long weekend, look at how much you could save by flying on Saturday morning and returning Tuesday (as opposed to Thursday-Sunday or Friday-Monday).
Check one-way fares. Don’t assume a round-trip will be less expensive. Especially with multi-leg international itineraries, you may be able to save a lot by combining one-way fares on different airlines. Again, Google Flights is a good tool for sussing these out.
Book flexible tickets. Since fares could rise in the near term but drop again before your trip, book tickets that you can cancel for a refund or credit (on an airline you fly enough that you know you’ll use the credit). That way, if fares drop, you can get the lower price without penalty.
Redeem miles. My strategy right now is the same one I’ve used for years: As soon as I know I need to fly somewhere, I use miles to buy an award ticket. That ticket (typically a Saver Award because it’s far ahead) represents my back-up plan. Then, in the months leading up to the trip, I regularly check to see if the price has dropped on my flight or any of the other flights I’m eyeing on or near my travel dates. Usually the fare for one option drops significantly. That’s when I book the lower fare with money, cancel the award ticket, and redeposit the miles (with no fee). That way, I score a low fare, earn miles from the flight, and always have enough miles for the next back-up plan.
Consider business-class discounters. If you’re having a hard time finding affordable international business-class flights, you might look into Global First Travel, Arangrant, or Skylux Travel. To be clear, while friends I trust use these discounters, I am not endorsing them; personally, I buy airline tickets directly from the airline.
The flight is only the start of your trip; once you’re on the ground, you’ll want to continue getting the max for your investment. Read on to see how WOW Trip travelers do that. If you too would like to get the max from your travel, we’re happy to help. Just reach out via the black button below.
ANTIGUA: “A Caribbean beach getaway on short notice…”
WOW Trip traveler Jeannie Mullen shot this photo of the Antigua Naval Dockyard during her helicopter tour.
“When I asked Wendy who would be best able to put together a Caribbean beach getaway on short notice, she put me in touch with Meg, who came through for me with dogged determination. I ended up in Antigua for a full ten days.
I’m not a diver nor a snorkeler, so on the days when I was not hanging out under a beach umbrella, Meg kept me busy with island excursions, which included historical tours to Antigua National Park, English Harbour, and St. John’s; a helicopter tour around the island to see the various military forts, coastal formations, and outlying islands; an art trail to three different island galleries; and an invigorating morning hike up to scenic Signal Hill for a panoramic view of the entire island—all private, with a guide/driver. Couple that with fast-track arrival and departure services at the airport, and it was a breeze from start to finish. Thank you, Meg and Wendy, for yet another great escape.” —Jeannie Mullen
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
YELLOWKNIFE, CANADA: “The trip had me seeing the northern lights on five out of six nights…”
WOW Trip traveler Ellen Eisenberg captured the northern lights with her Nikon Z 7II.
“When I read in this newsletter that Marc had arranged a polar-bear-viewing experience that also featured the northern lights, I said, ‘Sign me up!’ Upon speaking with Marc, we decided that two separate experiences might be best. The first trip, which I just completed, had me seeing the northern lights on five out of six nights.
In Yellowknife, I was hosted by a delightful Indigenous (Dene) guide with whom I exchanged many joyful whoops at seeing the green and pink and white northern lights curtain and shoot across the sky. The next day I set off on a 30-minute ski plane ride to Blachford Lodge, where I stayed for five nights in a warm little cabin on the very frozen Blachford Lake in crazy-low temps. It’s true what they say: There is no bad weather, only bad gear!
With the right gear (and the nicest staff) provided by the Lodge, I was able to enjoy snowmobiling (and see a silver fox!), ice fishing, hiking, amazingly delicious meals, and sunsets, along with the most amazing northern lights on cloudless nights—better than I could have imagined. Next up: polar bears!” —Ellen Eisenberg
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
COSTA RICA: “Each time we arrived at a new place, I could not stop smiling…”
WOW Trip traveler Shayne Kert took this photo from her balcony in Manuel Antonio.
“What a great trip, all carefully planned and seamlessly executed by Irene. We visited three very different regions of Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio, the Osa Peninsula and the Arenal Volcano area. Each region was so special.
We saw an incredible mix of wildlife (sloths! monkeys! toucans! whales!) and a variety of landscapes, from rainforests and volcanoes to beaches and cloud forests and jungles—all jaw-droppingly beautiful. We hiked with amazing guides through national parks and private conservancies, swam under a waterfall surrounded by the rainforest (with young crocs not too far away!), snorkeled off Caño Island and enjoyed R&R on the beach.
We are seasoned travelers. My husband will tell you that it takes a lot to impress me. But the three places that Irene chose for us to stay on this trip…wow, just wow. Each time we arrived at a new place, I could not stop smiling. At all three places, the grounds and our rooms were gorgeous, the staff members were warm and attentive, the food was fresh and yummy, the vibe was chill and relaxed, and the views…stunning.
The other thing that made this trip so special was that somehow Irene was able to connect us with drivers and guides who just seemed to ‘get’ us. All of our local guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and a pleasure to spend time with, which helped make the trip a great mix of learning, adventure, and relaxation.” —Shayne Kert
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
THAILAND: “I turned to The WOW List to help us make the most of our days…”
WOW Trip traveler Richard Rediker’s granddaughter got to swim with elephants!
“Although I have been to Thailand close to 20 times, because of limited time in-country on this trip, I turned to The WOW List to help us make the most of our days. We couldn’t have been more pleased with Dan and Raphael in Bangkok.
We took our 9- and 12-year-old grandchildren for their first visit to Asia. Due to their school vacation, we could only spend six nights in Thailand. I knew where I wanted to go, and Raphael arranged a great guide and a very comfortable van for the six of us.
Our highlights included a private tour of the backwaters of Bangkok and the palace area in a longtail boat that picked us up at our hotel, a food tour to Chinatown, a fantastic cooking class that included a trip to the market to buy the ingredients, bathing elephants in a river at an elephant sanctuary in the Kanchanaburi area, and a visit to the unreal Erawan National Park to hike and swim in seven spectacular waterfalls and pools.
While I had been to all of these places before, Dan’s team made this the easiest trip. They were incredibly flexible as each day unfolded to make sure we didn’t exhaust the grandchildren.” —Richard and Gayle Rediker
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
JAPAN: “Very few, if any, of our experiences would have been possible without our WOW List trip planner…”
WOW Trip traveler Kristen MacLeod is pictured with her family and the ikebana master.
“Just returned from an outstanding trip to Japan combining a week of cultural touring and a week of skiing in the Myōkō and Nagano regions. It was a challenging trip to plan, given the combo of skiing and culture, and the fact that there were seven of us traveling. Andrea planned both our itinerary and our excursions to avoid crowds of tourists and maximize our experiences.
Our first few days were spent in Tokyo, beginning with a visit to a Buddhist temple that is closed to the public, where the head monk instructed us in meditation and the intricacies of the tea ceremony. Our guide has deep connections in Tokyo’s food and art world, allowing us to experience both traditional and contemporary Japanese art alongside a local artist, as well as sushi making with a Michelin-starred chef, and traditional ikebana flower arranging with an ikebana master. The hospitality and generosity of these incredibly talented people was truly a gift to us all.
And then there is the skiing. Yes, the powder is epic and makes everyone feel like a hero. We live in a ski town, so we weren’t sure that ski guides would add much value, given that we were not planning to backcountry ski. We were incorrect. The guides added immense value. They have intimate knowledge of exactly where to get the best runs each day, and they know everyone, making for an intimate experience even at the larger resorts. AND they are so much fun and offer great insight into Japan.
Kristen MacLeod’s family loved skiiing in Myoko.
This review would not be complete without a huge shout-out to Sakaeya Ryokan and the town of Shibu Onsen. Andrea really scored a 10/10 with this traditional ryokan in this mountain town famous for its many hot springs. He had the foresight to book both of the private onsen complexes, including sauna and cold plunge with fully stocked fridges and amenities, for our family for a few hours each night so that we could experience this most luxurious of Japanese traditions every evening after skiing.
Very few, if any, of our experiences would have been possible without our WOW List trip planner. With such a jam-packed schedule, their guardian angel service was indispensable, even jumping in to help our daughter with transport and lodgings when her return flights were canceled.” —Kristen MacLeod
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.
