Hello friends!

This week we’ll look at the news from the world of travel as well as great ways to find flight deals.

Earlier this week, the United States opened up to nonessential international travel for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. A few stipulations are in place, including requiring visitors to be fully vaccinated by an FDA or WHO-approved vaccine and presenting a negative COVID test within 72 hours of departure. There are some exceptions, such as children too young to be vaccinated. People from countries without widespread access to the vaccine can receive permission to come to the US for humanitarian or emergency reasons.

This is great for loved ones who haven’t been able to see each other since March 2020, especially with the holidays coming up. We’re sure there will be lots of hugs, and happy tears shed this winter season with in-person reunions.

This is also good news for various industries. Airlines, of course, are thrilled that they can reopen transatlantic routes, which are often their most lucrative. And with travel comes the rest of the hospitality industry — VRBO reported an increase of over 160% in searches for American rentals from foreign tourists since the announcement. Finally, retailers are hoping they can boost what will already likely become a hot holiday shopping season (in 2019, international travelers accounted for 27% of travel- and tourism-related shopping).

Are you thinking of booking a flight somewhere now that vaccines are available to everyone ages five and up? Whether you’re planning to fly within the US or internationally, it can be tricky to find an affordable flight. Here are some tips:

Be flexible about dates. 

If you can fly on non-peak days, you’re going to get a better deal. This can be tricky with work schedules, but it really is the easiest way to lower the cost of the trip.

Be flexible about airports. 

If you can drive an extra hour to an airport but save $300 on the trip, that might well be worth it to you. Or, perhaps you’re flying into a less expensive city and taking a train to your destination. Sometimes we’ve found great deals if we can fly out of one airport and back into a different one.

Use those travel aggregator websites. 

Sites like Kayak, Expedia, Hotwire, and so on will have options across airlines and airports to help you figure out the best deal.

Set up alerts. 

Pick one or two of those aggregator sites you like and set alerts for cities you’re interested in flying to, and they’ll let you know when there’s a great deal to be had.

Keep an eye on hidden travel fees.

Sometimes deals look too good to be true because they are — always compare all of the fees involved across different platforms or airlines before making your final decision.

Book early. 

Experts recommend three months in advance for domestic flights and three to eight months for international flights.

All of these tips require planning and/or compromise. Still, with how much time everyone has spent at home the past 20 months or so, we’re hoping you’re able to safely travel for sightseeing or visiting friends and family without sacrificing your budget.

That’s it for us this week! Enjoy the gorgeous fall weather!

How We Help

Many of our clients are planning ahead for their golden years, and one such client asked us to help her figure out if it would be cheaper in the long term to plan to age in place or go into an assisted living facility. In this case, aging in place was in alignment with her goals, so she is remodeling her house to make that physically feasible for her.

Aging in place can be especially successful when people hire companions. Our friend Tom Najjar owns Care Plus, which helps match the elderly with articulate, intelligent companions who come by for a few hours a day to provide engaging company and conversation. There are also professionals who can offer a consultative analysis for you on the safety of your home and help you figure out how to make your home a safe place to age.

If you are looking ahead to these sorts of concerns for yourself or a loved one, as always, give us a call.

Advisory Services offered through Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, LLC. Securities are offered through Triad Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, LLC, and Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, Inc, are not affiliated with Triad Advisors.