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Special Travel Edition Summer 2023

A Note from Caroline

Welcome to the latest edition of Forbes Advisor's quarterly travel newsletter. I'm Caroline, a full-time traveler and I'll be sharing the latest travel updates and news with you from around the world. Здравейте from Bansko, Bulgaria 🇧🇬—which made it onto our list of the best places to travel in 2023!

Summer 2023 feels light on travel trends so far, but there has been some interesting news:

• A South Korean man tried to open an emergency exit door in-flight.
• World-Heritage-listed Fraser Island in Australia has reverted to its traditional name of K’gari.
• Equatorial Guinea, a country with, historically, one of the toughest visas to get, has implemented a new eVisa system that is set to go into effect on July 1, 2023.

This summer is also expected to see a record number of 110,000+ flights between the U.S. and Europe, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In this issue, I'll also share some of my top tips to save money on travel, as well as some important tips to protect your wallet and ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip.

Happy traveling!

Caroline

Caroline Lupini

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Managing Editor, Credit Cards & Travel Rewards

Navigating Award Travel Between the U.S. and Europe This Summer 

If you’re traveling this summer, know that things are predicted to be crazy. But does that mean it’ll be harder to snag deals with award travel? That likely depends on where you travel.

• Be as flexible as possible. Can you fly on a different day or out of a different city? The more flexible you can be, the more likely you are to find flights.
• Check availability often. Award availability changes daily. If you don’t find flights right away, keep looking. If you find something that’s good but not perfect, check the airline’s award cancellation rules and consider booking it while you continue to look for something better.
• Don’t forget about transfer bonuses. Bank programs sometimes offer transfer bonuses to certain partners. Take advantage of these to save on your flights.

• Learn how travel insurance works
• Compare coverage options
• Choose the right policy for your needs
  

Trends in travel insurance purchases show that sand and sun are still high on the list for trips outside the U.S. Data from Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider, shows that Mexico leads the destination list for Americans going abroad.

Caroline's Top Summer Travel Tips 

Get More Out of Your Credit Card With Rental Car Benefits 

Many credit cards offer benefits for your car rentals, including the ability to earn more points and use included rental car insurance. However, you’ll need to be aware of a few things before you rely on your card’s coverage, including:

• As a general rule, you’re required to decline the coverage provided by the rental car company to be eligible for your card’s included benefit.
• Credit cards don’t offer liability coverage and there are other exclusions, too, so read the fine print before you sign a rental agreement to make sure you have the coverage you need.
• Credit cards can offer either primary or secondary coverage. Secondary means that you’ll be required to make a claim to your personal car rental insurance before your credit card coverage will kick in. It’s important to know which coverage your card offers so you don’t end up in a tough spot if you need to make a claim. 

If Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled, You Might Be Owed Compensation 

Some countries have laws and regulations surrounding delayed and canceled flights. If you’re on a flight that’s delayed or canceled, you should look into whether you’re owed compensation.

For example, flights in the European Union fall under European Union regulation commonly referred to as EU 261. If your flight touches the EU, you could be due up to 600 EUR in compensation for your delayed or canceled flight.

However, some airlines don’t make it easy to claim compensation. I recommend that you first try to submit your claim directly to the airline, but if you aren’t successful or don’t hear back within a month or so, consider using a service like Air Help (but keep in mind it will charge you a fee for successfully recovering your compensation if you don’t have an annual membership prior to your flight disruption).

Book the World’s Longest Flights With Miles 

Just in case you don’t have enough travel booked for 2023, we’ve compiled a list of the world’s longest flights and outlined options for booking these flights with miles. While it may not sound pleasant to spend nearly 19 hours on a plane in coach, it’s incredible that we can fly from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) on a single flight—over 9,500 miles. And if you can find the award availability or want to splurge on a business class cash fare, it’s even more epic to drink champagne and eat a gourmet meal at 40,000 feet.

Protect Your Wallet with Travel Insurance

No matter where you're traveling, it's always smart to protect yourself with travel insurance. Travel insurance can help cover unexpected expenses, such as trip cancellations, medical emergencies and lost luggage. Some of the best travel credit cards offer travel protections for no additional cost, so make sure to check your benefits before booking.

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