9 Tips for the Summer Vacation Clusterf*ck of 2022

As a traveling professional I am predicting this summer will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.

⚠️ WHY THIS SUMMER WILL BE A CLUSTERF*CK FOR TRAVEL ⚠️

People have been restricted for two years and are ready to get out and show off. Probably a third of white collar jobs are still full-time remote so those folks can vacation for weeks at a time and work from the road. On top of that, add a huge retired population that is more mobile than ever. I didn’t used to have to compete with 75 year olds for hotel rooms but this year traveling in your 70s is the new 50s.
Hotels and restaurants have been laying off staff or completely shutting down for the last two years. This means there are less services available with less trained staff than ever before.
Demand-based pricing was implemented across the travel industry after 2001. Before investment groups bought huge swaths of hotels, hotel rates were set seasonally by small business owners. Today, hotel rates are updated by the minute based on demand. This means that travel is cheap when demand is low…and it means I just paid $350 to stay in a 3-star hotel room in Tucson on a Saturday night.

COMBINE

+One part: vacationers who have saved up and have unrealistic expectations after two years at home.

+One part: the highest pricing for flights, hotels, and meals you’ve ever paid.

+One part: untrained staff who get paid the same amount per hour whether your room is $100 or $500 that night.

EQUALS = Summer Travel Clusterf*ck of Entitled People Yelling at Staff Until They Quit

💃🏻 HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT… 💃🏻

Book your vacation like your grandparents did in 1995. The ability to book your hotel on your phone as you pull into the parking lot is a more recent invention. Prior to smart phones, vacationers would research their destination thoroughly before venturing out. Try making flight & hotel reservations months in advance and dinner reservations the week before for the best availability. Demand-based pricing is going to f*ck you if you don’t book ahead.
Make refundable reservations if you’re thinking about going anywhere. Airlines made flight changes easier and cheaper during COVID. Most hotels and car rental reservations can be canceled with no penalty. As far in advance as possible make refundable reservations to lock in lower prices.
Ask your friends or family to host you. This is the summer to visit relatives, call in favors, and pool resources with friends. Staying two nights at your aunt’s house will save you enough money to splurge at the spa. Find someone in your network with an RV, a cabin, or a vacation rental. Offer to fix the front porch or do the summer gardening while you’re staying there.
Go to unpopular places. The old advice was to go to the popular places at unpopular times but I predict all the picturesque spots are going to be overbooked for a year or so. Now is the time to go to the unpopular places on your travel bucket list. Think Detroit, Oklahoma City, or that lake you can never remember.
House swap. If you live somewhere remotely interesting, you can offer to swap homes with someone in a new place. You both take a vacation at the same time and get a free home to stay in.
Camp. Do not go to a festival this summer because they will be a cluster*ck of understaffing with overzealous revelers. Do make a plan to camp or rent a home to create your own experience. Camp grounds will be just as overbooked as hotels so plan to go off grid or make reservations in advance. If the campgrounds fill up, rent a vacation home with great outdoor space and camp in the yard.
Cook your own meals. Expect a lot of slow awkward meals be because restaurants are going to be understaffed this summer. The restaurant & hospitality industry was the first to face massive layoffs in 2020 and so your new waiter has 3 weeks of experience instead of 3 years. Cooking your meals will save you time, money, and calories.
Have a copilot or co-couple. Split travel costs by bringing a friend or another couple on vacation. I love traveling solo for its flexibility but I saved the most money traveling in a group of 4. Groups larger than 4 can be complicated with too many needs and interests. Two couples traveling together has been the most efficient in my experience.
Try an organized retreat or tour. Experienced tour guides will have locked in lower prices than you can now. I wouldn’t normally recommend an organized vacation but this summer will be complicated. Skip the Uber surge pricing by going with someone who knows the area.