Holiday travel sticker shock: Will prices fall?

We’ve been writing a lot this year about the ongoing post-pandemic labor shortages in the travel and leisure industries. But one question has continually stumped us as the world reopened and unemployment hit record lows: where did all those young workers who traditionally fill service jobs go? 

As I was sitting in a Dallas restaurant during a long layover this summer, I posed that very question to my waitress, who was apologizing for being behind and explaining – as so many have the past two years – that they simply didn’t have enough help.

“They’re all on YouTube,” she said. 

It was not the response I expected. Although it certainly makes sense. We’ve traveled over the years with many creators and influencers who, even if not making much money, are getting a lot of free, often very luxe, travel. And, well, duh, here at Travel Essential, we’re creators ourselves.

But we’d never really read about or heard anyone make the correlation between the shortage of leisure and hospitality workers and the creator economy.

“Are they really making enough money to give up real jobs?” I asked.

“I guess we’ll find out,” she replied.

Indeed, there’s an interesting economic upheaval at play. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new partnership with industry veterans Ryan McElroy and Tim Morgan, founders of Jerne, a marketplace for connecting creators and travel companies. We’re collaborating to launch Nfluenc, the first news source aimed at helping travel creators and experience providers unlock new opportunities in this burgeoning distribution channel, which the latest reports estimate to be a $100 billion industry comprising more than 300 million people.

No, our mission here at TE isn’t changing. But expect to see some cross posting of stories about creators and their growing impact on travel sales and distribution. 

Of course, not everyone is in it just for the money. Read Barbara’s profile below of Barry Hoy, a finance industry professional who is using his @asianmapleleaf channel to promote diversity in travel.

This week, we also answer our readers’ emails about pricey holiday airfares, and whether you should bite the bullet and book now, or wait and hope prices fall. 

–Canada, Asian holdouts rollback Covid-19 border rules: Effective Oct. 1, the Canadian government will drop its requirement that all visitors show proof of a Covid-19 vaccine and negative tests to enter the country. The U.S. Travel Association applauded the move, and said Washington should follow suit by immediately suspending its proof of vaccination for qualified visitors from Canada and other nations, given the wide access to effective Covid boosters and therapies. Canada’s move comes on the heels of several Asian holdouts, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Bhutan, easing their entry requirements.

–North American airport satisfaction tanks. Gee what a surprise. The industry’s just-out customer survey from J.D. Power shows that customer satisfaction fell off a cliff for the year ending in July as global passenger volumes climbed back to 91% of pre-pandemic levels. It’s not just the long lines, unpredictable flight and staffing shortages to blame. Travelers also dislike paying more for everything from food to parking, the study says. “People are saying parking fees seem more expensive, also F&B concessions. It’s why they didn’t buy (items); they seemed too expensive.” Jonathan Sutter, who runs J.D. Power’s travel practice, told the Airlines Confidential podcast. Which airports did the best? Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Tampa International Airport and Indianapolis International Airport, respectively, representing largest to smallest airport categories.

–Coming soon: online passport renewal. Along with everything else travel related this year, the U.S. Passport office has been bogged down by long delays, leaving travelers stressed about getting their new documents in time for their trips. But relief may be in sight. The office plans to let us renew our passports online next year. The bad news: while the process may ease some of the paperwork, The New York Times reports processing times for online renewal in pilot programs this year remain the same as those sent via snail mail as State Department officials continue to work their way through a backlog of nearly two million passport applicants that started piling up in early 2020.

–Cracking down on hidden air fees. Following the summer of air travel hell, the Biden Administration continues its push for more transparency from airlines. The latest move: a proposed rule that would require airlines and third-party sellers to clearly disclose fees for bags, seat assignments and ticket changes and cancellations whenever fare and schedule information is provided for flights to, within and from the U.S. "Airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket,” DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. The move follows the launch of a dashboard that requires airlines to disclose their policies for refunds and voucher assistance for meals and hotels when their flights are canceled or delayed. 

Holiday travel conundrum: book now or hope for last-minute deal?

As many of you have started looking towards holiday travel, Travel Essential readers have been emailing us with questions about pricey airfares. Airfare tracker site Hopper predicts holiday fares will be the most expensive in five years.

So we reached out to air and travel guru Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research for his expert insight on whether those prices will hold, or whether last-minute bookers might be able to score a deal.

The bottom line: “You have a better chance of timing the stock market than you do airfares,” he told us. “There is more data about when to buy and sell stock than when you should book a flight.”

His takeaway: “If you find a flight, you like the airline and the schedule, and the fare works for you, book that flight.”

Harteveldt says that while fuel prices are falling and economic concerns may lead to a softening in demand for air travel, there are also fewer flights as airlines have reduced their schedules for November and December.  

“Fewer flights mean fewer seats. And fewer seats means airlines will try to charge as much as they can,” he told us. 

In other words, Harteveldt says, “I think they're going to do everything they possibly can to keep holiday fares as high as they can.”

How one influencer is using his status to promote diversity in travel

By Barbara DeLollis

Like many of us, finance industry professional Barry Hoy began thinking a lot about his personal priorities and passions during the height of Covid-era lockdowns in 2020. 

This sticky issue confronted him head on once he’d stopped physically working in a Manhattan office, and noticed how his partner – Teraj, an African-American pop and R&B artist who travels the world performing – ate, lived and breathed music 24/7. Hoy pondered, What is it that fills my soul? 

Little did he know that his thought process would put him on the vanguard of the travel industry.

Born in Toronto to parents from Hong Kong, the 43-year-old Hoy reflected on his ethnic roots and vivid memories of his childhood trips to Hong Kong. He remembered feeling strangely at home there, despite being on the opposite side of the world. Just thinking about Hong Kong conjured memories of the food, sites, people, smells and tastes – and that unmistakable feeling that comes from being truly included and welcomed.

And just like that, Hoy found new meaning in embracing his @asianmapleleaf social media persona as a way to celebrate travel and diversity – in all its forms – to help scale social change and acceptance for the LBTQ+ community and interracial couples.

He chronicled his travels from every angle, including the planning processes. No detail was too small, since he geeks out at each component of the travel process, like walking through an airport.

“We are proud to share our travel experiences as an interracial couple, and a double minority couple, and we want to work with organizations and brands that want to connect with people like us,” Barry told me. “Younger generations want to see themselves represented in the media, so we see tremendous opportunity in working with brands and destinations.”

Today, Hoy has grown @asianmapleleaf into a budding influencer and content business where he positions himself as a traveler, writer, host and creator. And he plans to continue growing his business. He has traveled overseas, as well as to states like Ohio, where some of his content around hidden-gem destinations have brought the greatest engagement – much to his surprise. His @asianmapleleaf brand has helped him travel to countries including the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Kenya.

He is working on generating revenue by using his accounting expertise and business-world skills such as his ability to plan, organize and manage projects and business opportunities. 

While the influencer world presents incredible opportunities to see the world and share positive imagery that can help others, Hoy says it's not without its challenges. 

For instance, he said that some brands show imagery of diversity – like slapping a rainbow during pride month. But they do not firmly stand behind it throughout the year. He has also witnessed brands showing their implicit bias even when selecting and paying for influencers. For instance, he’s observed BIPOC influencers – like everywhere else in the world – being consistently paid less for the same or more work performed.

Missed past editions of Travel Essential? Here's a  few of our favorites:

https://travelessential.beehiiv.com/p/2022-might-almost-perfect-year-european-river-cruise

https://www.travelessentialnews.com/p/love-em-hate-em-competition-heats-allinclusives

https://www.travelessentialnews.com/p/rv-edition-expert-tips-tales-hitting-road