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Here’s how to not get burnedAuthor of the article:Last updated 1 hour ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Travellers don’t win by spending more, they win by understanding where the system can still bend in their favour. Photo by Gavin Young/PostmediaTravel has split into two systems: one for people who know how to navigate a dysfunctional industry, and one for everyone else. What was once a straightforward purchase — go to an airline’s website, buy a ticket, go on your trip — is now an exercise in optimization and risk hedging.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAccording to Bloomberg Intelligence, which surveyed the 2026 vacation plans of 1,000 adults, 66 per cent expect to spend more on vacations in 2026 than they did the year prior. That’s happening even as many are staying closer to home, citing safety concerns tied to geopolitical instability. For lower-income travellers, higher costs are largely unavoidable, driven by inflation.Higher earners, meanwhile, are trading up as mid-range options disappear. Some 43 per cent of respondents say they’re tapping savings to fund trips, while 10 per cent are using buy-now-pay-later financing, proof that demand for travel isn’t weakening, though it could be financed in more precarious ways.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againMeanwhile, the experience itself is growing more volatile. Government shutdown threats, airport congestion, over-tourism, loyalty program devaluations, fuel shortages and last-minute schedule changes have turned even routine trips into logistical puzzles.You don’t win by spending more. You win by understanding where the system can still bend in your favour.Racking up elite status and miles with an airline may seem like a no-brainer, but Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, calls this “the airline hamster wheel.”At a live taping of Bloomberg Businessweek’s Everybody’s Business, Kelly said using a credit card with transferable points — such as American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One miles — is the smarter play than locking yourself into a single airline. You’ll be able to choose the best redemption rates across carriers and book whichever program is cheapest for any given route.Most of these cards also come with lounge access at airports as well as other travel perks, Kelly said. For example, the Capital One Venture X has a US$395 annual fee, though it comes with US$300 in free travel, 10,000 miles, and lounge access for the primary card holder. “If you do the math with me, the Capital One Venture X pays you US$5 a year to get lounge access,” Kelly said.Elite status with an airline increasingly requires US$15,000 to US$20,000 in annual spending, with fewer meaningful upgrades in return. For many travellers, that math no longer works in their favour.“I don’t care about elite status,” Kelly said. “I will fly flex.”Tools like Point.me and Seats.aero can help travellers comparison-shop award pricing. That same flight from New York to Paris can cost dramatically different amounts of miles depending on which program you book through, so make sure to check and optimize before booking.Some of the best values in travel right now come from pricing distortions where one category hasn’t caught up to inflation in another.Luxury hotels in Europe’s most popular destinations routinely top US$1,000 to US$2,000 a night in peak season. High-end cruises, by contrast, can deliver a comparable experience for a fraction of that cost, often with food, excursions and amenities bundled in. A suite on a newer luxury line like Explora Journeys can run about US$600 a night, for example, while Ritz-Carlton’s Yacht Collection averages closer to US$1,000 and is all-inclusive, with butler service and private terraces. On land, that price might only cover the room.Premium trains like the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada are another option that bundles lodging, meals and transportation into a single price — often around US$500 a day — turning what would be a multi-line-item trip into a predictable, all-in cost.Even flying private can be more affordable than you think. While chartering a jet still runs into the tens of thousands, per-seat pricing on semi-private operators can be far closer to commercial first class than most travellers assume, and you’re flying out of private terminals, with effectively no TSA. The most affordable option and the one with the widest route network is JSX, which connects some 26 airports in the United States and Mexico. It’s not unusual to find one-way private flights from New York to Miami priced around US$650 — barely above what you’d pay for the same journey in business class on a commercial U.S. carrier.For those who book and walk away, you’re leaving money on the table.Most U.S. airlines now allow free changes or cancellations on award tickets, effectively turning points bookings into flexible placeholders. If a price drops, or more seats open up at lower mileage levels, you can rebook and reclaim the difference. Check the same portal you booked on at the airline’s website or app to monitor prices.“In the week of travel, if there are open seats on the plane, they drop to the ‘saver level,’” Kelly said. “Keep checking and get your miles back.”Leigh Rowan, founder of Savanti Travel, says the tactic can pay off even for travellers booking with cash — at least if your booking is with Southwest Airlines. “It sounds absurd in today’s economy,” Rowan says, “but if your rate has dropped on a Southwest ticket, they’ll let you re-ticket and save the rate difference as a credit.”Even within peak periods, pricing varies sharply.Late summer — particularly mid-August through early September — offers a window where demand softens as some schools return to session. Domestic fares can drop by close to 10 per cent during this period, while international flights may fall significantly more.Departure times matter, too. Early morning flights are typically cheaper, less delayed and less crowded than those later in the day.Old rules, like booking on a Tuesday, have largely disappeared in an era of algorithmic pricing. Timing now matters less at purchase and more in when and how you choose to travel.Travel advisers often cost nothing to the consumer, earning commissions from hotels and cruise lines while providing perks like upgrades, free breakfast or resort credits. Some premium travel credit cards also have travel services that function similarly to travel agents, primarily through online travel portals and 24/7 concierge services.More importantly, they offer real-time problem solving during disruptions. AI travel can’t yet compete with the value of human intervention when things go wrong — and having someone real to vent to.Finding the right travel agent can be daunting, particularly as a wave of newcomers enters the market. For travellers planning a destination-specific trip that calls for deep expertise, Wendy Perrin’s WOW list or Travel and Leisure’s A List are reliable starting points to find advisers with specialized knowledge. Those looking for a generalist or someone who can help across a range of trips and needs should explore Fora or Virtuoso.Fast-track airport services can be a worthy investment. They typically cost around US$100 per person and expedite security, immigration or customs at congested hubs, particularly in Europe where new biometric systems have added confusion.The downside is booking these services can be surprisingly opaque. The safest route is often through a hotel concierge, who can vet providers and sometimes secure preferential access or pricing. Travellers without concierge access may need to do more legwork, piecing together recommendations and reviews online to find reputable operators. Another workaround: Call a well-regarded luxury hotel at your destination and ask which provider they recommend. Even if you’re not a guest, concierges will sometimes point travellers in the right direction.Travellers can also sidestep lines to get into airport lounges. Rowan recommends downloading lounge-access apps in advance, such as the Amex app for Centurion lounges, which lets travellers join the queue before they even arrive at the airport. This will help you secure a spot and generate a QR code for entry ahead of time.Paul Tumpowsky, travel adviser and chief revenue officer at Fora, says he expects this summer’s European travel disruptions to hit shorter, high-frequency flights hardest, amid forecasts of fuel shortages across the continent. He recommends that travellers treat multi-city European vacations as “open-jaw” trips — say, flying into London and out of Amsterdam while travelling between cities independently. That way, if any flights get cancelled, they can book on another carrier.And when flight schedules look shaky, Tumpowsky says travellers may want to rethink the default assumption that every leg requires a plane ticket. “I would also consider the idea of taking trains,” Tumpowsky suggests. “I think they are going to be much more reliable this summer around Europe.”Kelly’s biggest piece of advice about handling delays and cancellations is that waiting for changes to be announced is often too late.“The second I think my flight might be cancelled, I book backup options using points,” Kelly said. If he doesn’t need them, he’ll cancel for free, but usually it means he has a seat without waiting in a re-booking line.Because many award bookings are refundable, this strategy allows travellers to hedge against disruptions without additional cost, provided they act early, before remaining seats disappear. It can also be your own hack on travel insurance at a time when cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) policies often cost up to 18 per cent of a trip’s total price with reimbursements capped around 75 per cent.“Being on the offence is how you win at the points game,” Kelly said. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.