What with the current carnage around border restrictions, PCR tests and hotel quarantine, you are probably not booking any travel. I was wondering if anyone had taken the plunge and made any speculative flight bookings for the year.
Airlines, to their credit, are making it easy to protect your cash. Many offer a travel credit voucher if you just don’t want to go, something you’d never see outside of a pandemic. You also get your money back in most cases if your flight is cancelled.
Speculative Flight Bookings
British Airways recently had a sale and I wrote that I decided not to book flights. Of course, seeing the fact vouchers could be used through 2023 tipped the scales for me.
I decided to book a return ticket from Dublin to London in August for the princely sum of €199.47 in Club Europe. That is the cheapest I have ever paid in cash for that sector.
It was enjoyable selecting 2D on the CityFlyer Embraer 190, which has the most legroom on the entire BA shorthaul fleet. Really, it is a scandalous amount of room!
Overall Thoughts
So that’s my one concession to attempting travel this year. I have a plan to go on the Caledonian Sleeper train from Fort Willian to London at some point this year too. It’s been on my list forever so I should bite the bullet and do it. There’s also a beach landing in Barra on the cards as well.
Have you made any speculative flight bookings for 2021? I’d love to hear about where you’ve booked from/to, which month and what you think your chances are of actually going. Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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2 tickets ANA First SFO to Haneda Nov. 9, returning Haneda to ORD Dec. 23. I wanted to spend my stash of Virgin Atlantic miles before the best sweet spot disappears.
Makes sense to do that before it disappears. ANA First will be really something. I think you have a pretty good chance with November/December. Here’s hoping anyway!
I have a month long trip to the UK and Ireland scheduled for May. All my flights, tours, and hotels are cancellable, I love planning for trips.
Smart that you’ve booked it so it’s all cancellable. I’m with you, I also really enjoy planning trips, it’s just as fun as the holiday itself in some ways 🙂
US-HKG then HKG-CDG then CDG-LHR-SEA all in first 10/21 60%. 2. US-HKG (first)-SYD (business) – HKG (business) – US (first) 11/21 -12/21 (40%) with a back-up plan to visit SIN if SYD doesn’t pan out (70%) 3. US-HKG (first) – AKL (business) – HKG (business) – US (first) 12/21 – 1/22 (10%) with a back-up plan to visit Bali if NZ doesn’t pan out (70%). All miles tickets. Since no one knows what will be possible with travel going forward, it seems to make sense to keep booking international award trips without cancellation fees until it’s finally possible to go… Read more »
I’d say you have a pretty good chance as it’s all Q4 or later and of curse you’re insured by using miles. I think that is the best way forward to save any unpleasant surprises. Fingers crossed all round, on your trips and the vaccines! We live in hope 🙂
I’ve booked two speculative trips.
June SEA-CDG-NAP-FAO-LHR-SEA
Nov SEA-OGG-SEA
Probably not for Europe this Summer, I’m hopeful that the Hawaii trip will happen.
Europe was on points, Hawaii on a 2-4-1 ticket.
Unlike many, I don’t have any travel credits for canceled trips, so I’m comfortable taking the chance of cancellations and having miles re-deposited and taxes and fees as credit.
Yes, June might be a little early for travel to Europe, but I’d say you’ll be okay for Hawaii all going well. I don’t have any travel credits myself, I managed to get actual refunds for all my cancelled flights as the airline cancelled and not me. Using points is definitely the safest way to book travel right now. Good luck with it, I hope you get away!
I have an award trip to Bali and Taiwan from the US in October on EVA and Cathay, respectively. First time on a plane since January 2020, so I definitely have bated breath syndrome.
Award trips are always good, because they are cancellable even in normal times. I hear Taiwan is amazing, everyone seems to rave about it. Hope you make it!
I’ve also been watching the DUB fares and decided not to pull the trigger. There are just so much uncertainty at the moment. If they have another sale, I’ll go with the BA holiday booking with 300 euro deposit route. It seems like a good bet for me!
I’d say they will have another sale, because I really doubt a lot of people booked trips during the last one. Keeping an eye on things is the way forward, that’s for sure!
I’ve got 2 pending trips. In March I’m scheduled to fly Southwest STL-DAL-LIT. Was originally a nonstop but got changed. The return was originally LIT-HOU-ATL-STL, which was briefly changed to LIT-LAS(!)-STL but has been rescheduled yet again to a LIT-ATL-STL routing. All changes were done automatically by Southwest and with about 5 weeks to go I’m breathlessly awaiting any further changes. My second trip is planned for May and is holding fast with a STL-DSM-DEN-BOI itinerary with a BOI-SJC-STL return, also on Southwest…had some points to burn. It speaks volumes that in a COVID reality that in two trips covering… Read more »
I know what it feels like to breathlessly await more changes. Since you have domestics, hopefully that means you’ll be able to get away. Here’s hoping!!
Seems like everyone is aiming for Japan.
I’m shooting for ANA business class, first if open, from JFK, ORD, or IAD to Tokyo for sometime in Oct/Nov. My home airport is BOS so I’ll need a positioning flight for any ANA departure city.
Sure seems to be flavour of the month around here anyway! I think you might have a chance that late in the year. Good luck!!
After months on monitoring myself, so far JFK only good for Economy on ANA. Probably due to the upgraded offerings on JFK to Tokyo route in biz and first. If you want first, suggest you look at LAX or SFO for departure. You might be able to find some return availablity to ORD.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I’m ok with connecting anywhere really. I’ll take SEA or even Toronto, but first class is one of those I’ll take it if it’s open things. If I can grab a seat in business, that will be fine.
Booked ANA – LAX-HND/NRT-ORD in F for the olympics. I think my outbound has already been cancelled so I’ll need another routing
ANA F – one for my bucket list! Hopefully you end up making it over. I was in Sydney for the 2000 games and it’s some experience.
End of Nov. JL F JFK-HND with AA miles… who knows, maybe 5% chance :/
That would be a sweet flight. Fingers crossed!
Not yet. But I keep wanting to 🙂
I hear you on that! 🙂