It’s almost May (!) and Lindsey and I have been daydreaming about our summer vacations. After a few busy months of work—and what feels like many, many months of being cooped up inside—I’m ready to be sitting lakeside with a good book and cold drink in hand.
There is some worry, of course, of the high prices and anticipated hiccups we could experience traveling this summer. In 2023, I wrote about the summer travel season from hell, when staffing shortages, a lack of government oversight, and a pandemic-induced hangover caused virtually every facet of the industry—from flights to rental cars to hotels—to malfunction. But this summer could make that meltdown look quaint by comparison.
That’s thanks to the war in Iran, which has sent gas prices spiraling and sent airlines into chaos, with international airlines canceling routes and U.S. firms raising prices and tacking on fees. None of that may not be enough to completely deter a trip, but it does make it a bit tougher of a calculation.
Right now, Chris and I are trying to plan a summer trip with my family to Michigan, and we will likely fly. Luckily, we both have flexible schedules, so hopefully we can find a cheap-ish flight. We may also try to make it out to Maine to see his family in the late summer, and we’ll drive. No telling how high gas prices will be then.
Still, I’m looking forward to both trips—and some much needed lake time—and wouldn’t miss them, unless prices are truly out of this world. Where are you planning to travel this summer? And how are you thinking about paying for it?
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Alicia Adamczyk
