What Budget Travelers Can Expect in 2015
An End to Same Day Refundable Hotel Reservations
Business travelers face some last-minute decisions. For them, the idea they can guarantee a reservation for 6 p.m. arrival is important. By that time of the day, their travel plans usually are clear.
But that privilege soon might disappear.
Marriott and Hilton announced changes late in 2014 effective January 1, 2015: notification of cancellation will be required the day before arrival or there will be no refund of pre-paid reservations.
Robert McGarvey wrote in his DailyFinance.com story that one reason for the change might have been the practice of tracking room rates through services such as Yapta.com. In some cases, travelers were waiting for rate dips, and simply canceling more expensive rooms moments prior to 6 p.m.
Asking a business to hold inventory with no financial commitment is a bit unusual. We're left to wonder if other major chains will follow Marriott and Hilton. Don't bet against it.
In 2015, budget travelers might have to adjust to the idea that if they make a guaranteed reservation, they have entered into a binding contract to pay for that room, whether or not they ever darken its doorway.
An Expansion of TSA Pre-Check
Expedited security screenings at airports are one luxury budget travelers can embrace. In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration offers a Pre-Check program that allows passengers in the process of screenings to bypass the awkward removal of shoes and jackets. They're also relieved from the need to remove laptops and liquids during a baggage check.
Expedited screenings have been offered to military personnel, airline workers and frequent fliers who were willing to submit to a background check and pay $85 USD for a five-year exemption from the standard lines.
Fewer than a million travelers are registered at this writing, but it's likely that number will expand in 2015.
The idea is to concentrate on unknown travelers while allowing greater latitude for those who have become known to TSA by virtue of passing the background check.
"Providing expedited security screening with a high degree of confidence is the best way to ensure we are focusing resources where they are most needed," said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole in the weeks prior to his retirement. Look for private sector companies to do the vetting for a new wave of Pre-Check applicants.
Airlines Squeeze Smaller Seats into Cabins
JetBlue recently announced plans to add 15 seats to their Airbus 320 planes. It's the model they use most frequently. Naturally, the planes aren't expanding to make room for those new revenue-generating seats. Your legroom is shrinking.
This shouldn't come as a huge shock to savvy travelers. Airlines are under intense pressure to squeeze more profits from each flight. We've already seen a variety of airline fees pop up in recent years -- requiring extra cash for services that once were free.
To be fair, JetBlue will continue to maintain a very competitive amount of legroom after these changes are implemented. Look for airlines to maintain a few rows where legroom is expanded, with premium prices to match.
Colombia Makes a Serious Bid for Tourists
Because of security threats, there was a time when very few visitors looked forward to a trip to Colombia. Those who had to be there on business took very careful precautions and departed as quickly as possible.
"We did have bad moments, and we didn't promote tourism in those days," says Claudia Davila, the U.S. tourism director for ProColombia
But Colombia has become a more attractive destination in recent years.
Hotel prices generally are affordable, and bargain flights between Florida and Bogota can be found throughout the year.
"We have become a very safe country," says Davila. "If you look for trouble, you will find it," Davila adds, "and the (U.S. State Department) warnings won't go away. But the best way to assure people is to get them to come here and see for themselves."
Colombia attracted about 4 million tourists in 2014. Davila says the key categories are wedding travel, business and conventions, history and culture, and adventure travel. Luxury travel is also a growing category, and in some places, a five-star room is significantly less expensive than in North America.
You won't find five-star resorts near the rain forests or the nation's best bird-watching sites. Those amenities are unlikely to develop anytime soon. But there are increasing opportunities for direct flights. JetBlue recently added a direct flight between Fort Lauderdale and the growing coastal resort city of Cartagena It's about a three-hour flight from Florida.
Several other major U.S. cities also are connected to Colombia with direct flights.
Colombian cities with direct flights to U.S. airports include Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla and Armenia.
Many other Latin American nations have overcome damaging travel myths to become successful vacation destinations. As with Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador, Colombia boasts beautiful natural resources. Look for nature tourism to play a key role in expanding the nation's tourist ranks.
"We don't have seasons in Colombia, but individual cities have very different climates," says Davila. "Our greatest natural resource is our people. They want to have you there."
Room Service is Reinvented
Budget travelers tend to avoid ordering from a room service menu. Premium prices are often attached.
Apparently, most travelers tend to agree that room service is to be avoided. PKF Hospitality Research indicates room service orders have dropped 20 percent in the past five years, and account for less than two percent of all hotel revenues.
What alternatives can we expect?
Because travelers arrive weary and dread sitting in a restaurant waiting for food, some sort of room service replacement is likely.
Entrepreneur reports Hilton and Doubletree are experimenting with a 24/7 model offering packaged take-out gourmet meals, some of which could be ordered prior to arrival.
Golf Vacations Decline as Adventure Travel Increases
Another travel product that could become less popular is the golf vacation.
The WTM Global Trends Report 2014 indicates "cycling has become a competitive sport for affluent, middle-aged men, traditionally the core market for golf." The total number of golfers has declined since its peak in the early 2000s.
Adventure travel is also popular with the Baby Boomer generation. "Travelers crave authentic experiences filled with activities not possible at home," says Mark Thomsen, Marketing Manager of Trek Travel.
Could we see more men trading their golf bags for Lycra suits and precision bicycles? Will zipline tours become more difficult to book than tee times?
Another revelation from the WTM Global Trends Report 2014: Peer-to-peer dining experiences have grown in popularity alongside services such as Airbnb and VRBO. If you're staying in someone's apartment, why not further enhance the local immersion as a dinner guest?
From the report: "sites such as EatWith and Bookalokal are pairing travellers with home cooks at their holiday destination.Visitors can then rate and review their hosts in terms of food quality, venue and cleanliness."
The report also noted that "online travel agents are taking a greater interest in the dining reservations sector, as shown by Priceline's purchase of OpenTable and TripAdvisor's deal to buy La Fourchette."
Just a few years ago, smart phone apps were a strange curiosity. They were not considered reliable as a go-to source for booking travel.
That's far from true today.
Research from the Travel Management Institute at Carlson Wagonlit Travel indicates while only about seven percent of travel bookings were made through travel apps in 2014, the proportion could rise to 25 percent by 2017. The report says "the number of mobile booking transactions will more than double between 2014 and 2016 in the three main travel categories (air, hotel and car rental)."
Trends and predictions for previous years.
Business travelers face some last-minute decisions. For them, the idea they can guarantee a reservation for 6 p.m. arrival is important. By that time of the day, their travel plans usually are clear.
But that privilege soon might disappear.
Marriott and Hilton announced changes late in 2014 effective January 1, 2015: notification of cancellation will be required the day before arrival or there will be no refund of pre-paid reservations.
Robert McGarvey wrote in his DailyFinance.com story that one reason for the change might have been the practice of tracking room rates through services such as Yapta.com. In some cases, travelers were waiting for rate dips, and simply canceling more expensive rooms moments prior to 6 p.m.
Asking a business to hold inventory with no financial commitment is a bit unusual. We're left to wonder if other major chains will follow Marriott and Hilton. Don't bet against it.
In 2015, budget travelers might have to adjust to the idea that if they make a guaranteed reservation, they have entered into a binding contract to pay for that room, whether or not they ever darken its doorway.
An Expansion of TSA Pre-Check
Expedited security screenings at airports are one luxury budget travelers can embrace. In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration offers a Pre-Check program that allows passengers in the process of screenings to bypass the awkward removal of shoes and jackets. They're also relieved from the need to remove laptops and liquids during a baggage check.
Expedited screenings have been offered to military personnel, airline workers and frequent fliers who were willing to submit to a background check and pay $85 USD for a five-year exemption from the standard lines.
Fewer than a million travelers are registered at this writing, but it's likely that number will expand in 2015.
The idea is to concentrate on unknown travelers while allowing greater latitude for those who have become known to TSA by virtue of passing the background check.
"Providing expedited security screening with a high degree of confidence is the best way to ensure we are focusing resources where they are most needed," said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole in the weeks prior to his retirement. Look for private sector companies to do the vetting for a new wave of Pre-Check applicants.
Airlines Squeeze Smaller Seats into Cabins
JetBlue recently announced plans to add 15 seats to their Airbus 320 planes. It's the model they use most frequently. Naturally, the planes aren't expanding to make room for those new revenue-generating seats. Your legroom is shrinking.
This shouldn't come as a huge shock to savvy travelers. Airlines are under intense pressure to squeeze more profits from each flight. We've already seen a variety of airline fees pop up in recent years -- requiring extra cash for services that once were free.
To be fair, JetBlue will continue to maintain a very competitive amount of legroom after these changes are implemented. Look for airlines to maintain a few rows where legroom is expanded, with premium prices to match.
Colombia Makes a Serious Bid for Tourists
Because of security threats, there was a time when very few visitors looked forward to a trip to Colombia. Those who had to be there on business took very careful precautions and departed as quickly as possible.
"We did have bad moments, and we didn't promote tourism in those days," says Claudia Davila, the U.S. tourism director for ProColombia
But Colombia has become a more attractive destination in recent years.
Hotel prices generally are affordable, and bargain flights between Florida and Bogota can be found throughout the year.
"We have become a very safe country," says Davila. "If you look for trouble, you will find it," Davila adds, "and the (U.S. State Department) warnings won't go away. But the best way to assure people is to get them to come here and see for themselves."
Colombia attracted about 4 million tourists in 2014. Davila says the key categories are wedding travel, business and conventions, history and culture, and adventure travel. Luxury travel is also a growing category, and in some places, a five-star room is significantly less expensive than in North America.
You won't find five-star resorts near the rain forests or the nation's best bird-watching sites. Those amenities are unlikely to develop anytime soon. But there are increasing opportunities for direct flights. JetBlue recently added a direct flight between Fort Lauderdale and the growing coastal resort city of Cartagena It's about a three-hour flight from Florida.
Several other major U.S. cities also are connected to Colombia with direct flights.
Colombian cities with direct flights to U.S. airports include Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla and Armenia.
Many other Latin American nations have overcome damaging travel myths to become successful vacation destinations. As with Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador, Colombia boasts beautiful natural resources. Look for nature tourism to play a key role in expanding the nation's tourist ranks.
"We don't have seasons in Colombia, but individual cities have very different climates," says Davila. "Our greatest natural resource is our people. They want to have you there."
Room Service is Reinvented
Budget travelers tend to avoid ordering from a room service menu. Premium prices are often attached.
Apparently, most travelers tend to agree that room service is to be avoided. PKF Hospitality Research indicates room service orders have dropped 20 percent in the past five years, and account for less than two percent of all hotel revenues.
What alternatives can we expect?
Because travelers arrive weary and dread sitting in a restaurant waiting for food, some sort of room service replacement is likely.
Entrepreneur reports Hilton and Doubletree are experimenting with a 24/7 model offering packaged take-out gourmet meals, some of which could be ordered prior to arrival.
Golf Vacations Decline as Adventure Travel Increases
Another travel product that could become less popular is the golf vacation.
The WTM Global Trends Report 2014 indicates "cycling has become a competitive sport for affluent, middle-aged men, traditionally the core market for golf." The total number of golfers has declined since its peak in the early 2000s.
Adventure travel is also popular with the Baby Boomer generation. "Travelers crave authentic experiences filled with activities not possible at home," says Mark Thomsen, Marketing Manager of Trek Travel.
Could we see more men trading their golf bags for Lycra suits and precision bicycles? Will zipline tours become more difficult to book than tee times?
Another revelation from the WTM Global Trends Report 2014: Peer-to-peer dining experiences have grown in popularity alongside services such as Airbnb and VRBO. If you're staying in someone's apartment, why not further enhance the local immersion as a dinner guest?
From the report: "sites such as EatWith and Bookalokal are pairing travellers with home cooks at their holiday destination.Visitors can then rate and review their hosts in terms of food quality, venue and cleanliness."
The report also noted that "online travel agents are taking a greater interest in the dining reservations sector, as shown by Priceline's purchase of OpenTable and TripAdvisor's deal to buy La Fourchette."
Just a few years ago, smart phone apps were a strange curiosity. They were not considered reliable as a go-to source for booking travel.
That's far from true today.
Research from the Travel Management Institute at Carlson Wagonlit Travel indicates while only about seven percent of travel bookings were made through travel apps in 2014, the proportion could rise to 25 percent by 2017. The report says "the number of mobile booking transactions will more than double between 2014 and 2016 in the three main travel categories (air, hotel and car rental)."
Trends and predictions for previous years.
