Travel is something that changes constantly, but there are some trends that can be forecast for the coming year and here are 3 that I find to be important and/or fun.
Truly unplugged vacations
We are bombarded all day every day with digital media and our electronics that people are returning to the true vacation and leaving their laptops and mobile phones at home. Two weeks of no posting, tweeting, poking, blogging. The more access we have to digital lifelines the more we are glad to get away from it. Sure, we may want to share our travels with all our friends and followers, but we find that it can wait until we get home. Yes, the Digital Detox is becoming more and more popular. Maybe you'd like to plan a trip and spend more face time with your family/spouse than with your smart phone.
More exciting airports
So many people just hate hate hate going to the airport, but that may be about to change. In 2013, airports are getting more exciting around the globe. In addition to airports that have amazing entertainment already - like museums, sculpture gardens and day spas - other cities are giving travelers a reason to head to the airport early to enjoy cool stuff while they wait for their flights. It also helps to have a back-up plan to sitting around and being bored when a flight gets delayed or you have a long layover. Here are a few things you can look forward to:
- In-airport gyms
- Meditation and yoga rooms
- More pet relief areas
- More free Wi-Fi
- Play areas catering to kids and their harried parents
Airfare Hikes?
Nobody likes to hear about rates going up, but go up they do. Of course, this year it appears we may be paying less overall for U.S. travel, but with airline mergers, this may not make a big difference. Fewer planes means they will continue to be overbooked and routes will be as sparse as possible. You will have a harder time finding reward seats when using your frequent flyer miles, so the earlier you can book them, the larger your selection. These are not the times to wait until the last minute if you have plans to travel or absolutely have to be somewhere on a particular day. Make your budget plan and stick to it, so you can make your goals of booking between 6 weeks and 3 months in advance for paid tickets and further from your desired travel date when cashing in your frequent flyer miles.
Have you noticed any travel trends that you're looking forward to in 2014?
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