Holiday Travelers are Booking Earlier This Year By Our Town Gwinnett Staff Although the summer travel season just ended, Georgians are already beginning to lock in their holiday travel plans. In fact, according to a new AAA survey, 69% of residents are already planning to take a holiday vacation. More than half of them (55%) booked holiday plans earlier this year due to higher travel prices. Three-fifths of holiday travelers (61%) say they plan at least one flight during the holiday season. “Whether you plan to book a flight, cruise, or visit a theme park, it’s best to get ahead of the holiday rush and finalize your plans now,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “This will help ensure you get the itinerary you want at a competitive price. While it’s possible that those who wait until the last minute could catch a lower rate, their preferred options may already be gone.” Thanksgiving Travel Two-thirds of Georgia travelers (66%) are planning a trip with at least one overnight stay for Thanksgiving. The busiest travel days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday. Consider booking a flight on Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving and Saturday after the holiday. Airports should be less busy, and flights should have more availability. Christmas Travel The timing is spread out for Georgians planning a Christmas trip. Only 10% have already finalized plans, as a fifth waited until September (20%), with more waiting until October (38%) and November (19%) to book. Regardless of what date Christmas falls on, most travelers depart two to four days before the holiday. Since Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year, travelers should expect the busiest days at the airport to be Friday and Saturday before the holiday. AAA’s Advice for Booking a Flight • Book early for the best combination of availability and price. Most travelers want to skip layovers and get right to their destination. That means nonstop flights will fill up fast, especially those going
cross-country and internationally. • Book a direct flight that leaves early in the morning. Afternoon and evening flights are more susceptible to delays/cancellations due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Connecting flights multiplies the risk of something going wrong. • Consider traveling a day or two earlier than planned. Even if you face delays, you are still likely to arrive on time. • If your flight has connections, build between flights in a couple of hours. This way, if your first flight is delayed, you are less likely to miss your second one. Flight Concerns One-third of Georgians (34%) say they are less likely to fly this year because they’re concerned about flight delays and cancellations. AAA urges travelers to consider travel insurance, which provides financial compensation if your flight is affected by covered reasons like severe winter weather, which can ruin your plans. “Given recent challenges with air travel, we are seeing more and more passengers opt for travel insurance,” Haas said. “Travel Insurance is such a valuable resource for air travelers because it provides financial benefits for lost or delayed luggage, flight cancellations, and flight delays of as little as three hours.” More People are Gifting Experiences Instead of Presents AAA travel advisors say they’re seeing more people gift travel experiences to loved ones instead of presents. That means those people are already thinking about the holidays. “I just booked travel for one family who’s surprising their children on Christmas morning with a trip to Disney World, leaving later that same day! That family was sure to book early to get exactly what they wanted,” said Cady DeBlois, a travel advisor for AAA. YOLO (You Only Live Once) is Replacing Bucket Lists After three years of a pandemic, many travelers are tackling their bucket lists now! “I’ve had travelers tell me, ‘I don’t know what my health will be in five or ten years, let’s go abroad this year,’” said Jodi Abata, AAA travel advisor, who frequently books international trips for members. “There seems to be a sense of adventure from more people now. They don’t want to delay travel any longer.” Europe, Cruises, and Theme Parks Sell Out in Advance European travel is booming this year, and the holidays will be no exception. AAA travel advisors say touring Christmas markets in Europe is extremely popular, and itineraries sell out in advance. River cruises are also in high demand during the holidays, along with Caribbean cruises. Theme parks are a holiday favorite among families with kids when students are on winter break. DeBlois added, “I’ve already booked theme park vacations for Christmas 2024! That’s how eager many families are to get their holiday plans on the books.” More information at AAA.com, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Precious Hands Home Care Services Cont’ d from page 5 Rolande and her team work hard to cater to each client’s individual needs. There is no one-size-fits-all philosophy to be found here. They work with clients as much as they can on everything from scheduling to the needed level of care. “Each time you have the opportunity to impact someone’s life, it gives you a sense of fulfilling your purpose on earth,” said Rolande. “It’s a personal fulfillment and it’s also my calling to help and to put a smile on the face of the seniors and medically frail community.” If you want to learn more about how these services can help you, give them a call at 770-837-8569 or head to their website and fill out their online form. Someone will be back with you in twenty-four hours to discuss your needs. Rolande said it best: “We are passionate about the care we offer – Jesus loves everybody, so that’s what we’re here to do.” More information at precioushandscare.com/contacts/
October 2023 Our Town Gwinnett
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