Sophia Michaels
The coronavirus is starting to have serious effects on the travel industry. Popular tourist sites around the world are eerily empty. Flights are nowhere near selling out. Hotels are flush with unoccupied rooms. The line between sensible precautions and outright panic is growing more blurred by the second.
While we recommend traveling wisely, we’re always going to keep it 100 with you. The fact is, coronavirus is mostly fatal to people in the higher age ranges. The highest fatality rate for the virus is 14.8 percent in the 80-year-old plus demographic. If you’re in your 20s, that rate falls to 0.2 percent. Overall, more than half of the people who contracted the virus have already recovered. And, with barely a dozen deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus so far, we’re still nowhere near the 20,000 deaths the U.S. (alone) sees from the common flu every single year.
Right now airlines, hotels, and tour companies are slashing prices to entice you to hit the road — though there are some travel restrictions in play from Japan to Italy to South Korea to Iran to China. Even if you don’t want to travel right now, you can use the industry downturn to your advantage (especially on flights). Make some plans now for when flu season ends and all of this is a distant memory.
FLIGHTS
The airline industry is taking a pounding at the moment. Flights are straight-up empty and airlines are getting itchy. Right now, flights are bottoming out price-wise. But we can assure you, once the flu season ends and people start kicking up searches, prices will skyrocket so that the airlines can recoup their losses.
Now is the time to buy tickets. Seriously.
Cheap Flights Around America (Google Explore)
The best bet to find cheap flights around America is to use a service like Google Explore. You simply set your home airport and a map will appear with roundtrip prices all over the country.
For instance, flights from Seattle to Los Angeles are less than $100 roundtrip. Flights to Miami and New York are running between $150 and $200, again roundtrip. Those are rock bottom prices, folks.
Cheap Flights To Europe (Kayak Explore)
Likewise, if you’re looking to go further afield, you can also dip into Kayak Explore. Prices from New York to Paris, Dublin, London, Brussels, and Barcelona are running $250 to $300 roundtrip. That’s crazy inexpensive to get all the way to Europe.
$30 Flights Around America with Frontier
Back in the U.S., Frontier has sales on flights all over the country for around $30 each way. That doesn’t include a carry-on, which will set you back another $30. Still, that’s $60 to get out of the house and get your mind off the news as you see a new corner of the country.
$20 Flights Around America with Alaska Air
Alaska is running a March sale until March 7th on flights throughout the U.S., including Hawai’i. You can score one-way tickets for as low as $20. Further afield, one-way flights from Seattle to Honolulu are only $99 each way right now. That’s unbeatable.
$140 One-way Flights To Europe with Norwegian
Crossing the Atlantic is getting cheaper and cheaper. Right now, budget carrier Norwegian is offering one-way flights to Europe for as low as $149. That includes a carry-on bag and in-seat entertainment. And, if you’re flying from the East Coast, you don’t need much more.
$20 One-Way Flights Around Europe with Ryanair
Once you get to Europe, you might as well see a little more of it. Ryanair is offering flights all over the continent for as little as $20 each way. That’s the average. If you really shop the site, you’ll find tickets for as little as $5 one-way. That’s basically the price of a Starbucks coffee to see a new city.
$200 One-Way Flights To Japan with Air Asia
Yes, we know Japan is on a restricted travel list right now. But, let’s be real, that’s not going to last forever. And, while that restriction is in place, flights are going to be bottomed out. Case in point, flights from Hawai’i to Osaka are $200 each way right now. That covers flying from the spring through the end of the year, with some dates more expensive than others.
Still, $99 to get to Honolulu and then only another $200 to get to Japan is a crazy bargain to get to East Asia.
OTHER TRAVEL DEALS
Our best advice is to start setting alerts for “travel deals” and wait for them to roll in. Most travel companies and airlines are already loosening their rules on postponements and refunds, which means they’re also lowering prices to draw you in. Be specific with your alerts too. “Hilton room sale,” “Cheap Hotels in Vegas,” or “Caribbean Cruise Sales” are all going to ping for you right now.
Save 20% At The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
Pretty much every major resort in Vegas is going to be having a sale of 15 to 25 percent off right now. That discount will also include resort credits and maybe even a free night here and there. The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is a prime example with a 20 percent discount off mid-week stays. That deal also includes $50 to spend poolside at one of their legendary pool parties.
And don’t sleep on The Cosmo’s amazing food scene.
Save 25% At The Lexington Hotel in New York
Finding affordable digs in New York is going to be pretty easy in the coming weeks and months. Right now, decent discounts of 25 percent are the norm. That’s enough of a discount to equate to a free night over a five-night stay at a dope spot like The Lexington Hotel right in the center of Manhattan.
Save 20% Off Contiki Trips During Their Mega March Sale
Youth-focused travel group Contiki wants to get you on the road this month. They’re taking 20 percent off the top of trips all over the world. Plus, the company has relaxed its deposit and change policies in case you do get cold feet and want to rebook for a later date.
Save 30% Off U River Cruises In 2020
Gen-Z and millennial-focused U River Cruises has some of the raddest river cruises in Europe. You can score a whopping 30 percent discount on cruises throughout Europe right now. They’ve also cut their single-supplement price by 50 percent, giving you some extra cash in your pocket if you’re looking to fly solo.
Rent A Car For $3 In Europe
Speaking of getting around Europe, Ryanair has one of the best rental car outlets on the continent. Right now, you can score a compact car for as little as $3 per day. Seriously. Three bucks a day (plus gas) is an amazingly cheap way to see Europe without worrying about a couple of hundred people on a plane or train.
Save 20% Off Amtrak Trains Across America
Getting a 20 percent discount on an Amtrak journey is a great incentive to skip the plane and ride the environmentally friendly rails. The discount applies to all the major cross-country lines and only requires you to book at least one week in advance. That’s easy and a money saver.
Written by: Uproxx
