SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Travel numbers are higher than at any point during the pandemic, but still nowhere near the number of travelers pre-pandemic.
It's affecting airlines, cruise lines, hotels and many other industries during the holidays, including travel agencies.
Tammy Fisher with Scottsdale's Tammy Fisher Travel said her business has changed entirely since 2020.
"I have to know the rules for groups getting together in countries, I have to know the rues for dining in and out," Fisher explained. "Not just in countries, every state, every county. It's a lot of work, I'm happy to do it because I appreciate the learning curve but it's a lot of work."
At the start of the pandemic, she said she had to get a third phone line just to keep up with all the cancellations.
"Hundreds of cancellations," she continued. "I probably spent 25 hours a week just on hold."
While the cancellations have slowed down, there are new rescheduling challenges ahead.
"So the new problem is we’re now at 2022, we have two years worth of people who have been paid and are ready to travel. We have to find them dates in 2022 hopefully."
Expect to pay a bit more for rescheduled or deferred trips.
"Obviously there are thousands of flights going out of Sky Harbor, there's a third of them going out now," Fisher said. "So you'll pay at least 30 to 40 percent more {than you did pre-pandemic}."
The travel landscape is constantly changing with new COVID-related rules and regulations. For this very reason, Fisher said it's important to get cancellation insurance.
"I will not book a vacation anymore with cancellation insurance," Fisher stated. Insurance companies have changed the rules, it used to be 'cancel for any reason,' now they have 'we don’t cancel for COVID-19."
Make sure you check with your agent, read your policy, and know what you're buying.
"If you get cancellation insurance through a vacation company, which I try to bundle, it’s usually $100-200 dollars per person."
Fisher said the end of the year is usually the busiest time for her because of Christmas and New Years Eve.
"This Christmas I don’t have anyone going to Christmas markets, and that’s usually a huge vacation. People go to France and Germany to all the little villages and we’re not doing them. They don't fully know the rules because they keep changing and it’s expensive so now we're pushing out into the summer."
Fisher said Spring Break is also usually booked up by now, but it's not.
"I would’ve been booking October and November for Spring Break and now it's December and I can find rooms and deals which blows my mind. In a normal year it would be completely sold out, no seats on the plane, there's still even availability for Christmas which is in a couple days."
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