May 2021 too soon?

1) too early to plan. We’ll see by Dec

Probably the best move if what you want to see isnt open this year.

2) Only booking refundable tickets

That or Cancel for any reason trip insurance almost always make sense. Compare which is cheaper.

3) Don’t care. Full throttle ahead

"Don't Care" so that would exclude those that thought they were making reasoned judgments? You might want to add that choice

4) Not dare go anywhere until COVID-19 is eradicated and/or I’m vaccinated.

The experts here say the vaccine isn't the solution for life as normal unless its 70% effective and 70% of the population takes it (Fauci's words) So better plan on an extended lock down if you want to eradicate the virus. [edited for whats-his-name]

5) We dare not plan anything until 2022

Fair option for many.

Oh, my answer.... #6 go when it works for you. For me that was 2 days ago

Since you asked, and said “Choose only one choice below”, i choose #5.

Option 5 for me. But then I had other things filling my time through most of 2021 anyway.

Yes, I think "too soon" / "too optimistic".

#2. I have a frequent flyer mile ticket to Europe for May 2021. I’ll see what happens

I suppose #2. We booked tickets using miles to Rome in April. Due to status, they are fully refundable in normal times, some added benefits now. We figure that things will maybe be better, but honestly, I am less confident about even February or March. If it works out, great, if not, then we will recalculate.

It also helps in that we are less concerned about museums and other sites being open, we have been to Italy several times, would be content with a comfortable place to stay, good food, and places to walk.

1. but I have planned just not booked

I have a day by day trip planned for early May including where to stay but have not booked anything. Unfortunately, that is the only timing that will work with our multiple schedules.

It is a redo of what we were going to do this year that got canceled.

I am obviously not confident this is going to happen. I wish I could plan for September but won't work schedule wise. I am willing to travel without a vaccine and wear a mask. But all that is irrelevant if Italy won't let Americans in.

The experts here say the vaccine isn't any good.

Really? A long history of questionable posts, here’s one more. James, why?

We are a long way from controlling this pandemic. Nobody knows if the vaccines currently in trial will be safe and effective, and if so, how long it will take before everyone who wants one can get immunized. There are no good therapies for the out of hospital infected. Herd immunity is a long way off. And, speaking of immunity,-nobody really knows if infection or a vaccine gives you that. I have trouble planning for next week let alone next year or the year after. I would not book anything until I know what the virus is doing right now. Anything else is wishful thinking. And as far as refundable-yeah, good as long as the company is still around or willing to comply with their terms. We had one fully refundable tour booked this summer that I finally had to turn over to my credit card company.

Like Carol, I have a frequent mile ticket to London booked for June 2021. I have US/UK passports and plan to stay with family for a month with 14 days built in for quarantine if needed. (I work in a school so have summer vacation for this). I am not planning to venture any further than my sister's English garden for 2021. I will be thankful just to go visit family if allowed. I thought this article in the Telegraph was interesting today. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/when-travel-normal-quarantine-covid-holidays/. I am being very cautiously optimistic about family travel. I think tourist travel is more likely to be 2022.

Margaret

Unfortunately, they want money from me to allow access to the article.

I was watching BBC this morning ... the European version, not the US one ... they report parts of Europe getting hammered with COVID this past few weeks. More surprising is the lack of testing; people waiting days if not weeks for a test. I can get one pretty much on demand in my home town. I was surprised.

Wish them well.

As James said, Covid’s surging again in Europe...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/17/europe/coronavirus-europe-who-second-wave-intl/index.html

You get a different perspective on a lot of things over here. News stories on European Beach parties and those fighting masks .... just like the US. The ones that were most interesting were the ones on the Siberia forest fires that make our western US fires look like chump change.

Susan, you know I am killing time waiting for my flight .......

2)

I too have booked with miles that can be either refundable or changeable at no cost. I went ahead with reservations in order to hopefully get the best flights with fewest miles and lowest fees. I have also booked a couple of b &b’s in areas that fill fast - but without needing prior payment. We’ll see. I unraveled one trip in 2020; I can unravel another in 2021 if necessary. And even if I lose a little money on exchange rates, I will have a full year of fun planning. For my 2020 trip, I lost less than I spent yesterday ordering Japanese fruit-infused honey....

Have a good flight James... : )

Number 5 is closest to my answer, though I am planning for Sept 2021. A vaccine will be nice, though I can't imagine that I won't have had the illness by then (if I haven't had it already). Occupational hazard. Hopefully near constant exposure to it over the next several months will keep my antibody level high once I get it!

I'm in 1/2/4

It is too early to plan if planning is about specifics and booking things. Especially non-refundable things (point 2!). However, it is fun to plan itineraries, get an idea of time you want in different places, learn things about your destination. It's never too early for that type of planning. I do think that by a year from now (fall 2021) enough people will be vaccinated that the covid risk will be reduced enough that I'm OK traveling. That's just my sense, obviously I have no psychic powers to know that.

I have a fully refundable airline miles ticket booked for in the US in July. I am not confident about borders being open consistently and without quarantine by then. Probably will be, but I'm just being careful. I do think I will feel safe flying in the US by then, but as I said - refundable. I wouldn't have bought tickets this early, but using FF miles you get the best flights if you select early.

I am mentally planning a trip to Spain/Portugal for next October. I have no idea when I'd book it, but it's in my mind as a reasonably possible option.

I think it will be 2023 before we can travel again to Europe as if it were 2019. We might be permitted again before 2023, but not without the uncertainties, restrictions, and covid-related hassles at the airport and such.

We have a Safari in East Africa next July and will go, with or without a vaccine, unless barred from going there.

We aren't buying our airline tickets until next year, when vaccines will likely be available.

I've rebooked my Turkey/Hungary trip for the end of April next year.
Everything is refundable except my airline ticket (unless Turkish canx the flights), but I had a credit to use from my 2020 cancelled flights. The uncertainty is there still: One day I am thinking I booked too early, and another day I think it will be okay.
I guess I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to travel at least by late spring next year.

We had a trip to Scotland planned for May of this year. When I had to start cancelling I thought maybe we could move it to Sept. It was obvious a few months later that wouldn't happen. I toyed with flying out west to BC at the end of August - well, that didn't pan out either.

I've been very tempted by the deals WestJet is offering (my tickets costs went into a 'travel bank' - I can get a refund but figured it's better to have our next flights 'prepaid' so to speak). I checked for the same days next May and it's about $500 cheaper and they are offering one time change or cancel for no fee. But I just couldn't bring myself to book. I honestly think May will be a wash. I think by January I'll be able to say yes or no. Of course, it comes down to quarantining and mask wearing- I hate wearing a mask - I do it, but I've severely limiting my shopping trips top basically the grocery store since NS made indoor masking mandatory on Aug 1. I went so far as to decline to go back to my seasonal job at the mall this year because the thought of wearing a mask for even a four hour shift annoys me. I can't see enjoying a trip if I had to have a mask on for half of it.

Covid may never be gone and their may never be an effective vaccine - life is short, so no way I'm waiting until #4 does or doesn't happen. I'm not in a high risk group.

I'm holding out hope for next Sept.

I think it will be 2023 before we can travel again to Europe as if it were 2019. We might be permitted again before 2023, but not without the uncertainties,

The above is an excerpt from "Fast Eddie"

I am more in agreement with this thought process. I don't know if travel abroad will be open to Americans next year. If not, then hopefully in 2022. It seems kind of weird to even project it out that far.

The virus may be around for a long time; if not forever now.

I am not in a risk category, but I really don't want to take any chances as much as I would love to get back to traveling.

For me, airline deals will probably always be around so I'm in no hurry to buy tickets and then not be able to travel or have to reschedule.

Who the hell knows?

I at am #1. I rebooked a 3 week cruise from last April to this April to use the cruiseline credit before end 2021. I don't cruise in the summer, and with retirement late 2021, I can't really do extensive travel near the end of my work life. Also, I had my heart set on this itnerary and it only runs twice a year. Well, it has been changed, and though successful so far, there are a lot of cruise restrictions including no leaving ship without ship sponsored tours. I am an independent traveler, so this doesn't impress me....but I get it.
Also, as an essential worker, even if Canada drops the required quarantine upon return, work may not - and that would be 10 unpaid days and 2 weeks away after almost a month. I doubt they would say 'yes, you can have leave'.
However, I have until late December to decide before final payment early Jan. If I can't take this cruise, I will request a cash refund from the cruise line and forget travel until my hoped for 3 months in SE Asia early 2022.
Fingers crossed a vaccine becomes available prior and that as an essential hospital worker, I get some priority.
It isn't personal reservation that is hampering my travel plans (even though I am over 60) - it is government and employee restrictions.

Why not wait until things look reasonable, and then book your trip?

It's impossible to tell when it will be feasible to travel to Europe. To me, 2021 is too early.

“5 is pessimistic”

Or realistic.

lol@ Eric of Beaverton.

True. Things change daily so who knows....

I have lots of possible itineraries with no dates attached to them as of yet. But definitely waiting until after this winter to even think about dates and booking.

I'm leaning 1, but at the same time I feel like #3...
I see amazing flight RT to Rome for $265 right now for May 2021. Unfortunately it is non refundable..
Too good to pass up? or take a gamble for $265 for each of us??
Like I said, sometimes I feel like just booking it and let the chips fall the way it is meant to, or be more cautious and do a wait and see approach...By then, the price will probably double..
I feel so torn right now...

If you can afford losing 2x $265, buy now.

I'm 74 and can't really wait too long to go. I realize that I'm at risk because of my age and I also have CHF so I'm conflicted about a trip but I'll go as soon as a vaccine is available.

I agree with Susan. If I found round trip tickets for May to some place I really wanted to go for that price, it would be worth the gamble for me.

Way too early to tell. IMHO, with schools opening up, family get togethers and holiday parties, I see a surge in numbers around January. I hope I'm wrong.

Just because a flight is non-refundable doesn't mean you can't salvage any value from it with - it depends what ultimately happens. If it gets cancelled by the airline, then you salvage 100%. If you change the time/date/flight, then you'll likely pay a change fee. I have no idea what the change fees are right now (the may be as outrageous as before - around $200 - I don't know), you should look into it before making a decision - at least you'll know what it's going to cost you to hedge. Airlines have been incredibly "generous" of late - allowing people to defer flights for 1 year or more. I have never purchased a refundable flight in my life (with the exception of maybe Southwest which is an anomaly when it comes to free changes) and I've traveled pretty extensively.

Alternatively, if you feel like just washing $265 (or $265 x 2) down the drain, I'll give you my address....I'd love a gift like that!

Haven’t stopped traveling, just changed where and how I am doing it. So far, took a trip to my home state of Washington for 11 days and now going to Mexico in November for some scuba diving and going to Baja, Mexico in January for a week at a spa. This virus with or without a vaccine will be with us for a long time. I don’t think we have to stop traveling we just need to travel differently.

Personally, I’d probably gamble the $ 265. But I also realize it’s a total gamble and I might lose my money.

I haven’t seen those type of airfares from Atlanta, so I’m sticking to my frequent flyer ticket to London next year. I’m not planning to go to London but I know that I can get a reasonably priced airfare from there to just about anywhere in Europe and we’ll see what’s open and safe next May. If nothings open and safe I’ll cancel and if I feel like there’s a good place I can go from London then I’ll hop on the plane and head wherever

There are some who are advocating to gamble $265 x2 for non refundable airfare. Although $265 x 2 is not a terrible sum of money, once I commit to buying the tickets, then I have to "commit" to hotel reservation, train reservation, other logistics cost. I can't imagine just buying the airplane tickets and sit by and cross my fingers and forget about other necessities of travel.

Once I commit to buying the airfare, you start to fall into a big rabbit hole and I am not sure if I am ready to tackle such a stress inducing logistics knowing it will be a moot point... And if everything is cancelled, then I have to do it all over again, trying to get refunds for all those work I have put into it.
Sorry, it's not the money... my time and stress level is way too important to undertake all these for now.

I actually could commit to a $265 airfare and then no worry about it for quite a while. But I think that's different for different people.

Right now I see NO need to book ANYTHING else. I don't foresee sold out hotels etc... for quite a while.