FLY
FLY AWAY ♪
♪
♪ YEAH,
♪ YEAH, YEAH ♪ >> AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR AT
BEING STUCK AT HOME, MANY
PEOPLE ARE I THINK FOR THE
GREAT ESCAPE.
GREAT ESCAPE. THE SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON IS
RED-HOT, BUT IT'S NOT TOO LATE
TO BOOK THAT VACATION.
KATHY BEDELL SHARES, TAKE A
LOOK.
LOOK.
LOOK. >>
LOOK. >> KATHY, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE YOU
BACK TO TALK TRAVEL.
I KNOW YOU HAVE DECADES IN THE
TRAVEL INDUSTRY AND LAST TIME
WE TALKED, THE INDUSTRY WAS
PRETTY MUCH DECIMATED.
NOW, HERE WE ARE, PEOPLE ARE
ITCHING TO GET OUT AND ABOUT.
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING RIGHT NOW?
.
.
. WE'RE
. WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT
BETTER RESULTS WITH CORPORATE,
BUT REALLY, THE LEISURE TRAVEL
HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED.
WE'RE SEEING FOLKS THAT ARE
PLANNING FOR SUMMER VACATIONS,
HAWAII IS A TOP DESTINATION,
MEXICO, FLORIDA, OF COURSE
CONTINUES TO BE A LOT PLACE,
AND THEN THE CARIBBEAN.
SPECIFICALLY ARUBA AND TURKS
AND CAICOS.
AND CAICOS. PEOPLE WANT TO MOST IMPORTANT
RELAX AND BE WITH FAMILY.
CHRISTINE: YOU MENTIONED THE
AIRPORT.
AIRPORT.
AIRPORT. PEOPLE AREN'T JUST DRIVING TO
DESTINATIONS, THEY'RE FLYING.
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IN TERMS OF
AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES?
>> WELL, THE AIRPORTS ARE
CONTINUING TO DO A REALLY
FANTASTIC JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERYONE IS SAFE.
THEY'RE STILL REQUIRING MASKS
OF COURSE, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR,
OF COURSE.
OF COURSE. TSA HAS INSTALLED PLEXIGLAS
SHIELDS THAT PROTECT THE
PASSENGER FROM THE AGENT AND
THEN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
I.D. VERIFICATION METHODS THEY
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. AND
HAVE. AND SO THE AIRLINES ARE DOING A
FANTASTIC JOB REQUIRING A MASK,
OF COURSE, THROUGH THE ENTIRE
DURATION OF THE FLIGHT EXCEPT
WHEN YOU'RE EATING OR DRINKING.
THEY'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB
MAKING SURE THAT THE AIRPLANES
ARE DISINFECTED PRIOR TO THE
BOARDING AND EVERYONE IS DOING
A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB.
AND THE AIRLINES HAVE INSTALLED
IN THEIR PLANES BETTER FILTERS
TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF THE
AIR ON BOARD.
SO, EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR
BEST TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL
CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE, TO
GET BACK OUT THERE AND GET ON
THOSE PLANES.
THOSE PLANES. >> THE VERY FEW TIMES I'VE
FLOWN, I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED.
EVERYBODY IS STEPPING UP, AS
YOU MENTIONED.
YOU MENTIONED. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SUMMER
TRAVEL, I WAS KIND OF WAITING
TO SEE IF WE COULD GET INTO
CAMP FOR THE KID AND OF COURSE,
I WOULD BOOK MY ANNUAL TRIP TO
FLORIDA ON VRBO.
THEY'RE GONE.
THEY'RE GONE. I MEAN, IT'S INCREDIBLE.
NOT GONE, THE INVENTORY I
SHOULD SAY IS SO LOW.
>> RIGHT, WELL, VACATION HOMES
HAS REALLY, AND I THINK I SPOKE
LAST TIME, I SAID THAT PEOPLE
WERE--
WERE--
WERE-- WELL, IT'S EVEN HOTTER NOW.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> AND PEOPLE ARE BOOKING
VACATION HOMES, SO, OBVIOUSLY,
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
YOU CAN STILL GET SOME, YOU
KNOW, HOMES.
KNOW, HOMES. BUT YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
HOTELS THAT WERE CLOSED DURING
THE PANDEMIC ARE NOW OPENING UP
FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS.
THE AVAILABILITY IS OUT THERE,
SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE DON'T
WAIT, BOOK NOW, BUT THERE'S
LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU
STILL.
STILL.
STILL. >>
STILL. >> AND RENTAL CAR PRICES, MY
GOODNESS, THEY'VE SKYROCKETED
AND ARE YOU SEEING THAT TREND
THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER?
>> I ABSOLUTELY EXPECT THAT--
YOU SHOULD EXPECT THAT TO
CONTINUE AND HONESTLY, EVERYONE
WAS AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC
AND THE CAR RENTALS
SPECIFICALLY HAD TO REDUCE THE
NUMBER OF CARS, THEY HAD TO
REDUCE THEIR FLEET TO REMAIN IN
BUSINESS, BASICALLY.
BUSINESS, BASICALLY. SO, AGAIN, BOOK THAT CAR RENTAL
IN ADVANCE, DON'T BE SURPRISED
IF THE RATES ARE--
THEY'VE INCREASED BECAUSE THEY
WILL.
WILL.
WILL. IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF, YOU
KNOW, THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. AND YOU'VE MENTIONED TRAVELLING
ABROAD AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE GET TO THAT.
HOW DO WE PREPARE?
GIVE US SOME EXTRA TIPS FOR
GETTING OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
>> OK, SO AS WE KNOW THEY'RE
TRYING TO OPEN UP.
EUROPE HAS SAID COME ON, U.S.
CITIZEN WE WANT THAT TOURISM,
BUT YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED TO
VALIDATE PROOF OF VACCINATION.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> AND YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO
DO COVID TESTING ONCE YOU
ARRIVE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY AND
PEOPLE SOMETIMES FORGET ABOUT
THIS, CHECK THE EXPIRATION ON
YOUR PASSPORT, BECAUSE SOME
COUNTRIES REQUIRE THREE TO SIX
MONTHS BEFORE YOUR PASSPORT,
YOU KNOW, EXPIRES.
SO, JUST VALIDATE THE
EXPIRATION ON THAT PASSPORT.
AND THEN DO SOME RESEARCH FOR
YOUR DESTINATION.
YOUR DESTINATION. SO, AGAIN, WHILE SOME OF THE
COUNTRIES MIGHT BE OPEN, MAYBE
A LOT OF THEIR MUSEUMS MIGHT BE
CLOSED.
CLOSED.
CLOSED. SO, AGAIN, DO SOME RESEARCH AND
REALLY, WORK WITH A TRAVEL
PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE THEY'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO DIRECT YOU
TO GUIDE YOU, TO GIVE YOU THE
LATEST AND UPDATE INFORMATION
BECAUSE THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT
WE DO IS PROVIDE THAT DATA FOR
OUR CUSTOMERS.
OUR CUSTOMERS. >> WELL, YOU'RE MY FAVORITE
TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL, I
APPRECIATE YOUR