When Can We Travel Again? Get to Know From the Experts on the Use of Travel Credit Cards

4 Min Read | Published: July 5, 2024

A family sitting on floor with suitcases and hat, ready for travel

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Relaxed flight and lodging cancellation policies mean now may be a good time to plan a trip – just pay close attention to travel requirements at your destination.

At-A-Glance

Many Americans are warming to the idea of travel – with some caveats.
While some international destinations are reopening to visitors, uncertainty and frequent changes are the norm.
Relaxed change and cancellation policies could make now a good time to book.

Travel is back in a big way – especially leisure travel. While COVID-19 variants initially slowed the recovery of travel, and the following "revenge travel" phrase has waned, it’s still on the upswing.¹

In fact, according to The International Air Transport Association (IATA), North American air carriers saw a 12.3% rise in traffic in January 2024 compared to 2023.² And some airlines are encouraging that demand by keeping COVID policies that made it easier and less costly to change or cancel tickets.³

All this comes as more and more international borders are open to Americans,⁴ and the U.S. no longer requires visitors to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19.⁵

New Data on Travel

New research into consumer sentiment details that recovery.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, sentiment around leisure travel in 2024 is growing, and air passenger growth is up 6% compared to the year before. Also, “the share of travelers reporting having travel plans within the next six months increased to 93% in January from 92% in December.”⁶

Recent stories clearly show that many Americans are traveling. In fact, some destinations – like Miami⁷ - have been grappling with the effects of overtourism. And there have been ongoing shortages of hotel workers, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association.⁸ That’s partially because many Americans are focusing on domestic travel, visiting national parks and popular warm-weather destinations that are closer to home.⁹

International Travel

The international and business travel recovery is also happening.^10,11 Once you do your research, know the rules, and prepare to take to the skies, it’s not that difficult to make that bucket-list trip happen.

Check the U.S. Department of State’s “Learn About Your Destination” page for all the latest details.¹²

A few notes of caution here. Countries may continually reconsider travel restrictions, so know before you go. Most likely, if you are fully vaccinated, you’ll be fine – even if some spots reimpose strict entry requirements. If you’ve chosen not to get vaccinated, though, you may have fewer options in the near-term.

Still, existing policies are always subject to change – sometimes with little notice. Once you’ve booked your trip, it’s critical that you stay informed and can react if new travel restrictions are imposed.

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Relaxed Ticket Rules

So you are finally ready to take the plunge and book that trip of a lifetime. What if you change your mind at the last minute?

There is great news here too.

Some major airlines in the U.S. have permanently waived change and cancellation fees, a customer-friendly trend that took off in the fall of 2020.³ That means if you decide to cancel your trip, you may not lose the value of that ticket. For example, you may receive a voucher that can be used toward a future trip.

And if you want to change that ticket, some major players in the space will now accommodate you – with minimal out-of-pocket cost.³ That’s whether you use a credit card to pay for the ticket – ideally one that will earn you bonus points on airfare purchases – or redeem points or miles.

However, you should read the fine print and make sure these more relaxed booking rules apply to your trip before you hit “purchase.” And, if you book directly with the airline or hotel, you may have a stronger case for getting a cancellation refund than if you used a booking site or aggregator.

Increasingly, you can book with confidence knowing even in the worst-case scenario you won’t lose your hard-earned money.

The Takeaway

Many Americans are now ready to again hit the road. And with more and more countries welcoming Americans, easier hotel cancellation policies, and relaxed ticketing rules from airlines, now may be a great time to plan that trip you’ve been pining for.

¹ “The new normal: travel companies temper expectations for 2024,” Reuters

² “Passenger Demand Up 16.6% in January,” International Air Transport Association

³ “Travel Advisories,” United States Department of State

⁴ “COVID-19 international travel advisories,” USAGov

⁵ “The Latest Travel Data,” United States Travel Association

⁶ “These were some of 2023’s worst destinations for overtourism. Here’s how to avoid the crowds next year,” CNN Travel

⁷ “67% of surveyed hotels report staffing shortages,” American Hotel & Lodging Association

⁸ “New Travel Forecast Shows Normalizing of Leisure Travel Demand from Post-Pandemic Surge,” United States Travel Association

⁹ “The restoration of international travel continues to be a critical part of a full U.S. economic recovery,” United States Travel Association

¹⁰ “Business Travel Accelerating,” United States Travel Association

¹¹ “Learn About Your Destination,” United States Department of State

¹² “New Travel Forecast Shows Normalizing of Leisure Travel Demand from Post-Pandemic Surge,” United States Travel Association

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Clint Henderson is the Senior News Editor at The Points Guy. He is a former TV news Executive Producer, and has worked for some of the biggest media companies in the country including ABC News, MSNBC, and Fox.

All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.

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