Travel demand stays high as costs rise—TPG tips

TPG tips – Even as airfare, hotels and everyday travel costs bite harder, most Americans say they’re planning to travel the same or more than last year. TPG’s travel guide focuses on practical ways to find deals, protect yourself when plans collapse, move through airport

Cost worries haven’t cooled the travel mood. A Summer Travel Sentiment survey with YouGov found that 71% of Americans polled are planning to travel either the same or even more than last year, even as prices rise across airfare and hotels.

With millions heading out by plane. cruise ship or car. the guidance is less about dreaming big and more about preventing the small problems that can turn a trip sour. For travelers who only go away occasionally and those who are already seasoned. the list starts with the kind of flexibility that can matter as much as the destination itself.

To find travel deals, the advice is straightforward: be flexible with dates. Changing an arrival or departure date by a single day can save hundreds of dollars on airfare. If travelers can shift their plans. booking directly on major holidays like the Fourth of July. Thanksgiving and Christmas may come with cheaper prices and thinner airport crowds.

Google Flights is presented as a core tool for bargain-hunting. Travelers can use the search field to find the cheapest or best flights. view historical price ranges. and set email alerts for fare changes on specific routes. The “Explore” button can also help travelers who are open to where they go—by entering a departure airport. Google Flights provides a map or list of wallet-friendly destinations.

Deal alerts are also part of the playbook. with TPG publishing regular alerts and suggesting readers subscribe to its daily newsletter for the latest deals news. Another cost-saving approach: don’t leave mileage awards sitting unused. With cash prices high. it can be a good time to burn miles—especially when paired with tools and strategies for redeeming miles for flights. including redemption ideas and even business-class upgrade inventory through sites such as ExpertFlyer. which is owned by TPG’s parent company. Red Ventures.

But the guide’s most urgent message lands in the middle of the practical steps: when air travel gets unpredictable, you have to protect yourself like you mean it. There are still air traffic controller shortages, and the system has little room for error. That means being your own best advocate.

Booking smarter starts with nonstop flights when possible, even if they cost a little more. The idea is to cut down on missed connections and reduce the risk of an airline misplacing luggage during transfers. Timing can also help: taking one of the first flights of the day is described as least likely to face afternoon thunderstorms and most likely to depart on time.

When things start to unravel, the steps become more tactical. Downloading an airline’s mobile app is framed as a “secret weapon. ” with travelers able to learn about delays in real time. see when boarding starts. and in some cases rebook directly in the app. If a flight is canceled. the recommendation is to move quickly—heading to the customer service desk or lounge desk. using the phone. or contacting the airline via social media. The guide notes that an airline representative on X may help faster than phone or in-person options. and it adds that many airlines now offer live chat during delays and cancellations.

Even the details matter when you’re trying to recover. Keeping an alternate plan—or two—means looking at what other airlines are flying the route you booked. so you know what to ask for when rebooking time comes. And it’s critical to save receipts for expenses incurred during delays or cancellations. with the guide pointing to the kind of chaos some Southwest Airlines passengers experienced during the 2022 holiday season.

There are also small “escape routes” for long waits: if you’re stuck at an airport for an extended period, the guide says to seek out your airport’s secret quiet spaces to step away from the travel chaos.

Speed through the airport is another major thread. Trusted Traveler programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are described as ways to avoid summertime megalines by having the government prescreen travelers for security. The application requires advance steps and a fee. TSA PreCheck is listed as a $78 application fee for five years, and Global Entry is listed as $120.

The difference is what you gain: TSA PreCheck lets travelers move through security without removing shoes, laptops or liquids. Global Entry allows travelers to breeze through customs when returning from an international trip. If there’s time to choose. the guide says Global Entry makes more sense than simply TSA PreCheck because Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck once you’re approved. Still. it requires an interview with Customs and Border Protection ahead of time. and the guide warns that it can take a while to get an appointment when renewal is needed.

The guide also includes Mobile Passport as another option, saying you don’t need pre-approval and it can speed through customs at some airports.

For an additional security tool, the guide turns to Clear. Clear kiosks use an iris scan or fingerprint. and a Clear employee escorts travelers to the front of the security screening line. It notes that Clear membership paired with TSA PreCheck can enable even shorter lines at some airports with designated Clear/PreCheck lines. Clear isn’t perfect everywhere—there are places where it can still mean long lines. mentioning Atlanta—but it argues it still leads to shorter lines overall.

Alongside fast lanes, there’s a document safety routine. The guide urges travelers to make copies of important documents: photograph a driver’s license. a state ID and/or a passport. and save those copies in a phone’s library in case you’re separated from the physical document. It also recommends having an actual photocopy stored separately at home. A specific example is included: the guide says the writer was asked for ID to enter One Vanderbilt to have dinner at the American Express Centurion New York restaurant. and that a receptionist would have accepted a photograph of the ID if the physical document hadn’t been available.

Before leaving, check expiration dates. The guide says to go check passport and other travel document expiration dates now. because renewing passports takes time and some countries require six months of future passport validity to allow entry. It adds that child passports expire every five years. Drivers’ licenses and state IDs should also be checked, since TSA screens expiration dates during security. Trusted Traveler programs are included too: check expiration dates for Global Entry. Clear and TSA PreCheck. because losing a PreCheck mark on a boarding pass can be a painful surprise.

For international trips, the guide says to check entry requirements as well, noting that some countries require visas that must be acquired before arrival.

Protection doesn’t end at the airport. When booking. travelers are encouraged to use cards that offer built-in travel protection. including coverage when airfare and similar travel are purchased with cards such as the American Express Platinum Card®. If that coverage isn’t enough. the guide says travel insurance may help. extending beyond trip cancellations into areas like medical evacuations. It also warns to carefully read fine print so coverage matches the situations that matter.

For frequent international travelers, the guide says annual travel insurance may be more practical than buying coverage trip by trip, citing cost savings for multiple trips and easier management than juggling separate policies and card coverage terms and conditions.

When luggage becomes part of the risk, the advice is to reduce the chance of separation. The guide’s first recommendation is to be “Team Carry-On” whenever possible. since skipping checked baggage makes it less likely you’ll be separated from your belongings. It also includes personal guidance on carry-on habits. with a preference for using a TravelPro backpack to maximize carry-ons. and a mention of the TravelPro expandable suitcase.

If checking bags is unavoidable. the guide suggests measures to lessen the fallout: keep luggage in good working order. attach contact information. keep the bag within weight limits. arrive early enough to check bags (but not too early). and confirm your luggage is tagged to the right destination or connection.

After “baggage delays and luggage disasters,” the guide strongly suggests using Apple AirTags—or the Android equivalent—to track luggage. It also recommends keeping extra medicine or medical supplies in the carry-on bag in case checked luggage is lost or delayed. A quote is included from TPG senior reporter Tanner Saunders. who says: “As a diabetic. I keep a tiny emergency kit in my backpack with enough supplies to keep me going in an emergency.”.

Packing strategically is the next move: keep most-needed items—phone, headphones, passport, travel documents and phone charger—within easy reach in the personal item. That’s meant to avoid the hassle of digging through bags or partially unpacking when you need something quickly.

And if baggage does go missing, compensation matters. The guide says airlines may provide points or even cash for delayed bags, and that the government has rules on compensation if bags are lost.

Safety while away from home is framed as a mix of preparation and awareness. The guide recommends paying attention to U.S. Department of State warnings for destinations, while also checking local sources for the latest news from the country or region. It notes that the State Department tends to err on the side of caution. but says awareness still helps you prepare for what you may face.

It also urges travelers to know the local number for emergencies. It points out that in many places—including Mexico and much of Europe—dialing 9-1-1 on a cellphone connects you to emergency services like in the U.S. but travelers should still know the local emergency numbers for the countries they visit.

Staying connected is another safeguard: the guide says to let people at home know your itinerary and stay in touch throughout your trip so someone will know where you’re supposed to be—or your last location—if something goes wrong.

For arrival at night, it recommends contacting the hotel or home-share host to ask about the safest ways to get there.

Even check-in choices can play a role, especially for solo travelers. The guide suggests some solo travelers request two keycards to imply someone else is on the trip. and it also mentions considering the security swing bar in the hotel room—saying some travelers place a hand towel over it to make it harder to dislodge from the outside.

For cruisers, TPG principal cruise writer Gene Sloan recommends arriving in port at least a day in advance, if not several days ahead, to avoid missing the ship’s departure time and to acclimate to the local time zone.

Road trippers heading to out-of-the-way destinations are told to go old school with paper maps or offline maps downloaded from Google, because offline navigation helps even if cellular service disappears.

Finally, for those who plan to drive to the airport, the guide recommends reserving airport parking ahead of time during peak travel times, noting that airport parking areas fill up fast around holidays. Booking online in advance can also save money.

The bottom line is practical: whether someone is new to travel or a seasoned expert. the guide argues that research and preparation make trips smoother—especially when problems hit. It points travelers toward deal alerts, Google Flights, sign-up bonuses and credit card rewards. And it closes on a reminder that when things go wrong. the guide insists travelers will need to be their own best advocate.

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