Saturday, November 8, 2025

The 2025 quest for Leisure "Premium" air travel

 
  "Premium air travel is being pushed by increased demand from both leisure and corporate travelers who are willing to pay more for enhanced comfort and services, coupled with airline strategies to reconfigure cabin space to maximize revenue from premium seats. This is driven by a desire for better flying experiences, the post-pandemic "revenge travel" trend, and strong demand in the corporate sector, prompting airlines to invest in new premium products like upgraded seats, enhanced entertainment, and better amenities," claims Google's AI.
  However, my many years of experience in every aspect of the travel industry tells me there's a fly in the traveler's ointment. 
  A 'remade' Economy section, is just another Economy section with seats that are clustered together and the airlines are simply 'reselling' the same seats at a higher price by 'renaming' the seat as "Premium."
  Nevertheless, my 2 website informational sources disagree with my gut instinct—both sources claim that cabins are actually being redesigned to make a "Premium" section with amenities that are better than previously offered, but my knowledge of the airline industry makes me doubt the revamping of a complete plane will be speedily achieved.
  There is a reason for the airlines to tout the creation of "Premium" cabins and to claim that now there will be flights with only "Premium" cabins.
  The airlines have noticed a quest for comfort by the flushed with money to spend 'leisure consumer' who specifically asks for a "Premium" seat, and they are a better avenue of revenue, although the airlines have found there aren't enough "Premium" seats to assign in a cabin that has an Economy section, too, which suggests to me that the airline cabin is being renamed "Premium" to fill the leisure traveler's requests.
  Certainly, it has come to the airlines' attention that their traditional "Premium" seat Business traveler is now using ZOOM, and when they do fly, they expect all sorts of perks, while the Leisure traveler\ just wants a "Premium" seat and is willing to pay for it—as usual, airlines are going to cash in while the trend for leisure "Premium" travel continues.
  I would suggest that if you want more comfort, you should travel with a group of your friends and family, and pay for a 'Charter' experience—you may find that the more 'forward' your seat is in the newly renamed "Premium" cabin, the price will match up.
  If you still want to book an scheduled major airline, you will find the planes with a "Premium" cabin may still exist within the Economy section 'back of the plane' seats. 
  Or, it could be those formerly back of the plane seats are now 'the cheapest' "Premium" seats, but with varying 'levels' of service, such as more food choices—as well, now the previously designated 'Business' cabin seats with more leg room are the 'priciest'  leisure travel "Premium" seats.
  The silver lining is that your memories outlast the price you need to spend for a 'Premium' airline seat in 2025.
  And as usual, I wish you happy traveling!
 

 

 

Thursday, October 9, 2025

With more 'bang for the buck' 2025 Travel destinations

  According to Google's AI, "For 2025, travel destinations offering excellent value for your money include Southeast Asian countries like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia; South American countries such as Peru and Colombia; and several countries in Europe like Portugal, Hungary, and Romania. These locations provide a rich cultural and scenic experience without a high price tag, particularly because your home currency often goes further there…"
  The key to finding a travel destination with 'more bang for the buck' is to check on the dollar rate in the country you want to visit.
  However, there's more it than that, the destination should be less known, particularly a nation that is not in the Western European sphere, as can be seen from the AI summary above.
  And for those who want to stay in the US and not bother will the needed visa for European travel, AI suggests, Moab, Utah, my link to hotels doesn't show the rock formations or the stark beauty of the area, but the hotels are inexpensive, even for major hotel chains like Hilton. As well, my research pulled up the Expedia website, where suggestions for specific travel times and to certain resorts also have specific number of days for the booking, which means that in season, in Orlando or Ft. Lauderdale for instance, some hotels need advance bookings, and others may have other issues, too.
  I've also included a website that touts states like Michigan where stays in national parks camping sites are economical, now that the price of gas is low, renting a camper if you are the camping type has 'great bang for your buck'.
  My suggestion for those like me enjoy upscale traveling in a more Western European place where a stay in a five star hotel at a two or three star price is possible, there's Georgia, Estonia, for instance, also, Bulgaria, and safety is guaranteed since the governments are not endowed with Westernized freedoms, but there is little tolerance for flouting the laws, no drugs permitted. and your flights there could be limited to National airlines with safety record problems, however, you can book a flight to a neighboring country, and use the train, or a bus, to get to your destination, it's best to stay in the capital city of that country where pleasing tourists is the main business. 
  When traveling to in 'season US destinations', my advice is, do check out the reasons why a stay has a price 'too good to be true'.
  Nonetheless, remember, travel memories are more memorable when there's a problem that you do overcome, for example, I recall booking a stay in a castle in Sienna from an ad in THE SATURDAY REVIEW—the rooms were in the castle's once dungeon, damp and uncomfortable, I ended up in a charming pension where the fantastic meals were included, but at a cost far exceeding my $200 budget for two weeks, stuck with a special deal for the airline fare,  I used my credit card, and ended up paying it off over time, now all these years later, I can still taste the wonderful food, and I do recall the scenic view of olive trees planted in a pristine country landscape from the window opposite the bed where I had my breakfast bought to me on a tray.


 

 

 

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Fall/winter/spring stateside & international 2025-2026 travel trends

 
     I have found that Google's AI has been an excellent addition to my research, although I still provide links to websites whose information is based on statistics for trends that are easily verifiable, when I posed the question that titles this blog into my "search engine" I received a good assortment websites that I believe will be helpful to the readers of my blog who are planning a fall/winter/spring getaway that is fun and thrifty, too.
     However, I'll start off with Goggle's AI assessment:"For 2025-26, anticipate a rise in solo and longer trips, with a continued focus on nature-based, less-crowded destinations and eco-conscious travel, both stateside and internationally. "Coolcationing," or seeking cooler climates, will persist, driving travelers to northern U.S. states and potentially further afield. International travel will likely see growth in regions with strong historical and cultural offerings, with a focus on local immersion and potentially “noctourism,” or experiencing cities at night."
     It is interesting that United Health Care, a large USA health care provider, has entered the travel field, moreover, they have done so, to champion several destinations as a 'safe trip'.
     And when I linked to the suggestions provided by United Health Care, lo and behold, travel professionals were provided to effect the kind of trip United Health Care considers for it's members as these 'safe' suggested trips were a 'health wise' destination and as well 'crime-less',travel professionals are involved in making the 'safe travel'  arrangements, and are suggesting all United Health Care's 'safer' destinations.
     Whether the United Health Care travel arrangements are as promised, I cannot say, although I don't doubt that United Health Care has done their 'due diligence',  I'd check it out before booking the trip, and look for the 'disclaimer.'
     The research link to Forbes, a respected travel website, notes that travelers are trending toward fall, not only because shoulder season is a good buy $$$ wise, travel at that time of year is relatively less crowded with tourists, but then if everyone has the same idea, a traveler looking for 'less tourists' may be disappointed.
      Regardless, whatever you do, travel is a "memory keeping" experience, and for me, as I don't venture out to the great travel race anymore, I can rely on photos and a secure knowledge that when I traveled in pursuit of comfort travel at less $$, I found it, and so I wish you and yours the fantastic travel experiences I had enjoyed but perhaps with less 'Murphy's Law' adventures.
      Happy traveling!