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Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a first-time or frequent traveler

Editor's Note

Travel demand is on fire.

The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen a record number of passengers this summer. According to the TSA, seven of the 10 busiest days for screening passengers occurred in the past month alone.

As millions of travelers take trips by plane , cruise ship or car , we've gathered some essential travel tips on how best to book and enjoy your journeys.

Whether you're an occasional road-tripper or a frequent globe-trotter, these TPG-backed top travel tips can help you avoid unnecessary headaches when you spend time away from home.

How to find travel deals

Flexibility is key when it comes to finding cheap airfare any time of year. Changing your arrival or departure date by a single day can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare. If you don't mind altering your family's plans slightly, consider booking travel directly on major holidays like the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas for cheaper prices and thinner airport crowds.

One of TPG's favorite tools for finding deals is Google Flights . You can use the search field to find the cheapest (or best) flights. Google will also give you a historical view of past price ranges, and it will even send you email alerts if fares jump or drop on specific routes you've selected.

It also has some fun tools for finding a cheap destination. By clicking the "Explore" button on the sidebar and entering your departure airport, Google Flights will give you a map or list of the most wallet-friendly destinations.

However, Google isn't the only place to find deals: TPG publishes regular deal alerts. You can sign up for alerts on X and subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest deals news.

Don't sleep on mileage awards, either. If you've been hoarding miles since the beginning of the pandemic, it's time to spend them. Cash prices are high, so it can be a good time to burn those miles.

No matter how much you think you know about redeeming miles for flights , there are always new tips and tricks for turning those earnings into dream trips. Turn to TPG for guidance on sweet spots for redemptions. Sites like ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures) supply additional redemption ideas or even business-class upgrade inventory.

You may even want to consult a travel agent to get access to special deals that aren't available anywhere else. Travel agents can sometimes get extra perks at hotels or even cheaper business-class airfare to your dream destination.

Be your own best advocate

Because there are still air traffic controller shortages and there's little room for error in the system these days, travelers have to be their own best advocates.

There are ways to get ahead of any possible travel nightmares.

First, be smart when booking. Try to find a nonstop flight rather than one with connections, even if it costs a little more. You'll eliminate the risk of missing connections and lessen the chance of an airline misplacing your luggage during a transfer.

You could also take one of the first flights of the day, as those are least likely to face afternoon thunderstorms and most likely to depart on time. We've even compiled five reasons to book the first flight of the day with all the data.

Related: Your flight is canceled or delayed — here's what you should do next

Download your airline's mobile app to keep track of potential flight delays in real time. The airline app is a secret weapon in case things go wrong. Not only will you know when boarding starts, but you'll also learn of any delays first. Some airlines even allow you to rebook yourself in the app.

If your flight is canceled, you'll want to beat everyone else on your flight who is also looking to get rebooked.

We recommend heading to the customer service desk (or lounge desk if you have access). If there's a delay, you could also get on the phone with the airline or contact them via social media . Sometimes, an airline's representative on X will help you faster than a phone or in-person agent can. You have to use every tool at your disposal when things go south.

Many airlines now have live chat capabilities to help navigate delays and cancellations.

I always have an alternate plan (or two) in the back of my mind in case a flight gets canceled or delayed. I also look to see what other airlines are flying the route I'm booked in case something goes awry. This way, I'll know what to ask for if I need to be rebooked.

Also, save all the receipts for the expenses you incur during delays or cancellations. You'll want excellent documentation in case of meltdowns like the one Southwest Airlines passengers experienced during the 2022 holiday season .

If you're stuck at an airport for an extended period, seek out your airport's secret quiet spaces for a brief escape from the travel chaos.

Get Global Entry and/or TSA PreCheck

One of our favorite ways to speed through the airport and avoid those summertime megalines is via Trusted Traveler programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry .

Essentially, the government prescreens you for security, saving you a bit of time during your travels. You'll need to apply ahead of time and pay a fee. The great news is that many credit cards will give you a statement credit for these fees. TSA PreCheck is a $78 application fee for five years, and Global Entry is $100.

Related: Ways to get Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and/or Clear for free

TSA PreCheck allows you to speed through airport security without removing your shoes, laptops or liquids. With Global Entry , you can breeze through customs when you return from an international trip.

If you have the time, it makes sense to go for Global Entry rather than simply TSA PreCheck . Global Entry requires an interview with Customs and Border Patrol ahead of time, but once you're approved, TSA PreCheck will be included.

One other hack to mention is Mobile Passport . You don't even need to be preapproved for the service, and it can speed you through customs at some airports.

Related: Here's what you need to know about Mobile Passport

Get Clear for the ultimate security trifecta

The other security tool we recommend you have in your travel toolbelt is Clear .

Related: Why you should get TSA PreCheck and Clear

The expedited security program allows you to bypass long security lines by using a separate lane at many airports. You'll approach a kiosk that confirms your identity via an iris scan or fingerprint. A Clear employee will then escort you to the front of the security screening line.

A Clear membership combined with TSA PreCheck will enable you to go to even shorter lines at some airports with designated Clear/PreCheck lines. Clear isn't perfect at all airports where it's very popular and there are now long lines (cough, Atlanta). However, it will still lead to shorter lines overall.

Related: Guide to using the Amex Platinum Clear benefit

Make copies of your important documents

Make digital and hard copies of all your important travel-related documents. Start by photographing your driver's license, your state ID and/or your passport.

You should have copies of your IDs in your phone's library in case you get separated from the actual document. Sometimes, it also helps in a pinch if you are asked for ID but didn't bring the hard copy. For example, I was recently asked for my ID to enter One Vanderbilt to have dinner at the new American Express Centurion Lounge in New York. The receptionist would have accepted a photograph of the ID if I didn't have the physical document.

TPG also recommends having an actual photocopy in a separate place. TPG editor Kristy Tolley said she stores a hard copy in a separate place from where she keeps her passport in case she loses a bag. "I also leave a copy of it at home if I'm traveling alone," she said.

Check expiration dates

If you aren't 100% certain of the expiration date of your passport and other travel documents, go check them now. Renewing passports takes time, and some countries require six months of future passport validity to allow entry. Remember that child passports expire every five years, which can sneak up on you.

Related: How and when to renew your passport

Double-checking the expiration dates for driver's licenses and state IDs is also a good idea. Remember that TSA checks the expiration dates on your documents when they screen you for security. Don't forget to check the expiration dates for your Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry, Clear and TSA PreCheck, too. It can take a while to get a Global Entry interview appointment if you need one to renew.

No one wants to get to the front of the security line only to realize that the PreCheck mark is gone from their boarding pass.

Finally, check the entry requirements if you are traveling internationally. Some countries require visas that you must acquire before arrival.

Consider travel protection

When booking your travel, try to use a credit card that offers some built-in travel protection . Many credit cards, including TPG favorites like The Platinum Card® from American Express , offer this when you use those cards to purchase your airfare and similar travel.

Related: Best credit cards for trip delays and cancellations

If the coverage offered by your credit card isn't enough, you might also want to purchase travel insurance . These policies can sometimes go beyond trip cancellations to cover things like medical evacuations. Warning: Carefully read the fine print on any extra policy to ensure it covers the situations that matter the most to you.

Those who frequently travel abroad may want to consider purchasing an annual travel insurance policy instead of buying one on a trip-by-trip basis. Some TPG staffers purchase annual policies because of the cost savings for multiple trips. Some will find having an annual policy is easier than juggling separate policies or various credit card coverage terms and conditions.

Tips for your luggage

TPG has a ton of tips when it comes to luggage.

First and foremost, try to be on Team Carry-On whenever possible. If you don't check baggage, you are much less likely to become separated from it. Many of us at TPG refuse to check luggage except under extreme circumstances.

Of course, other folks with families or those embarking on long journeys may still want to check bags. If that's the case for you, you can still do many things to lessen the chance you get separated from your stuff. For example, make sure your luggage is in good working order, your contact information is attached and the bag is within the weight limits. You should get to the airport early (but not too early) to check your luggage and confirm it is tagged to the right destination or connection.

Related: Tips to keep the airline from losing your luggage

After recent baggage delays and luggage disasters , we strongly suggest you put Apple AirTags (or the Android equivalent ) into your luggage to track your items if they go missing .

If you check a bag, keep extra medicine or medical supplies in your carry-on bag in case your luggage goes missing or gets delayed. "As a diabetic, I keep a tiny emergency kit in my backpack with enough supplies to keep me going in an emergency," TPG writer Tanner Saunders said.

Former TPG credit card writer Ryan Smith also offered words of advice regarding luggage. "The last items you pack in your carry-on will be most accessible, so use this for your passport, ID, ticket, headphones or whatever else you need during the trip," he said. By making sure those items you'll use most are easiest to reach, you'll save yourself the hassle of having to dig around (or partially unpack) your bag to grab what you need.

Finally, be sure to get compensated if your bags are late or lost. Many airlines will give you points or even cash for delayed bags, and the government has rules on compensation if your bags are lost.

Staying safe on your journeys

From potentially getting robbed while on the road to experiencing bad weather or natural disasters while traveling, many scenarios could arise when you're away from home.

To mitigate those risks, pay attention to U.S. Department of State warnings about the destination you plan to visit. Also, check local sources for the latest news from that country or region for additional context. Although the State Department tends to err on the side of caution with its warnings, it's still best to be aware of what you may face during your trip.

Also, know the local number in case of emergencies. In many places, including Mexico and much of Europe, dialing 9-1-1 on your cellphone will connect you to emergency services like in the U.S. However, you should know the local emergency numbers of whichever country you visit.

Let people at home know your itinerary and stay in touch with them throughout your trip. If something goes amiss, at least someone will know where you're supposed to be or the last place you visited.

If you're arriving at night, contact your hotel or home-share host to ask about the best way to get there and the safest ways to travel at night in that area.

Also, be strategic about how you check into a hotel. Some solo travelers request two keycards to imply someone else is on the trip. Giving thought to the hotel room's security swing bar can also make sense; some travelers place a hand towel over it to make it harder to dislodge from the outside.

Some final tips

For cruisers, TPG principal cruise writer Gene Sloan suggests arriving in port at least a day in advance (if not several days ahead of time). This will eliminate the risk of missing your ship's departure time and help you acclimate to the local time zone.
When taking road trips to out-of-the-way destinations, go old school and bring paper maps or download offline maps from Google. Using a paper map or an offline version means you always have a way to navigate around your chosen destination, even if you lose cellular service.
You should reserve airport parking ahead of time during peak travel times. Some airport parking areas fill up fast around holidays, so reserving your spot ahead of time will save you from wasting time looking for a space when you need to catch a flight. You can also sometimes save by booking online in advance, too.

Bottom line

Whether you're fresh to the world of traveling or a seasoned expert, you can always learn new tips to maximize your time away from home. The more research and preparation you do before your trip, the better your experience will be — especially if things go wrong, as they sometimes do.

Some of our favorite tools are deal alerts, Google Flights , sign-up bonuses and credit card rewards . Learn those tools and use them for better travel every time.

Remember that these days, when things go wrong, you have to be your own best advocate. For more travel tips and tricks, read the stories below.

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Traverse Tuscany’s beauty on our Hiking and Walking Tour, from Val d’Orcia’s rolling hills to Monte Argentario’s coastal trails.

If you’ve imagined your perfect luxury bike tour in Italy, then you’ve envisioned traveling to the heart of Tuscany’s wine country with us.

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Gravel: 3-5 hours of riding. 20-40 mi (35-60 km). Up to 3,000 ft (900 m).

Hiking: 3-5 hours of hiking. 6-10 mi (9-16 km). Up to 2,000 ft (600 m).

Road : 4+ hours of riding. 40-70 mi (60-110 km). Up to 8,000 ft (2,400 m).

Gravel: 4+ hours of riding. 30-50 mi (45-80 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).

Hiking: 4+ hours of hiking. 7-15 mi (11-24 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).

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Flight Dallas - Los Angeles (DFW - LAX) $72+

Orlando Flights

Flight Atlanta - Orlando (ATL - ORL) $43+
Flight New York - Orlando (NYC - ORL) $56+
Flight Richmond - Orlando (RIC - ORL) $58+
Flight Charlotte - Orlando (CLT - ORL) $60+
Flight Hartford - Orlando (BDL - ORL) $65+
Flight Philadelphia - Orlando (PHL - ORL) $66+
Flight Dallas - Orlando (DFW - ORL) $67+
Flight Boston - Orlando (BOS - ORL) $71+
Flight Baltimore - Orlando (BWI - ORL) $75+
Flight St. Louis - Orlando (STL - ORL) $76+

Cancun Flights

Flight Philadelphia - Cancún (PHL - CUN) $196+
Flight Fort Lauderdale - Cancún (FLL - CUN) $206+
Flight Dallas - Cancún (DFW - CUN) $208+
Flight Atlanta - Cancún (ATL - CUN) $212+
Flight Chicago - Cancún (CHI - CUN) $213+
Flight Orlando - Cancún (ORL - CUN) $227+
Flight Denver - Cancún (DEN - CUN) $238+
Flight Houston - Cancún (HOU - CUN) $238+
Flight Miami - Cancún (MIA - CUN) $244+
Flight San Antonio - Cancún (SAT - CUN) $251+

Tokyo Flights

Flight Honolulu - Tokyo (HNL - TYO) $395+
Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - TYO) $395+
Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - TYO) $558+
Flight San Jose - Tokyo (SJC - TYO) $578+
Flight San Diego - Tokyo (SAN - TYO) $648+
Flight Las Vegas - Tokyo (LAS - TYO) $649+
Flight Portland - Tokyo (PDX - TYO) $688+
Flight Phoenix - Tokyo (PHX - TYO) $689+
Flight Denver - Tokyo (DEN - TYO) $695+
Flight Dallas - Tokyo (DFW - TYO) $707+

Chicago Flights

Flight New York - Chicago (NYC - CHI) $51+
Flight Denver - Chicago (DEN - CHI) $57+
Flight Philadelphia - Chicago (PHL - CHI) $57+
Flight Houston - Chicago (IAH - CHI) $63+
Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - CHI) $64+
Flight Tampa - Chicago (TPA - CHI) $67+
Flight New Orleans - Chicago (MSY - CHI) $68+
Flight Miami - Chicago (MIA - CHI) $70+
Flight San Diego - Chicago (SAN - CHI) $71+
Flight Fort Lauderdale - Chicago (FLL - CHI) $75+

Phoenix Flights

Flight Las Vegas - Phoenix (LAS - PHX) $39+
Flight Los Angeles - Phoenix (LAX - PHX) $47+
Flight Salt Lake City - Phoenix (SLC - PHX) $51+
Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $57+
Flight Seattle - Phoenix (SEA - PHX) $60+
Flight San Diego - Phoenix (SAN - PHX) $61+
Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $66+
Flight San Francisco - Phoenix (SFO - PHX) $67+
Flight Portland - Phoenix (PDX - PHX) $76+
Flight Santa Ana - Phoenix (SNA - PHX) $85+

India Flights

Flight Boston - New Delhi (BOS - DEL) $649+
Flight New York - Mumbai (NYC - BOM) $650+
Flight New York - New Delhi (NYC - DEL) $655+
Flight Boston - Mumbai (BOS - BOM) $663+
Flight San Francisco - Mumbai (SFO - BOM) $682+
Flight San Francisco - Bengaluru (SFO - BLR) $686+
Flight New York - Ahmedabad (NYC - AMD) $696+
Flight Washington, D.C. - Hyderabad (WAS - HYD) $696+
Flight Dallas - New Delhi (DFW - DEL) $703+
Flight Dallas - Mumbai (DFW - BOM) $711+

Japan Flights

Flight San Francisco - Osaka (SFO - OSA) $727+
Flight New York - Tokyo (NYC - TYO) $735+
Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - TYO) $772+
Flight Atlanta - Tokyo (ATL - TYO) $775+
Flight Los Angeles - Osaka (LAX - OSA) $778+
Flight Boston - Tokyo (BOS - TYO) $790+
Flight Houston - Tokyo (IAH - TYO) $823+
Flight Los Angeles - Okinawa (LAX - OKA) $866+
Flight Chicago - Tokyo (CHI - TYO) $922+

New York Flights

Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - NYC) $36+
Flight Boston - Newark (BOS - NYC) $37+
Flight Charlotte - New York (CLT - NYC) $45+
Flight Miami - New York (MIA - NYC) $50+
Flight Raleigh - New York (RDU - NYC) $50+
Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - NYC) $51+
Flight Tampa - New York (TPA - NYC) $55+
Flight Indianapolis - Newark (IND - NYC) $56+
Flight Orlando - New York (ORL - NYC) $66+
Flight Chicago - New York (CHI - NYC) $74+

Miami Flights

Flight Dallas - Miami (DFW - MIA) $42+
Flight New York - Miami (NYC - MIA) $55+
Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $57+
Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $69+
Flight Boston - Miami (BOS - MIA) $70+
Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $72+
Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $75+
Flight Chicago - Miami (CHI - MIA) $76+
Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $77+
Flight Houston - Miami (IAH - MIA) $77+

Rome Flights

Flight New York - Rome (NYC - ROM) $356+
Flight Boston - Rome (BOS - ROM) $370+
Flight Baltimore - Rome (BWI - ROM) $386+
Flight Miami - Rome (MIA - ROM) $400+
Flight Los Angeles - Rome (LAX - ROM) $452+
Flight San Francisco - Rome (SFO - ROM) $457+
Flight Minneapolis - Rome (MSP - ROM) $464+
Flight Fort Lauderdale - Rome (FLL - ROM) $467+
Flight Denver - Rome (DEN - ROM) $472+
Flight Atlanta - Rome (ATL - ROM) $480+

Seattle Flights

Flight Las Vegas - Seattle (LAS - SEA) $35+
Flight Los Angeles - Seattle (LAX - SEA) $43+
Flight Ontario - Seattle (ONT - SEA) $50+
Flight San Jose - Seattle (SJC - SEA) $62+
Flight Phoenix - Seattle (PHX - SEA) $64+
Flight Salt Lake City - Seattle (SLC - SEA) $74+
Flight Sacramento - Seattle (SMF - SEA) $76+
Flight San Diego - Seattle (SAN - SEA) $80+
Flight Denver - Seattle (DEN - SEA) $82+
Flight San Francisco - Seattle (SFO - SEA) $91+

Fort Lauderdale Flights

Flight Raleigh - Fort Lauderdale (RDU - FLL) $37+
Flight New York - Fort Lauderdale (NYC - FLL) $48+
Flight Richmond - Fort Lauderdale (RIC - FLL) $51+
Flight Atlanta - Fort Lauderdale (ATL - FLL) $52+
Flight Dallas - Fort Lauderdale (DFW - FLL) $52+
Flight Nashville - Fort Lauderdale (BNA - FLL) $53+
Flight Hartford - Fort Lauderdale (BDL - FLL) $56+
Flight Boston - Fort Lauderdale (BOS - FLL) $63+
Flight Charlotte - Fort Lauderdale (CLT - FLL) $64+
Flight Philadelphia - Fort Lauderdale (PHL - FLL) $64+

Atlanta Flights

Flight New York - Atlanta (NYC - ATL) $37+
Flight Boston - Atlanta (BOS - ATL) $43+
Flight Philadelphia - Atlanta (PHL - ATL) $45+
Flight Miami - Atlanta (MIA - ATL) $48+
Flight Orlando - Atlanta (ORL - ATL) $49+
Flight Tampa - Atlanta (TPA - ATL) $52+
Flight Dallas - Atlanta (DFW - ATL) $55+
Flight Baltimore - Atlanta (BWI - ATL) $58+
Flight Fort Lauderdale - Atlanta (FLL - ATL) $58+
Flight Raleigh - Atlanta (RDU - ATL) $58+

Boston Flights

Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $47+
Flight Atlanta - Boston (ATL - BOS) $49+
Flight Tampa - Boston (TPA - BOS) $62+
Flight Houston - Boston (IAH - BOS) $63+
Flight Fort Lauderdale - Boston (FLL - BOS) $66+
Flight Dallas - Boston (DFW - BOS) $68+
Flight Fort Myers - Boston (RSW - BOS) $70+
Flight Miami - Boston (MIA - BOS) $70+
Flight Nashville - Boston (BNA - BOS) $72+
Flight Orlando - Boston (ORL - BOS) $73+

United States Flights

Flight Dallas - Las Vegas (DFW - LAS) $69+
Flight Denver - Las Vegas (DEN - LAS) $83+
Flight Minneapolis - Phoenix (MSP - PH1) $95+
Flight Atlanta - Las Vegas (ATL - LAS) $96+
Flight Atlanta - Los Angeles (ATL - LAX) $100+
Flight Minneapolis - Las Vegas (MSP - LAS) $112+
Flight Los Angeles - Honolulu (LAX - HNL) $207+

Hawaii Flights

Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $148+
Flight San Jose - Hawaii (SJC - USHI) $195+
Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $207+
Flight Oakland - Hawaii (OAK - USHI) $217+
Flight Seattle - Hawaii (SEA - USHI) $226+
Flight San Diego - Hawaii (SAN - USHI) $230+
Flight Portland - Hawaii (PDX - USHI) $236+
Flight Sacramento - Hawaii (SMF - USHI) $236+
Flight Ontario - Hawaii (ONT - USHI) $287+
Flight Las Vegas - Hawaii (LAS - USHI) $302+

London Flights

Flight Boston - London (BOS - LON) $305+
Flight New York - London (NYC - LON) $312+
Flight Miami - London (MIA - LON) $382+
Flight Washington, D.C. - London (WAS - LON) $421+
Flight Baltimore - London (BWI - LON) $461+
Flight Chicago - London (CHI - LON) $461+
Flight Denver - London (DEN - LON) $461+
Flight Portland - London (PDX - LON) $474+
Flight Atlanta - London (ATL - LON) $483+
Flight Los Angeles - London (LAX - LON) $488+

Paris Flights

Flight New Windsor - Paris (SWF - PAR) $327+
Flight Baltimore - Paris (BWI - PAR) $331+
Flight Boston - Paris (BOS - PAR) $336+
Flight Washington, D.C. - Paris (WAS - PAR) $336+
Flight New York - Paris (NYC - PAR) $344+
Flight Chicago - Paris (CHI - PAR) $363+
Flight Miami - Paris (MIA - PAR) $382+
Flight Orlando - Paris (ORL - PAR) $385+
Flight Los Angeles - Paris (LAX - PAR) $400+
Flight Raleigh - Paris (RDU - PAR) $402+

Manila Flights

Flight Los Angeles - Manila (LAX - MNL) $614+
Flight San Francisco - Manila (SFO - MNL) $740+
Flight Ontario - Manila (ONT - MNL) $744+
Flight Honolulu - Manila (HNL - MNL) $747+
Flight Seattle - Manila (SEA - MNL) $751+
Flight Chicago - Manila (CHI - MNL) $753+
Flight Boston - Manila (BOS - MNL) $809+
Flight Houston - Manila (IAH - MNL) $832+
Flight Washington, D.C. - Manila (WAS - MNL) $838+
Flight Las Vegas - Manila (LAS - MNL) $846+

Denver Flights

Flight Kansas City - Denver (MCI - DEN) $48+
Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $56+
Flight Los Angeles - Denver (LAX - DEN) $57+
Flight San Francisco - Denver (SFO - DEN) $72+
Flight Minneapolis - Denver (MSP - DEN) $73+
Flight Atlanta - Denver (ATL - DEN) $82+
Flight Cincinnati - Denver (CVG - DEN) $82+
Flight Seattle - Denver (SEA - DEN) $82+
Flight Dallas - Denver (DFW - DEN) $91+
Flight Las Vegas - Denver (LAS - DEN) $91+

San Francisco Flights

Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $42+
Flight Las Vegas - San Francisco (LAS - SFO) $46+
Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $46+
Flight Portland - San Francisco (PDX - SFO) $46+
Flight San Diego - San Francisco (SAN - SFO) $46+
Flight Santa Ana - San Francisco (SNA - SFO) $47+
Flight Salt Lake City - San Francisco (SLC - SFO) $61+
Flight Phoenix - San Francisco (PHX - SFO) $67+
Flight Denver - San Francisco (DEN - SFO) $77+
Flight Seattle - San Francisco (SEA - SFO) $87+

San Diego Flights

Flight Las Vegas - San Diego (LAS - SAN) $35+
Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $38+
Flight San Francisco - San Diego (SFO - SAN) $46+
Flight Oakland - San Diego (OAK - SAN) $48+
Flight Portland - San Diego (PDX - SAN) $49+
Flight Sacramento - San Diego (SMF - SAN) $50+
Flight Denver - San Diego (DEN - SAN) $58+
Flight Salt Lake City - San Diego (SLC - SAN) $61+
Flight Dallas - San Diego (DFW - SAN) $64+
Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $64+

Punta Cana Flights

Flight Fort Lauderdale - Punta Cana (FLL - PUJ) $188+
Flight Philadelphia - Punta Cana (PHL - PUJ) $225+
Flight Miami - Punta Cana (MIA - PUJ) $227+
Flight New York - Punta Cana (NYC - PUJ) $230+
Flight Atlanta - Punta Cana (ATL - PUJ) $232+
Flight Tampa - Punta Cana (TPA - PUJ) $238+
Flight Charlotte - Punta Cana (CLT - PUJ) $248+
Flight Dallas - Punta Cana (DFW - PUJ) $252+
Flight Chicago - Punta Cana (CHI - PUJ) $254+
Flight Boston - Punta Cana (BOS - PUJ) $256+

Europe Flights

Flight Boston - Lisbon (BOS - LIS) $297+
Flight Boston - Dublin (BOS - DUB) $317+
Flight Miami - Madrid (MIA - MAD) $328+
Flight San Francisco - Madrid (SFO - MAD) $380+
Flight New York - Athens (NYC - ATH) $400+
Flight Los Angeles - Madrid (LAX - MAD) $413+
Flight Boston - Athens (BOS - ATH) $438+
Flight Los Angeles - Lisbon (LAX - LIS) $457+
Flight San Francisco - Lisbon (SFO - LIS) $474+
Flight San Francisco - Athens (SFO - ATH) $475+

Florida Flights

Flight Dallas - Florida (DFW - USFL) $42+
Flight New York - Florida (NYC - USFL) $48+
Flight Atlanta - Florida (ATL - USFL) $52+
Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $56+
Flight Boston - Florida (BOS - USFL) $63+
Flight Hartford - Florida (BDL - USFL) $65+
Flight Charlotte - Florida (CLT - USFL) $69+
Flight Baltimore - Florida (BWI - USFL) $75+
Flight Los Angeles - Florida (LAX - USFL) $90+
Flight Minneapolis - Florida (MSP - USFL) $119+

Frequently asked questions

What do i need to know before booking a flight.

There are various factors to consider when booking a flight including cost, fare classes, baggage policies, the complications of flying long haul, and complying with airport regulations. To make your booking journey smoother KAYAK has developed a comprehensive flight guide including insights on finding affordable flights, packing efficiently, and utilizing the best travel tools.

What is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight?

The best day to book your flight depends on a number of factors, but there are general trends that you can follow to increase your chances of cheaper plane tickets. Based on an analysis of KAYAK data for all flights departing from inside United States over the last 12 months, the cheapest day to fly for domestic flights is Wednesday. For international flights, Tuesday had the cheapest tickets on average.

Which month of the year are flight prices lowest?

It’s well established that flights in the low season are generally cheaper than ticket prices during the high season. That means that knowing which month to find the lowest priced plane tickets will depend heavily on seasonality and your destination. While avoiding peak travel times can help you keep costs down, our data shows that the month with the lowest priced plane tickets for domestic flights based on all searches made on KAYAK in the last 12 months was January, while the most expensive was October. If you’re booking an international flight, then January is the cheapest month to fly and December the most expensive.

When is the best time to buy plane tickets - Last minute or in advance?

Last minute flight deals are definitely up for grabs but when exactly to purchase your plane tickets will depend on where you’re traveling to and from. Based on all data for flight searches made on KAYAK over the last 12 months, prices for domestic flights remained below the average price up to 1 weeks before departure. For international flights, deals could still be had up to 1 weeks prior to the departure date, with prices remaining below average. If you’re flexible, KAYAK brings you both advance and last minute one-way and round-trip flight deals.

Can flying international flights with a layover save money on airfare?

For many long-haul international flights, flying non-stop is not possible and you will have to fly with a layover. Some routes will offer both and you could consider flying with a layover for a number of reasons. Firstly, breaking up what would otherwise be a long-haul flight, taking a rest and then completing the journey might make the flight more manageable. Secondly, prices can also be lower than non-stop flights, so while it might take longer for you to reach your destination, you could save money. We’ve looked at prices over the last 12 months for the 100 most popular international destinations for KAYAK users and on average, prices for non-stop flights were cheaper than flights with a layover.

How does KAYAK find such low flight prices?

KAYAK processes over 2 billion flight queries annually and displays results from hundreds of airlines and third party sites, allowing it to find a variety of flight prices and options. It also displays results from 2M+ properties along with rental cars, vacation packages, activities and millions of verified reviews so users can see as many available travel options as possible.

How do I find the best flight deals on KAYAK?

A simple flight search at https://www.kayak.com/flights scans for prices on hundreds of travel sites in seconds. We gather flight deals from across the web and put them in one place. Then on the search results page you can use various filters to compare options for the same flight and easily choose the best flight deal from all of the deals coming straight from the travel sites to your screen, with no extra fee from KAYAK.

How can Hacker Fares save me money?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets on different airlines when it can save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket.

Does KAYAK query more flight providers than competitors?

Yes, KAYAK has access to more data and information than online travel agencies and consistently outperforms the competition in accuracy, globally.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you flights up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. That way, you can see if leaving a day or two earlier will find you a better deal. You can also select the flexible "weekend" or "month" search options to widen your search range and find the cheapest price that works for you.

Search cheap flights with KAYAK. Search for the cheapest airline tickets for all the top airlines around the world, airports around the world and the top international flight routes . KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites to help you find cheap airfare and book a flight that suits you best. Since KAYAK searches many plane tickets sites at once, you can find cheap tickets from cheap airlines and for trains and buses quickly.

KAYAK also helps you find the right hotels for your needs.

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Payment options

Travel credit

Understanding travel credit options.

We offer different types of travel credit: Trip Credit, Flight Credit, and Travel Vouchers. Each type of travel credit has its own terms and conditions, so be sure to read them carefully before redeeming your credit. Keep in mind, travel credits can only be used to book flights, and can’t be used to pay for extras like seats or bags.

Types of travel credit

*Can’t be used for extras like seats or bags.

**For Trip Credit issued on or after April 2, 2024, AAdvantage® members have 12 months to use their Trip Credit when canceling their trip on aa.com or the American app and their AAdvantage® number is included in their reservation. Non-AAdvantage® members have 6 months.

***When booked on aa.com, Flight Credit can only be applied to flights within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (U.S. currency only)

Ready to book a trip?

Book a trip with your Trip Credit

Find your trip to use your Flight Credit

Contact Reservations

How to find and redeem your travel credit

If you received a travel credit, you can use it to book your next trip. Here's how to find and redeem your Trip Credit and Flight Credit.

Trip Credit

If you're an AAdvantage ® member, most Trip Credits will appear in your AAdvantage ® account.

For Trip Credit issued on or after April 2, 2024, AAdvantage ® members have 12 months to use their Trip Credit when canceling their trip on aa.com or the American app and their AAdvantage ® number is included in their reservation. Non-AAdvantage ® members have 6 months.

Step 1: Find your Trip Credit email

Look for an email from American Airlines with the subject line ‘Your Trip Credit.’
Your Trip Credit number is a 13-digit number that begins with ‘00115.’

Keep in mind there are separate ticket numbers for add-ons like seats, upgrades, and bags.

Step 2: Book and add your Trip Credit

Go to aa.com and book your new flight.
On the payment screen, select ‘Trip Credit.’
Follow the prompts to pay using your Trip Credit.
You may use a credit card to pay any remaining balance.

General rules

Trip Credit is non-refundable, non-transferable, non-returnable, may not be redeemed for cash, check or credit (except where required by law) and has no implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness.
Trip Credit is void if bought, sold or bartered, advertised for sale or used for commercial or promotional purposes.
We won’t replace Trip Credit if lost or stolen. This may include inadvertent deletion, forwarding or access of the email containing your Trip Credit number. Please guard the Trip Credit number as you would cash.
Except where prohibited by law, we reserve the right to refuse, void, cancel, reject or hold for review any Trip Credit mistakenly issued in an incorrect denomination or issued or obtained, directly or indirectly, in connection with fraudulent actions, fraudulent claims, compensation abuse or in connection with any violation of these terms and conditions.

Expiration and validity

Valid until 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the date listed on the Trip Credit, and we won't reissue it past the expiration date.
We won't accept invalid or expired Trip Credit.
We won’t accept Trip Credit with an invalid number or if we are unable to locate it within the American Airlines systems.
To receive Trip Credit, your original ticket must be canceled before the departure of the first flight (or the ticket loses any remaining value and cannot be used for future travel).

Redemption and usage

You may redeem Trip Credit on aa.com or by contacting Reservations. Trip Credit is not redeemable through any other channels, including airport ticket counters or travel agencies.
When contacting Reservations, tell the agent you have Trip Credit and you want to use it to book your travel.
Trip Credit is redeemable toward air travel on flights operated by American, American Eagle ® or flights marketed by American (designated with an AA*). You can’t use Trip Credit for payment of air travel on any other airline on aa.com.
Contact Reservations to use Trip Credit for qualifying one world ® or other airline partner itineraries.
Trip Credit is redeemable toward the base air fare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges collected as part of the fare calculation.
You may not use Trip Credit for products and / or services sold separate from the fare price or for taxes, fees or charges in connection with AAdvantage ® award travel, American Airlines Vacations℠ or any other non-flight products and / or services sold by American.
You may only use non-taxable Trip Credit for single-passenger reservations on aa.com.
Contact Reservations to use Trip Credit for more than 9 passengers.
The recipient of Trip Credit can use it to pay for travel for themselves or others.
You may redeem up to 8 Trip Credits in a single transaction on aa.com or through Reservations.
If the ticket price is greater than the value of the Trip Credit, you may pay the difference only with a credit card accepted by American.
If the ticket price is less than the value of the Trip Credit, we’ll issue any remaining value on a new Trip Credit, delivered via email to the passenger ticketed on the Trip Credit redemption. You may choose to have the new Trip Credit email sent to your email address and then use the remaining value on a new reservation for yourself or someone else.
You may not combine Trip Credit with the value of an existing ticket to pay for a new ticket.

Flight Credit

If you're an AAdvantage ® member and had your account number listed in your reservation before cancellation, you can log in to your account and view available Flight Credit in your AAdvantage ® account.

Step 1: Find your canceled trip or confirmation email

You'll need your 6-character confirmation code and 13-digit ticket number.
American tickets have a 13-digit number that begins with '001'.

Step 2: View your canceled trip

Go to aa.com and choose ‘Manage trips / Check-in’
Choose ‘View canceled trips’ and enter your trip details.
You’ll find your Flight Credit details on the ‘Your trip’ page.

Step 3: Rebook and add Flight Credit

Go to aa.com and find your new flight.
On the payment screen, choose ‘Add Flight Credit.’
Enter the ticket number from your canceled trip and apply the credit.

Book a trip with your Flight Credit

Flight Credit is non-refundable, non-transferable, non-returnable, may not be redeemed for cash, check or credit (except where required by law) and has no implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness.
Flight Credit is void if bought, sold or bartered, advertised for sale or used for commercial or promotional purposes.
We won’t replace Flight Credit if lost or stolen. This may include inadvertent deletion, forwarding or access of the email containing your Flight Credit number. Please guard the Flight Credit number as you would cash.
Except where prohibited by law, we reserve the right to refuse, void, cancel, reject or hold for review any Flight Credit mistakenly issued in an incorrect denomination or issued or obtained, directly or indirectly, in connection with fraudulent actions, fraudulent claims, compensation abuse or in connection with any violation of these terms and conditions.
Flight Credit is valid for 1 year from the date the ticket was issued. We will not extend or reissue once it expires.
If you don't show for your flight, your ticket will no longer be valid or eligible for any credit.
We won't accept invalid or expired Flight Credit.
You may redeem Flight Credit on aa.com, in person at the airport or by contacting Reservations.
When contacting Reservations, tell the agent you have Flight Credit and you want to use it to book your travel.
The recipient of Flight Credit can use it to pay for travel for themselves only.
Flight Credit is redeemable toward air travel on flights marketed and operated by American, by American Eagle ® carriers or on flights marketed and sold by American but operated by one of American’s codeshare or one world ® partners (i.e. flights designated with an AA*).
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From permits to weather reports: 5 things to keep in mind before planning your Andaman trip

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What’s happening to Alaska’s glaciers and how it could impact your trip

Climate change is drastically impacting the world around us, including the way people travel and the destinations themselves. “Green Travel” is a seven-part series delving into how climate change is transforming the landscape of travel. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can click here to fill out this quick form .

When travelers visit Alaska, they often want to see glaciers .

And it’s the perfect place for those.

The Last Frontier is home to the most glaciers in the U.S. There are roughly 27,000 glaciers across the state, covering an area of about 80,000 square kilometers, according to Louis Sass, an Anchorage-based glaciologist with the Alaska Science Center U.S. Geological Survey .

“That's about the same amount of area as the state of South Carolina or Lake Superior,” he said.

That’s huge, yet not as big as it used to be.

“Globally, most glaciers are melting and thinning and retreating much faster now than they were, say, prior to about the year 2000,” Sass said.

Here’s what that means for travelers hoping to see glaciers in Alaska and elsewhere.

What causes melting of glaciers?

It’s natural for glaciers to melt.

“You can really just think of a glacier as a huge conveyor belt that takes snow and ice from up high, where it can't melt, down to low elevations where it's a lot warmer and it does melt.”

It’s the rate of melting and thinning that’s shifted dramatically.

Research published in July in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Communications, found the rates of glacier area shrinkage in Alaska’s Juneau icefield were five times faster from 2015 to 2019 than from 1948 to 1979.

A National Park Service report on Alaska's glaciers noted glaciers within Alaska national parks shrank 8% between the 1950s and early 2000s and glacier-covered area across the state decreased by 13% between 1985 and 2020.

“These systems are under threat,” said Brice Esplin, Director of Sustainable Tourism and Partnerships at Leave No Trace . “Climate change is affecting them.”

While Sass did not identify climate change by name, noting he’s not a climate scientist, he said glaciers are very sensitive to inputs like temperature and precipitation.

“Temperature has kind of a double whammy, because air temperature can change the phase of the precipitation, so more of the precipitation that falls out of the sky can actually be rain instead of snow. And rain tends to run off the glacier and not add to the glacier mass,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Northwest Climate Hub notes Alaska is "warming at two to three times the rate of the global average."

National parks ask us to Leave No Trace: Here's what that actually means

What is happening to the glaciers in Alaska?

“Some glaciers are advancing, but the vast majority of them are shrinking, and at Kenai Fjords (National Park), you can just see that right up close and personal,” Peter Christian, chief spokesperson for Public Affairs for the National Park Service’s Alaska region, said last year during USA TODAY’s more than yearlong national park series .

An area of the park where that’s especially pronounced is Exit Glacier .

“It literally is changing yearly. If you went back from one year to the next, you could see how far the glacier has continued to retreat up into the mountains,” he said, noting that the Park Service has signs set up along the trail to the glacier, marking the changes.

Matanuska Glacier , about 100 miles from Anchorage, is another example.

“It's only retreated a little bit. It's actually very close to where it was even 120 years ago, but it has thinned a lot, and it's actually really easy to see that thinning,” Sass said. “The ice is just sort of deflated as it loses mass and it melts.”

Matanuska Glacier is the state’s largest glacier accessible by road, according to Alaska’s official travel arm, Travel Alaska, but Sass said it used to be even easier to reach.

“There's all these sort of little melt puddles right along the edge of the glacier that are getting bigger and bigger and harder to cross, and there's more and more mud to try to get out to the ice,” he said. “It used to be, on Matanuska Glacier, you basically walked from the parking lot onto clean, white ice.”

He added that many tidewater glaciers have also been impacted.

“So even big cruise ships that are trying to take passengers up to see calving glaciers , they have to go further up the inlet to actually be able to see a calving glacier,” he said. “Places that used to have a really good view of a glacier sometimes don't have a good view anymore, and so it gets generally more and more challenging to get to those places where you can kind of experience the same level of glacier.”

Where can you see a glacier?

From Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve , home of the most glaciers of any national park, to Mendenhall Glacier , which is protected by the U.S. Forest Service, there are so many places to see glaciers in Alaska.

They can also be found in Glacier National Park in Montana, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, and elsewhere around the West and the world .

“It's important for people to see these amazing natural systems, because they create that appreciation, that love and that connection of nature and for the in the future,” Esplin said.

He encourages travelers to experience glaciers close to home, when possible.

“We have one glacier in my state in Great Basin National Park , and it's shrinking rapidly. It probably won't last the next 20 years,” he said. “Right now, that's a short drive for me to go see a glacier, appreciate it before it's gone.”

But he also understands the desire to behold glaciers far away, having recently visited Alaska himself and seen a handful of glaciers over several weeks.

“We want to think about really making sure that we're choosing sustainable methods to visit these these areas,” he said. “If we did have to use airline fuel and burn that carbon to get up there, at least we're staying for longer.”

What to know before visiting a glacier

“There have to be hundreds, if not thousands of opportunities up here in Alaska to see glaciers,” Sass said, encouraging people to “go see a glacier in a way that makes sense for them.”

That may be appreciating them from afar by land, air or sea or getting up close with a guided tour.

“We don't expect people to hover above the ground and never interact with the natural world around us,” Esplin said. “It's all a balancing act, a balancing act of humans being a part of nature, but also not destroying it entirely.”

For travelers who want to get up close, Esplin shared these Leave No Trace-based tips :

Plan ahead and prepare: “Usually that includes booking a guide service. It's never recommended for anyone without sufficient training or expertise to go out on glaciers, as they're constantly moving. They have crevasses, snow bridges and moulins. They're usually (in) pretty remote environments as well, so that that safety aspect is one of the most important parts of interacting with glaciers.”
Be mindful of where you tread. “We can affect the vegetation on the sides and really promote erosion in areas if we're not utilizing trails or durable surfaces to get on and off that glacier.
Pack out all waste, including food waste and human waste “so that it's not being left behind to pollute that water source, that special place.”
Remember wildlife. “They use (glaciers) to travel in between places... Even though you feel like you might be on an isolated world, wildlife can still be out there.”

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

The evolving role of experiences in travel

The Evolving Role of Experiences in Travel

Since the dawn of leisure travel, people have journeyed in search of new experiences. They long to meet friendly locals, eat new foods, stroll through unfamiliar landscapes, and witness (or maybe even join) cultural traditions that remind them that they’ve left home.

More and more, experiences have become powerful decision drivers for travelers: the possibility of a life-changing travel moment motivates people to book a trip. The quest for the right type of moment even influences which destinations people will choose. But despite the enduring excitement about experiences and the large pool of value they represent, the travel industry has yet to crack the code on an approach that can simultaneously please travelers, make sense for experience providers, and produce profit at scale for distributors and larger stakeholders.

Today’s travelers often find the breadth of available experiences overwhelming, and they crave easy-to-navigate platforms that can sort through experiences and offer seamless, real-time booking anywhere in the world. Experience providers (often small, passionate outfits, sometimes run by a single tour guide) want to create broad awareness of their offerings. But operators can become frustrated when a booking platform’s thumbnail descriptions fail to capture the appeal of a quirky activity—or when an intermediating player fumbles customer relations. Distribution platforms want to become comprehensive sites for one-stop experience shopping but face challenges as they try to scale profitably while cobbling together a fragmented array of experiential offerings. Meanwhile, legacy travel institutions, such as airlines and hotel chains, are still searching for ideal ways to fit magical travel moments into the machinery of complex corporate enterprises.

The global marketplace for travel experiences offers a more than $1 trillion opportunity. Younger generations, in particular, demonstrate an eagerness to splurge on experiences, suggesting the sector will continue to expand. Yet nearly half of the business of experiences is still transacted offline. As experience booking goes digital, a considerable share could be claimed by organizations that can anticipate and eliminate pain points at every stage of the process, up and down the value chain.

How can operators quench travelers’ thirst for magical experiences while finding new customer streams from around the world? How can distribution platforms simplify and scale the discovery and booking process while creating an attractive proposition for operators? How can airlines and hotels learn from the awe and wonder that a terrific tour guide can conjure, becoming distributors for experiences and also injecting the essence of that magic into their core businesses?

A new report, The evolving role of experiences in travel , produced by McKinsey and Skift, examines the world of travel experiences 1 In this research, we defined “travel experiences” as activities, attractions, and tours, excluding multiday tours, available to visitors at a destination. —ranging from stadium rock concerts to guided nature hikes to in-home culinary gatherings and everything in between. The report offers an assessment of the experience industry as it stands today, presents ideas that could help address current dissatisfactions, and looks at opportunities for various players to capitalize on growing interest.

Desire for experiences is reshaping travel demand

Once upon a time, travelers might have picked a destination first and only later started choosing what to do upon arrival. But today’s travelers don’t treat experiences as afterthoughts. Their travel decisions are increasingly based on specific activity interests. This can invert the trip-planning funnel, placing experiences at the top and destination choices further down the cone.

A recent McKinsey survey asked about the factors most important to travelers when selecting a destination . 2 “ The way we travel now ,” McKinsey, May 29, 2024. Survey respondents cited the range and quality of local activities on offer at a rate that trailed only the rates of their citations of essential needs, such as safety, navigability, cost, and accommodation range and quality (Exhibit 1). Respondents were nearly as likely to cite, as a decision factor, the ability to experience authentic local customs and culture.

Interest in experiences is unlikely to dissipate soon, as evidenced by the preferences of younger travelers. According to McKinsey survey data, 52 percent of Gen Zers say they splurge on experiences , compared with only 29 percent of baby boomers. 3 “ The way we travel now ,” McKinsey, May 29, 2024. And Gen Z travelers say they try to save money on flights, local transportation, shopping, and food before trimming their spending on experiences.

Travel experiences could compose a market worth more than $1 trillion

The travel experience market is large and, by some estimates, rapidly growing. To size it, we began by examining the value represented by the entirety of the world’s tours, attractions, and activities. Our analysis indicates that this global market could be more than $3 trillion.

Many local residents participate in the experiences offered at a given destination. But per our research, destination visitors—both domestic and international—account for roughly 30 percent of the experience market, spending about $1.1 trillion to $1.3 trillion on experiences. This is how we defined the total addressable market for travel experiences.

Next, we quantified the serviceable available market by assessing the proportion of travel experiences that are in some way structured (for example, a professionally guided tour or a live ticketed event) versus those that are independently undertaken (for example, a tourist strolling up to an art museum’s ticket window and then perusing its galleries). The segment involving paid, structured activities represents a large part of the market that’s in play for experience providers (such as tour operators), intermediaries (such as online-booking platforms), and stakeholders from other parts of the travel industry (such as hotels and airlines).

We estimate that paid, structured tourist activities account for roughly 25 percent of global experience spending, totaling about $250 billion to $310 billion per year (Exhibit 2). This number comprises tourist spending on rock concerts, baseball games, history walks, nature hikes, theme park visits, spa treatments, museum tours, and a host of other activities. And it continues to expand: experts estimate growth in this segment of more than 14 percent per year by 2025. 4 “TUI Musement special—part of FY22 results,” TUI, December 14, 2022.

There’s an emerging recipe for creating magical experiences

A top-notch experience can be the cornerstone of a trip, lingering in a traveler’s memory for years to come. In our conversations with 19 experience providers, several crucial components for creating great experiences became apparent:

Entertainment comes first. Experience operators observe that, no matter the type of experience, what travelers want above all is to have a good time and be entertained.
Well-trained guides set the tone. Because creating a magical, guided experience depends so much on the guide, experience operators focus on molding high-quality frontline employees.
Authenticity and local engagement matter. Visitors appreciate thoughtfully crafted itineraries that bring a specific locale to life.
Expectations should be managed—and then exceeded. Overcommunicating and overdelivering are crucial.
Guests need to feel they’re in sure, safe hands. Travelers like to feel that a tour guide is in control every step of the way.

Booking platforms might consider these components when deciding which experiences to give prominent visibility. Larger travel players, such as hotel chains and airlines, might also keep these ingredients in mind—both when thinking about add-on experiences to offer through their own platforms and when exploring how to scale magical experiences across a chain of hotel lobbies or a schedule of transoceanic flights.

Finding and booking experiences remains a frustrating process—offering opportunities for improvement

Many travelers enjoy the process of planning a vacation. They have fun searching for the individual elements that will add up to a perfect trip. But the discovery and booking process for travel experiences can be alternately thorny and exhausting. It can present travelers with an overwhelming menu of options but doesn’t always surface the best ones. It sometimes fails to accurately describe an activity, which can create expectation mismatches.

Meanwhile, the experience industry’s move to digital is still in progress. According to 2023 data, 47 percent of experience booking still happens offline—either via walk-ups or telephone calls or through offline conduits, such as hotel concierges and traditional travel agents. 5 Euromonitor, accessed July 2024. Only 22 percent of booking occurs through online intermediaries, such as booking platforms.

Many experience providers have faced difficulties as they shift their booking operations toward online distribution platforms. And for the platforms, scaling while maintaining or expanding margins has been a challenge.

Travelers aren’t always getting what they want or need from online booking

Booking platforms that offer experiences sometimes serve up a large database presented as a list, which might not have been carefully curated. These lists can be overwhelming for a customer who isn’t sure what to look for. And they might fail to surface hidden gems. What’s more, the tours and activities that appear on platforms aren’t always especially well vetted. They might not meet travelers’ expectations for quality or value—or might not align with the thumbnail descriptions travelers see on the platforms.

There’s an opportunity here to create a discovery and booking process that features more fun and fewer hiccups. Travelers could benefit from simplified and more enjoyable discovery systems (including ones linked with social media), a streamlined booking process in which platforms become seamless (or even invisible), and a detangled customer service approach (in which it’s always clear who to contact, even on short notice).

Experience operators can benefit from the transition to digital—but may also encounter challenges

Of the 19 operators we interviewed in June 2024, 78 percent already receive at least half of their bookings through platforms. Platforms can help attract online eyeballs and raise product awareness in ways an experience provider couldn’t on its own. One reason is that platforms tend to perform better in search engine results than an individual operator’s website does on its own—in part, because platforms can afford to pay more for local language translation, search engine optimization, and search keyword marketing than a typical experience operator could.

Despite all the advantages that online platforming can offer operators, it also presents some structural challenges. For instance, the variety of experience offerings—ranging from strenuous outdoor adventures to quiet cooking classes and from giant group tours to intimate gatherings—is difficult to fit into the one-size-fits-all listing approach that platforms sometimes take. Unlike, for example, air travel, where the ticket offerings tend to be fundamentally similar and easily compared, distinctively crafted activities and tours can often benefit more from a bespoke framing of offers.

The intermediary role of the booking platform can also create frustration for experience providers. When service issues arise or customers wish to cancel or reschedule a booking, execution isn’t always smooth. For instance, the customer might attempt to interact with the platform when it would be more effective to interact directly with the operator. The operator might become aware too late of a service issue or booking change request—or might not become aware at all.

Online booking platforms are hoping to scale a fragmented industry

Online-booking platforms enjoy natural advantages when it comes to selling experiences to travelers. Because the experience space is so fragmented—full of countless smaller operators—travelers look to save time and effort by turning to a platform that can aggregate and sort through an overwhelming number of options. Platforms can also lower payment and communication hurdles for a traveler, particularly when experience operators speak foreign languages or transact in foreign currencies.

Many booking platforms have thus far focused on prioritizing top-line growth instead of maximizing profitability. Building a large platform can incur significant expenses related to both acquiring a large supply of inventory and ensuring that the platform’s tools and algorithms can handle it. A central question for platforms will be how effectively they’ll be able to expand revenue while also growing margins.

Other players are seeking profitable ways to get involved with experiences

Experiences are gaining enough traction in the travel ecosystem that other players are now eyeing the market. The margins for sales of experiences can be high: operators told us they typically achieve up to 60 percent margins, even after deducting a booking platform’s commission (with labor constituting the bulk of the operator’s cost). That can make this an appealing space for businesses to enter.

Which strategies might help stakeholders find success in the experience marketplace?

The evolving role of experiences in travel could create favorable circumstances for stakeholders across the value chain. Industry players in various sectors should consider how best to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Experience operators should generate the magic that will enable industry growth

For experience providers, it begins with delivering the distinctive, authentic moments that travelers crave. Once this crucial prerequisite is met, other success factors can be considered:

Meeting consumer demand. This requires monitoring changing trends, catering to evolving traveler tastes, and making guests feel they’re in safe hands from start to finish.
Savvy marketing. Using the right words and images can communicate an experience’s value proposition.
Discovery systems. For experiences, discovery systems are still in flux, so it’s important to find customers where they are—including on social media.
Booking strategy. Different operators can benefit from different booking strategies. It’s important for operators to consider how their needs could evolve over time when evaluating the trade-offs that come with various booking approaches.

Booking platforms could profit from making sense of a large and growing market

Distributors might find themselves in a sweet spot, as demand for travel experiences grows and the corresponding rise in supply creates an ever-more-confusing marketplace. Platforms might consider how to effectively gather, intelligently curate, artfully display, and smoothly broker the sale of experiences in ways that will appeal to overwhelmed travelers who want one-stop activity shopping:

Building supply might involve building relationships with operators. Experience providers want to list on platforms that offer visibility and value.
Curation can make a traveler’s discovery phase relatively easy and fun. Most travelers don’t have the time, ability, or desire to conduct a long, difficult search for a hard-to-find experience.
A seamless booking process is likely to draw customers in and keep them coming back. Customers shouldn’t need to wade through multiple pages and filtering tools to find what they’re looking for.
Platforms might advise—or even become—experience providers. Booking platforms have a high-level vantage point and an ability to access large amounts of data, so they are in a good position to spot unmet demand in the marketplace and help generate supply that’s likely to be appealing to travelers.

As demand for experiences grows, travel industry players could look for new ways to get involved

Stakeholders across all travel sectors could benefit from viewing their roles through the lens of serving up memorable, positive experiences to travelers. This might involve reframing services a company already provides, or it might mean looking for new opportunities to integrate experiences into a traveler’s journey:

Hotel stays. Hotels might use experiences as incentives for travelers to book stays. Strong brand recognition and existing digital infrastructure can help hotel chains act as distribution channels for experiences. There might also be an opportunity to improve on-premises experiences that a hotel more closely controls—for instance, at the hotel’s spa or through a pop-up event in the hotel’s lobby.
Short-term rentals. Short-term-rental platforms might offer experiences alongside accommodation bookings. Given that many short-term-rental bookings already happen online, it might make sense for short-term-rental platforms to claim a share of experience booking. These platforms have established online relationships with many customers, and they have already integrated online payments and scheduling into their operations.
Flight packages. Many airlines already generate significant revenue from package holidays, which could be supplemented with add-on experiences. Airlines might take advantage of customer data and contexts to surface attractive experience options at the time of flight booking, which tends to happen early in the trip-planning process.
Reframed core products. Travel stakeholders can view their core products through the lens of experiences. Hotels might consider how to turn lobbies into experiential opportunities. Airlines might examine what travelers want from experiences and then apply the insights to create in-flight presentations and improve cabin atmospheres. Spaces might be revamped in ways that make them social media worthy.

Destinations could offer support for the experience ecosystem

Visitor bureaus and destination management organizations have roles to play in helping meet traveler demand for great experiences. The distinctive capabilities and resources of these groups could aid them in shaping the experience landscape.

Magical experiences are what leisure travel is all about. They bring people joy. They shape people’s identities. They can be the chapters of people’s lives that they’re most eager to tell the world about.

The business of travel experiences is quickly growing and evolving. Today’s marketplace could be at an inflection point, poised to transform in ways that will better connect travelers, providers, platforms, and other players. The travel industry should look for opportunities to collaborate and innovate to improve the commercial elements of travel experiences while never losing sight of the essential magic that turns a travel experience into a life-changing event.

Download the full report: The evolving role of experiences in travel

Jules Seeley is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Boston office, Ryan Mann is a partner in the Chicago office, Vik Krishnan is a senior partner in the Bay Area office, and Alex Gersovitz is an associate partner in the Southern California office.

The authors wish to thank Alessandra Powell, Carol Flaksberg, Cedric Tsai, Lily Miller, Nadya Snezhkova, Nick Meronyk, and Sharon Yao of McKinsey, as well as Pranavi Agarwal, Robin Gilbert-Jones, Seth Borko, and Varsha Arora of Skift, for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Seth Stevenson, a senior editor in the New York office.

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AAA Travel
AAA Travel offers exclusive savings and discounts on hotels, cruises, tours, vacations and more for AAA members. Whether you're looking for a relaxing beach getaway or an adventure-packed trip, AAA can help you plan the perfect vacation that fits your needs and budget.
Expedia Travel: Vacation Homes, Hotels, Car Rentals, Flights & More
Expedia Travel: Vacation Homes, Hotels, Car Rentals, Flights & More. Your one-stop travel site for your dream vacation. Bundle your stay with a car rental or flight and you can save more. Search our flexible options to match your needs.
The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022
Find inspiration for your next trip with this list of the world's best destinations for 2022, from far-flung to hometown favorites. Whether you're looking for adventure, culture, nature, or luxury ...
Trip.com Official Site‎‎
Trip.com is a leading online travel agency in Asia, offering hotels, flights, trains, attractions, guides and more. Find the best deals and promotions for your next trip to over 200 countries and regions.
Trips: Trip Planner to Plan & Manage Your Travel
KAYAK Trips helps you schedule, organize and travel with friends or family. You can plan your trip, add your bookings, get real-time updates and share your itinerary with ease.
24 Life-changing Bucket-list Trips Everyone Should Experience
From African safaris to classic road trips, these once-in-a-lifetime travel destinations will make you want to plan your next great adventure. Discover iconic sights, delicious food, and stunning ...
Search Vacation Packages on KAYAK
Find the best deals for your dream destination with KAYAK, a travel tool that searches hundreds of travel sites. Whether you want to go to Las Vegas, Honolulu, Paris, or anywhere else, KAYAK helps you plan your trip and save money.
Flights, Hotels, Cruises & Vacation Packages
Plan your next trip with AAA Travel and enjoy savings, perks and benefits from trusted partners. Find deals on cruises, hotels, car rentals, tours and more for over 45 destinations worldwide.
Vacation Packages: Trips and Vacation Deals 2024/2025
Travelocity has some of the best deals on vacation packages. Bundle your flight and hotel together to save on your next vacation!
Travel Planner and Itinerary Maker
Plan your trips with Sygic Travel Maps, the world's first online maps designed for travelers. Discover attractions, hotels, restaurants and more on the map and sync your trips with the app.
Key travel tips you need to know
Learn how to find travel deals, book flights, avoid delays, get Global Entry and more from this comprehensive guide. Whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler, these tips can help you save time and money on your trips.
Budget Your Trip
Find average and typical travel expenses for thousands of cities and countries around the world. Plan your trip with real data from other travelers and track your own budget with Budget Your Trip tools.
Travel the world with friends you haven't met yet
JoinMyTrip is a platform to connect travelers with local trip leaders who organize unique and affordable trips to various destinations. You can explore hidden gems, connect with friends, and enjoy hassle-free travel with flexible cancellation policy and 24/7 support.
Cycling & Hiking Vacations of a Lifetime
Trek Travel offers new and classic guided bike tours in Europe and beyond, with top-notch bikes, expert guides, and unrivaled support. Whether you want to explore Tuscany, the Dolomites, or the San Juan Islands, you can find your perfect vacation with Trek Travel.
Travel + Leisure: Travel Reviews, News, Guides & Tips
Find travel reviews, news, guides and tips for your next trip. Explore the best destinations, hotels, restaurants and activities around the world with Travel + Leisure.
Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets & Airfare Deals
KAYAK is a travel search engine that helps you find the cheapest flights, hotels, rental cars and more. You can filter by price, date, destination, airline, and more to find the best deals for your trip.
Book hotels, flights, cars, cruises and more
Chase Travel offers competitive rates, seamless booking and premium benefits for Chase cardmembers. Earn and redeem Ultimate Rewards points on your trip, and explore travel guides and recommendations from Condé Nast partners.
Visiting China in 2024: A guide to visas, mobile payments and more
Trip.com The international travel booking platform of Ctrip. Trip.com is one of the easiest ways to book high-speed rail tickets, attraction tickets and hotels in China.
Planning a trip? Don't get destination-duped
It promises you an inexpensive and uncrowded place to vacation that's as good as, if not better than, the original. The trend was started by a bunch of TikTokers with nothing better to do than recycle an idea that's as old as travel. "Let's be honest," says Jeremy Murchland, president of the travel insurance company Seven Corners ...
Travel credit − Customer service − American Airlines
We offer different types of travel credit: Trip Credit, Flight Credit, and Travel Vouchers. Each type of travel credit has its own terms and conditions, so be sure to read them carefully before redeeming your credit. Keep in mind, travel credits can only be used to book flights, and can't be used to pay for extras like seats or bags.
From permits to weather reports: 5 things to keep in mind before
From permits to weather reports: 5 things to keep in mind before planning your Andaman trip The Andaman and Nicobar Islands offer pristine beaches and vibrant marine life, making it a perfect ...
What's happening to Alaska's glaciers and how it could impact your trip
Climate change is drastically impacting the world around us, including the way people travel and the destinations themselves. "Green Travel" is a seven-part series delving into how climate ...
The evolving role of experiences in travel
Travel experiences could compose a market worth more than $1 trillion. The travel experience market is large and, by some estimates, rapidly growing. To size it, we began by examining the value represented by the entirety of the world's tours, attractions, and activities. Our analysis indicates that this global market could be more than $3 ...