Hotels, airlines and travel agents in Asia offer great deals for early booking as coronavirus vaccinations raise possibility of holidays in 2021
- The roll-out of coronavirus vaccinations has raised hopes that overseas holidays will resume in Asia this year
- With a huge number of flexible flight and hotel deals available at big discounts, now is a great time to commit to a trip
The return of international travel may yet seem a long way off, but vaccination programmes are being rolled out worldwide, and hopes are high that travel in Asia will have resumed by the end of the year. With many bargains to be bagged, now may be the time to put a down payment on that dream holiday.
Hotels, airlines, travel agents and other tourism-related businesses that have managed to stave off the economic onslaught of Covid-19 are working on survival. That means there are deals to be had, with plenty of flexibility built in, so holidaymakers can start planning for a long-awaited yet reasonably priced adventure abroad.
“Now is the best time to lock in a flight deal,” says Zach Griff, travel analyst at advice portal The Points Guy. “Right now, international airfares are at an all-time low. But as more people get vaccinated, demand is expected to rise. This will lead to higher fares.”
Most airlines have waived change fees and offer flexible dates, meaning travellers don’t have to worry about additional costs for cancelled flights or disruption to travel plans caused by future twists in the Covid-19 tale.
Emirates, for example, allows passengers to change destinations at no additional cost; its tickets are valid for up to 36 months; and all flights come with insurance that covers cancellations and Covid-19 treatment abroad. Cathay Pacific is offering similar peace of mind, with unlimited, free changes allowed to tickets bought up until June 30.
