Summer Travel Deals: Where Prices Are Dropping and How to Book Luxury for Less

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Episode: Summer Travel Deals: Where Prices Are Dropping and How to Book Luxury for Less
Hosts: Sally French & Meagan Coyle
Release Date: June 25, 2025

---

Overview

In this episode of Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways, Sally French and Meagan Coyle delve into the latest summer travel trends, offering listeners insider tips on snagging the best deals and maximizing their travel budgets. From evolving credit card benefits to exclusive cruise loyalty programs, the hosts provide a comprehensive guide to navigating the bustling summer travel season.

---

Summer Travel Trends: A Full Throttle Season

Kicking off the episode, Sally and Meagan observe that summer travel is in full swing. Sally recounts her experience at a Chicago conference, noting the "crowds everywhere from the Shedd Aquarium to the TSA PreCheck line at O' Hare" (00:20). This surge is further evidenced by data indicating that the Friday before Memorial Day marked one of only three days in history with over 3 million travelers passing through U.S. airports.

Meagan anticipates continued high volume, especially around the Fourth of July, but reassures listeners that there are still valuable deals to be found for those who act swiftly.

---

Credit Card Perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Updates

The hosts revisit recent changes to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, highlighting its new signup bonus: "a hundred thousand bonus points plus a $500 credit for Chase travel purchases after spending $5,000 in the first three months" (02:15). They caution listeners to assess whether the card's benefits and annual fee align with their long-term travel needs.

A significant update is announced: Chase now allows cardholders to hold both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This change opens avenues for maximizing rewards, albeit at the cost of "almost $900 in annual fees" (03:14).

The conversation shifts to American Express, with Meagan sharing concerns about the impending "biggest ever refresh" to the Amex Platinum cards, hinting at potential annual fee increases (03:49). Both hosts express apprehension, indicating plans for a dedicated episode once more details emerge.

---

Disney's Halloween Extravaganzas

Transitioning to leisure activities, Sally introduces Disney's upcoming Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure, set to go on sale on June 26th (04:38). Drawing from her personal experience with Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Orlando, Sally emphasizes the value of these exclusive events, especially considering the hefty ticket prices—ranging from "$100 to over $200 on Halloween night" (05:03).

She shares a personal anecdote about accumulating "eight pounds of candy" during past events, showcasing her knack for turning experiences into perks (05:25).

---

Delta's New Sky Clubs: A Luxe Airport Experience

Meagan recounts her visit to the newly opened Delta Sky Club and Delta One Lounge in Seattle, highlighting the expansive 24,000-square-foot facility and its stunning outdoor terrace with views of Mount Rainier (06:27). Sally praises the trend of incorporating outdoor spaces into airport lounges, contrasting it with more traditional, confined setups like the Centurion Lounge.

Listeners are encouraged to explore credit cards that offer access to these lounges, with a curated list available in the episode description (07:19).

---

Carnival Cruise Line's Loyalty Program Overhaul

Sally and Meagan discuss Carnival Cruise Line's transition from the Very Important Fun Person program to Carnival Rewards in 2026. They critique the shift from rewarding nights sailed to overall spending, noting a "big devaluation for the maximizers who cruise often but on the low-cost sailings" (08:05).

Meagan elaborates on listener frustrations, especially regarding diminished perks for frequent short-duration cruisers, while Sally points out that current members will retain their status through the transition (09:26).

---

Travel Spending Insights with Mary Drosch (Bank of America)

Inviting Mary Drosch, Head of Product for Consumer Business and Wealth Management at Bank of America, the hosts explore recent travel spending data. Mary reveals that while overall travel spending has softened by 3% year-over-year, cruising is up by 7%, and hotel rates have seen a minor decline of around 2% (10:52).

She attributes the dip in travel expenditure to increased costs in necessities like insurance and rent, pushing consumers towards more affordable travel options such as domestic road trips and cruises. Mary highlights the growing popularity of "destination dupes"—lesser-known locales that offer similar experiences at a fraction of the cost (17:14).

Notably, higher-income earners continue to favor international and premium destinations, with Asia, particularly Japan, seeing a 9% growth in travel spending (15:53).

---

Hotel Pricing Trends and Strategies with Christy Hudson (Hotels.com)

Christy Hudson, Head of Global PR for Hotels.com, joins the discussion to present the 2025 Hotel Price Index. She advises travelers to "book early, especially with hotels," emphasizing that availability and pricing can vary significantly based on the destination (21:42).

Key takeaways include:

• U.S. Cities with Dropping Hotel Rates: San Francisco (-9%), Austin (-7%), Atlanta, Nashville, Portland, and Anaheim have seen notable price reductions (23:36).

• International Hotel Value: Five-star hotels abroad, particularly in cities like Bangkok, Hanoi, and Prague, are approximately 32% cheaper than their U.S. counterparts (24:25).

• Optimal Star Ratings for Value: Four-star hotels offer the best balance of comfort and cost, with upgrading from three to four stars costing about 38% more, compared to a 118% increase from four to five stars (26:03).

Christy also touches on the variability of star ratings globally, advising travelers to supplement star ratings with guest reviews and photos for a more accurate assessment (26:10).

Additionally, she shares insights on poolside cocktail prices, identifying Los Angeles as the most expensive city with an average cocktail cost of $21.20, while Nashville and New Orleans offer the most affordable options at $15 (27:48).

---

Hot Takeoffs: Capital One Venture X Guest Policy Changes

In their favorite segment, Hot Takeoffs, Sally and Meagan express their frustration with Capital One Venture X's recent change limiting guest access to lounges. Meagan criticizes the removal of guest privileges, stating, "this is a perk that does not work for me at all" (34:01). Sally counters by emphasizing that lounges are intended for cardholders, not extended to multiple guests.

The segment highlights the tension between elite card benefits and user satisfaction, ending on a humorous note about resorting to airport fast food in the absence of lounge access (34:29).

---

Conclusion

Sally and Meagan wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to stay informed and proactive in their travel planning. They emphasize the importance of leveraging loyalty programs, booking strategically, and staying flexible to maximize travel experiences without breaking the bank. Listeners are urged to share their own travel tips and feedback, fostering a community of informed and savvy travelers.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Sally French (00:31): "Summer travel is in full force."

• Meagan Coyle (02:15): "A hundred thousand bonus points plus a $500 credit for Chase travel purchases after spending $5,000 in the first three months."

• Sally French (17:14): "Destination dupes are a way of going to a place that is less crowded, less known, and therefore less expensive to still get the same sort of experience."

• Christy Hudson (26:10): "There is no universal star rating system."

• Meagan Coyle (34:08): "This is a perk that does not work for me at all."

---

This comprehensive overview ensures that even those who haven't listened to the episode can grasp the essential insights and actionable tips shared by Sally and Meagan. From financial strategies to experiential travel hacks, this episode equips listeners with the knowledge to make the most of their summer getaways.

Transcript

[Meagan Coyle]

Savor every last drop of summer with Starbucks.

[Sally French]

From bold refreshers to rich cold brews, the sunniest season only gets better with.

[Meagan Coyle]

A handcrafted iced beverage in your hand.

[Sally French]

Available for a limited time, your summer favorites are ready at Starbucks.

[Meagan Coyle]

Sally, it's been a couple of weeks since we did our episode on summer travel. What do you think has changed since then?

[Sally French]

Megan, I have to say I was in Chicago for a conference this past week and there were crowds everywhere from the Shedd aquarium to the TSA PreCheck line at O' Hare. So I think it is safe to say summer travel is in full force.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think we've got more evidence now that despite everything going on in the world, people still want to get away.

[Sally French]

This summer we saw tons of people fly the Friday before Memorial Day. In fact, that was one of just three days in history when the number of travelers passing through US airports crossed the 3 million mark. That's based on TSA checkpoint data.

[Meagan Coyle]

And I'm expecting big crowds for Fourth of July, too. Travelers might be dialing back their budget, but they are still going places. And luckily there are still travel deals to be found for this summer if you're waiting to book and today we'll share some of them. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars.

[Sally French]

I'm Sally French.

[Meagan Coyle]

And I'm Meagan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[Meagan Coyle]

Today we have two guests, one from bank of America and the other from hotels.com to share how you can score great deals even with summer already upon us. Plus, an update on how this summer travel season is shaking out so far.

[Sally French]

And as we do in pretty much every episode, we'll talk about some credit card companies that are nerdwallet partners that does not influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms and fees mentioned today were accurate at the time we posted this, but things can change. Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening, so for the latest details, just follow the links in the episode description.

[Meagan Coyle]

I feel like I still have all the Chase Sapphire Reserve changes burned onto my brain. Points boost? No, no, that was last show.

[Sally French]

Oh, you don't want to do another deep dive into the great Chase Sapphire Reserve coupon book?

[Meagan Coyle]

No, not really. But I did want to do a few follow ups to last week's episode. Number one, the new Chase Sapphire Reserve officially became available as of Monday, June 23, and the signup bonus was officially revealed.

[Sally French]

Yes, and it is a big one. It is a hundred thousand bonus points plus a $500 credit for Chase travel purchases after spending $5,000 in the first three months.

[Meagan Coyle]

But as Sally and I talked about last episode, don't get starstruck by the a hundred thousand bonus points and $500. You still have to make sure the benefits and annual fee will work for you long term.

[Sally French]

I say listen to last week's episode. If you need an analysis of what I am calling a $795 Coupon Book, we'll also link to NerdWallet's review of this card and this new signup bonus in the episode description.

[Meagan Coyle]

And one last thing, we also confirmed that Chase is changing its rules and is now allowing you to hold both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

[Sally French]

That's new.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, so that's something that interests you. You could downgrade your current reserve to a Chase Sapphire Preferred with the lower annual fee and then apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve again with this giant signup bonus.

[Sally French]

And we will call the people who have both of these cards the Chase Sapphire Preserves.

[Meagan Coyle]

It sounds like a jam. Blueberry jam, maybe.

[Sally French]

Expensive jam. Considering having both would cost almost $900 in annual fees. I know. Speaking of which, I don't think these annual fee hikes are over. In fact, American Express wanted to steal some of Chase's th so it announced. Wait for it, a coming announcement. Megan, it was nothing but a big tease. Essentially, Amex issued a press release revealing that the biggest ever refresh to its platinum card is coming later this year. And we are likely not just talking about a shinier metal finish.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, we basically have no other details except that changes are expected on both the Amex Platinum and the Amex Platinum business card. I will say, though, Sally, I'm scared. I can't do another higher annual fee.

[Sally French]

If that's what it is, I can't either. You know, we both have this card and I'm very scared of an annual fee increase. We will be standing by. Very likely we will do a whole show dedicated to these changes when we have more info.

[Meagan Coyle]

By the way, I wanted to give a quick plug that there are a ton of new credit card signup bonuses available right now, not just on the Chase Sapphire Reserve. So check out that page that I update for the latest offers. It's in the episode description.

[Sally French]

Okay, not any more card news this time. We have news coming out of Disney now, Megan. It is not even July 4th, but it is time to start thinking about Halloween. That's right. Tickets for Disney's Oogie Boogie Bash go on sale to the general public tomorrow. That's June 26th.

[Meagan Coyle]

It's the Halloween after hours party at Disney California Adventure.

[Sally French]

Yes. And with this, you get to go trick or treating in the park after it closes.

[Meagan Coyle]

Sally, have you been before?

[Sally French]

So not Oogie Boogie, but I have been to Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party over at Disney World in Orlando. I have to say, as a lifelong Disney fan, it is surreal to go trick or treating in the tiki room. Tickets for Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party are already on sale.

[Meagan Coyle]

And these things sell out super fast, right?

[Sally French]

Yes. Which is wild because these tickets cost more than $100. Prices vary depending on the night. In fact, more than $200 on Halloween night. And get this, you want to sign up fast if you want to go to Oogie Boogie in California Adventure, because tickets for Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party on Halloween night at Disney World are already sold out.

[Meagan Coyle]

So was Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party worth it?

[Sally French]

Megan, for the candy alone Save with Sally says that this was, like, an oddly good deal because they hand out candy by the bucketful all over the park. So my fiance and I went a few years ago, and we were not even trying to get candy. We're like, if we walk by someone who hands out candy, we will take it, but we are not, like, walking out of our way. We ended up with so much candy, we weighed it and it was eight pounds of candy.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, my gosh.

[Sally French]

We weren't even trying. I was like, we should have brought a backpack if we wanted more. I calculated the cost to buy the same candy on Amazon, and it was $80.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, my goodness. But how can you eat eight pounds of candy though? You're tiny.

[Sally French]

Well, actually, we just gave this out on Halloweens ourselves. So instead of having to buy Halloween candy for all the neighborhood kids, I was like, you are getting our Disney candy.

[Meagan Coyle]

Honestly, so smart. Very Save with Sally. Move.

[Sally French]

Thank you. Thank you. And I know you had a very Miles with Megan company trip this week too.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, yeah. I just went to preview the new Delta Sky Club and Delta One Lounge in Seattle yesterday. It was just a quick day trip there from LA for the day, but I didn't even leave the airport.

[Sally French]

That's what we do here at the Smart Travel podcast. Go check out lounges. I want to know what was it like?

[Meagan Coyle]

So much space. 24,000 square feet, two floors. The Delta 1 Lounge is reserved for people flying Delta 1, which is like, first class. Or a premium class on a Delta partner. And that space has this awesome outdoor terrace with views of Mount Rainier. It was beautiful. And it was summer, so.

[Sally French]

Oh, okay. Well, it's nice in summer. Maybe not so nice in the Seattle rainy season, which is all the other days.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, seriously do have to say I.

[Sally French]

Love this trend of outdoor spaces in airport lounges. Way different than the cave like lounge, you know which we're talking about. Lax, Centurion Lounge.

[Mary Drosch]

Yeah, cough cough.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think the new Delta sky clubs have the nicest designs of all the lounge networks for our Seattle based listeners. You have an excellent option there now. And if you fly Delta often, it would be worth checking out which credit cards can get you access.

[Sally French]

We will link to that list of cards for Delta Sky Club access in the episode description. And Megan, tell us, when does this lounge open?

[Meagan Coyle]

The Delta sky club opened today the 25th of June, and the Delta One Lounge opens tomorrow on June 26th.

[Sally French]

And where can people see videos and photos of that?

[Meagan Coyle]

You can see a video of it on my Instagram miles with Megan Co.

[Sally French]

And that's Megan with an H. Just in time for summer.

[Meagan Coyle]

And then over in cruise news, Carnival Cruise Line is finally giving its loyalty program a glow up, Megan.

[Sally French]

They are ditching the Very Important Fun Person program. Yes, that is a real thing. That is a real name. They are replacing it with carnival rewards in 2026.

[Meagan Coyle]

I can't believe it was called Very Important Fun Person. That sounds like a joke.

[Sally French]

I did not name it.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, I'm glad they're ditching it. That's iconic.

[Sally French]

I just feel like Carnival Rewards is a little boring and forgettable.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, it kind of is.

[Sally French]

I also have to say with this new program, it seems like Carnival cares less about how important and fun you are and more just about how much money you spend.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh no. I see where this rewards program change is going.

[Sally French]

Yes. So instead of only counting how many nights you've sailed with them, this new program rewards you for how much you spend, which includes spending on not just cabins, but those other onboard extras like drinks.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's a pretty major shift and a big devaluation for the maximizers who cruise often but on the low cost sailings. So they earned elite status without spending a ton.

[Sally French]

Big bummer for them. This puts Carnival in the ranks of other airline and hotel based loyalty programs that have been pivoting the same way. They're judging your elite status based on spending rather than night, state or miles flown with them.

[Meagan Coyle]

People are gonna be so sad to hear this, Megan.

[Sally French]

They're not sad, they are angry. I have actually never done a Carnival cruise, but I was browsing Reddit to see what the people say about it. The top post is someone pointing out that with gold status, the only extras now that you get are, wait for it, one complimentary 1.5 liter bottle of water and one other complimentary beverage. But they're still fine print. You only get that complimentary beverage if you do a sailing that's five days or more.

[Meagan Coyle]

So those people who are taking a bunch of short cruises, they get basically nothing.

[Sally French]

It's very sad for them. Will they get the bottle of water right? Stay hydrated. At least one piece of silver lining. Current members won't lose their status. They will be rolled into the new tiers. So at least current members can hang on to their status a little longer.

[Meagan Coyle]

They can keep cruising into summer. More on that in today's episode.

[Sally French]

We've been seeing some big shifts in travel pricing so far in 2025. Airfare prices are dropping, hotel rates are cooling off, and yet consumer sentiment is still a little shaky.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think uncertainty is the word of the year when it comes to the economy, and we're in the middle of the busy summer travel season when you're usually expecting higher demand and higher prices.

[Sally French]

We wanted to know what people are spending on when it comes to travel.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, I brought in some backup to answer that question. Today. We've got two guests to walk us through what some of the data says. Our first guest is Mary Dros, head of product for Consumer Business and Wealth Management, banking and Lending at Bank of America. Mary breaks down some of bank of America's real transaction data, like where people are booking, how they're budgeting, and why cruises are having a moment right now.

[Sally French]

Oh, really? I feel like I called that when we did our cruise episode a few weeks ago.

[Meagan Coyle]

You sure did. Let's get into it. Here's my conversation with Mary Drosch. Welcome to the show, Mary. We are so happy to have you here.

[Mary Drosch]

Great to be here.

[Meagan Coyle]

So travel spending has gone off to a slow start in 2025. How significant is the decrease from last year and what are the factors driving that?

[Mary Drosch]

Travel spending's a little soft, primarily driven by air, which is down 3% year over year. There are some bright spots. Cruising is up year over year and seeing a little bit of pullback in hotels as well.

[Meagan Coyle]

And why do we think people are spending less on travel in the first couple of months of 2025?

[Mary Drosch]

Earlier on the year, January, February, there were a lot of weather, which reduce Travel storms, the wildfires in California and now we're faced with a lot of uncertainty given impending tariffs. Overall, our consumers are still very healthy, but they're pulling back in those more discretionary items. They're also faced with some increases in necessities like insurance, rent. So they're making trade offs. So you can see even in travel, they're making choices to do it in a more affordable way.

[Meagan Coyle]

When consumer sentiment is low, how does that affect travel spending generally? Do people pull back completely and cancel their trips? Are they spending less on the trips they are taking? What's happening there?

[Mary Drosch]

Yeah, it's really a combination. But what we're seeing in our actual data at bank of America is that people are making responsible choices. And even in a recent bank of America summer travel survey that we did, what we're finding is they're just going to pull back a little bit. So less international, more domestic, more road trips instead of flying. So things that enable you to still take a great trip, make memories with your family and friends, but at a more affordable place.

[Meagan Coyle]

One thing I really like about bank of America survey is that it uses real credit card and debit card transaction data as opposed to just what people say they're going to do. Because as we all know, we have great intentions to save money, but it doesn't always happen in reality. Were there any discrepancies that you noticed between what people were saying they were going to do financially and what the data shows about their spending?

[Mary Drosch]

It's a little soon to see how it actually plays out with our most recent survey on how people intend to do it. But we're already starting to see in our data that people are pulling back on things like airline purchases and hotels. And as a result, those are also things that are the prices are going down because demand is decreasing, but they're not 100% pulling back. So I think there's a concern, and that's what the consumer sentiment is showing, is people are a little uncertain on the future, but we're not seeing pullback in year over year spend. We're actually seeing spend growth.

[Meagan Coyle]

So one of those categories that people are spending more on is cruises. Can you tell us what the data says about that?

[Mary Drosch]

Cruise spend was up 7% in the first quarter. And when you think about a cruise, it's a very affordable way to see a lot of places and it's generally all inclusive. And so we've continued to see post pandemic an increase in cruising amongst bank of America debit and credit holders. And there just doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Even as we've seen travel spend go down, cruising continues to be up year over year. And a lot of our cruise companies out there are adding ships and destinations. Given its popularity.

[Meagan Coyle]

You mentioned that prices have gone down recently for lodging and airfare, kind of in response to the lower demand we're seeing. Like hotel room rates and car rentals are down 2%. Airfares are down almost 8%. Those are compared to last year. Are these price changes allowing more people to travel for the summer?

[Mary Drosch]

Well, they still are faced with those other expenses that they can't really offset, which is rent, utilities, insurance. So they're not necessarily able to take those trips. So we're seeing other things. Things like road tripping is becoming very popular. We saw that in our data. 63% of the people we surveyed who are going to have a summer vacation plan to do it and their own car are one that they rent because it's so much more affordable.

[Meagan Coyle]

So if these people are road tripping, they're probably staying within the US where are they going?

[Mary Drosch]

A lot of things like national parks, amusement parks, and what they love about it is the flexibility. When you're on a road trip, you don't have to be at the airport an hour early. Your agenda is a little bit more like come as you go. If you want to stop and see a beautiful destination, you can and stay as long as you want and then move on. You also have the journey together that people really enjoy. Over 40% of the people that we surveyed said it's about the journey. Play games in the car. You can't help but talk to each other because there's no other distraction. So it's a good way to create a memory, whether it's with friends or family.

[Meagan Coyle]

I thought it was really interesting in the data to see this switch, that when you look at higher income earners as opposed to middle and low income earners, the majority of those high income earners are flying this summer as opposed to driving and taking these road trips. Where are the high income earners going on vacation this summer?

[Mary Drosch]

Well, they're traveling both domestically and internationally. Mexico and Canada, the highest percent are going there, followed by European countries. But where we're seeing the most year over year growth is with Asia. It's up 9% over the previous year and Japan is a particular favorite. That's actually where I'm planning on taking my family, though I have not made actually any arrangements. But somehow by August we're going to figure it out.

[Meagan Coyle]

How does entertainment spending play into all of this? This is the kind of spending that people do on theme parks, on concerts, on sporting events. Are people traveling for those types of events, and how much are they spending on it?

[Mary Drosch]

We found that half of Americans have traveled out of state or even internationally to attend a concert or a sporting event or festival. Many, including myself, traveled to attend the Arist tour. As an example, when we surveyed our people asking, do you intend to do more of that? Over a third said they're gonna spend even more on entertainment and really plan trips around it than they did in 2024. And live events, really such a memorable way to encapsulate in a vacation.

[Meagan Coyle]

And then one strategy for saving this year is going to destination dupes. Can you give me an example of what that is?

[Mary Drosch]

Yeah, I'll talk about my own destination dupe. But it's a way of going to a place that is less crowded, less known, and therefore less expensive to still get the same sort of experience. I went to Greece last summer, and we went to Santorini, which was amazing. Super, super crowded and incredibly expensive. And I live in New York City, and it was incredibly expensive. We then went to Paros, which is another Greek island, less known, less populated, and a fraction of the cost. I had the most amazing villa for an entire extended family. It was 11 of us for less than what I was paying for. Just my kids and my husband to be in a hotel in Santorini. Wow. Plus, when we would go out to eat, it would be a fraction of the cost. But it was the same Greek experience in some ways more authentic. So there's many places, whether you're going to the Caribbean or you want to go to Europe. If you go to a place that's less known, it's going to be more affordable and sometimes more culturally immersive.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, Mary, thank you so much for sharing all of your insights with us.

[Mary Drosch]

Thank you for having me. I hope you have a wonderful summer vacation.

[Sally French]

Very cool. I like the concept of destination dupes, alliteration and saving money.

[Meagan Coyle]

I also want to zoom in on hotel pricing for the summer. So we're in June, but according to our next guest, it's not too late to book something. By the way, Sally, did you get your Fourth of July lodging squared away?

[Sally French]

You know, I actually have not booked that part yet.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, my gosh. You're stressing me out.

[Sally French]

Okay, thank you for the reminder. Do that next.

[Meagan Coyle]

Excellent. Our next guest is Christy Hudson, head of global PR for Hotels.com. we teased a little bit about this in the news last week, but Hotels.com just released their 2025 Hotel Price Index and there are some really great tips in there about where the cheapest five star hotels are and how to get the best value when you're booking hotels.

[Sally French]

And I hope she says something about free breakfast. You know I'm a sucker for free food.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes, we definitely are talking about getting free food and expensive cocktails.

[Sally French]

We'll have more in a moment. Stay with us. Today's episode is sponsored by Quints.

[Meagan Coyle]

Let's be real. When you're traveling, you want to pack light and look like you didn't just roll out of the TSA line, right?

[Sally French]

That's why I am so happy I've discovered quints. Their clothes are lightweight and wrinkle resistant. I would call them high quality basics.

[Meagan Coyle]

And when you're team carry on only you need some high quality basics.

[Sally French]

Oh yes you do. So far I have two dresses from Quints. One is a very classic black dress that I can definitely dress down or dress up with nicer jewelry that's perfect for travel.

[Meagan Coyle]

A little black dress that you can wear to the beach and to dinner.

[Sally French]

Right? And then Meghan, you know I love dresses. Way better than trying to tailor pants for my little 4 foot 10 frame. So I also have this great green sundress. Again, this dress is neutral so I can mix it up with a funky jacket or scarf. And no one will ever know that I wore the same dress two days in a row.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, we know because you literally just told thousands of our listeners.

[Sally French]

Shh. That's a smart travel secret.

[Meagan Coyle]

How's the quality?

[Sally French]

I love that these dresses do not wrinkle even when I crumple them up in my backpack. No way am I spending travel hours ironing them in my hotel room.

[Meagan Coyle]

I'm really excited for the linen set that I have coming in the mail. Linen is the best summer fabric because it's so light and airy. I wore it all over Italy when I was there this year and I was impressed by the price, which feels about half of what I'd pay for similar quality elsewhere.

[Sally French]

I wear this stuff all the time and you should too.

[Meagan Coyle]

Stick to the staples that last with elevated essentials from quince.

[Sally French]

Go to quince.com smarttravel for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U-I-N C-E.com smarttravel to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com smarttravel I think you're on Mute.

[Meagan Coyle]

Workday starting to sound the same. I think you're on mute. Find something that sounds better for your career on LinkedIn. With LinkedIn job collections, you can browse.

[Christy Hudson]

Curated collections by relevant industries and benefits like Flexpto or hybrid workplaces, so you can find the right job for you. Get [e-mail] jobs finding where you fit.

[Meagan Coyle]

LinkedIn knows how. Christy Hudson, welcome to Smart Travel.

[Christy Hudson]

Thanks for having me. Excited to be here.

[Meagan Coyle]

So summer travel is here. What trends are you seeing so far for this summer? What does demand look like? Is it difficult to find availability for hotels later this summer?

[Christy Hudson]

So it really depends on where you're going. People tend to book hotels a little bit closer to their travel date, right? So they get their airfare a couple months out usually, and then they wait until a little later to get their hotels. I'm an early booker in general and I always advise people to book early, especially with hotels. If you're going to New York City, you're going to have a ton of options. If you're going to Charleston, you're going to have a lot fewer. It really depends on the market you're going to and what kind of condensed hotel landscape you're looking at. But you can always choose things like free cancellation as an option and then just keep an eye out to see if any better deals pop up. So my advice is to get those travel dates on the calendar to get things booked.

[Meagan Coyle]

And how can travelers save money on hotels this summer in the U.S. hotels.com.

[Christy Hudson]

Just released their hotel Price index, which is a pretty massive analysis of global booking data that Hotels.com put together to basically search as a bit of a cheat sheet to show where and how to get more value for your money. It shows where are hotel prices rising, where are they dropping, where travelers can find the best value globally, depending on star rating, which is super interesting. People are being very intentional about their discretionary spending right now. But when it comes to travel, that doesn't necessarily mean they're looking for the bottom of the barrel, cheapest option every time. Rather, we all want to feel like we got a good bang for our buck. We wanna feel like we got a good value. So you wanna know where is my dollar gonna go further? If I'm price conscious, is there a place where I can get a bit more luxury for less? So those are some of the tips that are in this report.

[Meagan Coyle]

And hotel rates are slightly lower this year than they were last year. Where are some of the cities in the US that you are seeing that price dropping more Significantly, in the US.

[Christy Hudson]

Some of the destinations where we're seeing prices have fallen year over year are San Francisco, down about 9% compared to the year prior. Austin, Texas is down about 7%. Atlanta, Nashville, Portland, Oregon, all around down around 6%. Anaheim even, which is where you would stay if you were going to Disneyland, is down about 5%. So some really good deals there. On the flip side, some of the places that have seen a little bit of an increase year over year, the top three are Chicago, Houston and New York, but ranging from 4 to 7% up year over year. So not too crazy of a jump.

[Meagan Coyle]

How can travelers find good value on hotel prices abroad? If they are flying overseas or maybe to the Caribbean or Mexico or Canada, what can they do to get better value from their stays there?

[Christy Hudson]

If you want a luxury experience, traveling internationally is actually going to be a really great value for you. So five star hotels abroad according to the analysis are around 32% cheaper than five star hotels in the U.S. so some of the top places for those inexpensive five star stays, even under like $200, under $300. Cities like Bangkok, Hanoi, Auckland, Thailand and Vietnam tend to pop up and come top of mind if you're thinking cheap five star stays. But also in Europe. So Prague, Porto, Copenhagen, which I always thought was a very expensive city, five star stays are averaging under $300 in those cities as well. On the flip side, some of the more expensive places to stay at a five star hotel are Paris and Rome, two incredibly popular destinations with some really, really luxurious five star accommodations. And then in the States, Orlando and New York City are the top places for prices for five stars. Another way to think about it when you're choosing a hotel is to look at kind of value between stars. So the analysis found that four stars are really the sweet spot when it comes to bang for your buck. They're the great balance of comfort and cost. Because if you're looking at upstarring, upgrading from a three to four star only costs about 38% more in the US whereas upgrading from a four to five star comes with an 118% increase in average price. So when you're looking at kind of like I want something a little nicer, that four star is really going to be worth it.

[Meagan Coyle]

And there is no universal star rating system. So what are the difference between like staying at a four star and a five star hotel?

[Christy Hudson]

Yeah, it's super interesting and something I didn't know until I started working in the travel industry about a decade ago. But like you said, there's no single global standard for hotel star rating. It's actually determined by a number of independent organizations, government agencies, tourism boards, and it does vary by country. There's no official checklist of amenities that have to be met in order to receive a certain star rating. So not every five star hotel is going to be required to have a pool. And many four star hotels may have spas. So there is some nuance to it. Generally speaking, star rating reflects a hotel's level of luxury, comfort, amenities and service. And in some countries, you might see sustainability practices or even verified guest feedback be factored into the star ratings. I always recommend using the star rating as a starting point. And then you really want to be on the sites, digging through guest reviews, digging through photos. Those are going to give you a much better sense of how is a traveler's actual experience at this property recently. Right. You can see a month ago someone stayed there and is raving about the concierge and is raving about the room updates and the view. That's going to give you a lot more than just a star rating by itself.

[Meagan Coyle]

I love a good rooftop cocktail. Like if the four or five star hotel has a rooftop bar, I love a poolside drink. I know that Hotels.com has also done some research into some of these fancy drinks at hotels. Can you tell us a little bit about that data?

[Christy Hudson]

Yeah, well, when you're thinking about what my vacation is going to cost me, you got to factor in the food and beverage, of course. So we took a look at the average cost of, of having a poolside cocktail at hotels around the United States and we found a little bit of a difference. So we have 10, and they range from about $21 per poolside cocktail to about 15. So can you, do you have any guesses on where the most expensive cocktail in the US can be found by the pool?

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, so I'm between New York and LA because they're like the most expensive cities and they have those poolside cocktails. I'm going to go with New York. I feel like it's a little less common.

[Christy Hudson]

New York is number three.

[Meagan Coyle]

No.

[Christy Hudson]

But LA is number one. Los Angeles has on average a cocktail at the price of $21.20. New York is right behind it at $20. Maui is actually number two.

[Meagan Coyle]

Wow.

[Christy Hudson]

So all those Mai Tais really add up. I know that they have for me in my life the cheapest cocktail. Do you have any guesses on that one?

[Meagan Coyle]

The cheapest cocktail. I'm gonna go with Phoenix.

[Christy Hudson]

Ooh, great guess. We did Scottsdale we did look at Scottsdale. It's third from last.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay. All right. I'm in the right ballpark.

[Christy Hudson]

Yeah, you're on the right, like, side of the spectrum. Nashville at 15 has the cheapest poolside cocktails. Oh, I believe that New Orleans was second cheapest at 15. They tied for cheapest at $15. So that's about $6 cheaper to have that poolside cocktail in New Orleans or Nashville.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, this is why I live in la. I make my own poolside cocktails just without the pool. I just have to make it myself.

[Christy Hudson]

Backyard cocktail is almost as good.

[Meagan Coyle]

So when you're trying to get the best value, it's not just about the hotel stars or the poolside drinks. What are some of the extra perks that travelers should look for when they're trying to increase the value of their stay?

[Christy Hudson]

I think it's really important when you're talking about travel and value to talk about loyalty and rewards programs in travel. These are the best ways to get more out of your dollars. Even if you're not 100% loyal to one airline or one brand, you're really leaving money on the table if you don't utilize these. So credit cards that give you points and miles are fantastic, but they do come with a pretty hefty annual fee that's not insignificant. So those aren't always accessible to everybody or something you want to invest in. There are a lot of ways to get free benefits, though. So Hotels.com has a free loyalty program and it unlocks member discounts of 20% or more. Off of hotels, you also earn rewards for every stay. But within that program, they also have a curated list of thousands of hotels called VIP Access. And the reason I bring these up is because when you're talking about getting more out of your stay, these VIP access properties, in order to be part of the program, they have to offer free perks. So you can get perks like free parking. They also offer things like free food and beverage credits, free spa treatments, bottles of wine when you arrive. Some of these perks equal more than $250 at some of these properties, which is the average cost of a four star stay.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think that's a great point you brought up that this program is free. I just want to mention some of the other programs that are similar that offer extra hotel perks. You might get them through your travel credit card, like the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts Collection is kind of similar. They have a list of hotels that will give you extra perks. Things like late checkout property credits, free breakfast, that kind of thing.

[Christy Hudson]

It's amazing how much that stuff can make your trip feel special. Not every part of the travel process is going to be pleasant, right? There's like lots of waiting in lines. There's a lot of getting from airport to in the taxi to the hotel. But when you have little things waiting for you, makes you feel a little special. Helps you, like, turn off the grind mode and go into vacation mode. So that stuff means a lot to me, too.

[Meagan Coyle]

So, Christy, what is your advice for summer travelers who are still looking for savings in the next few months?

[Christy Hudson]

Like I said, I'm a big fan of getting those things on the calendar. Now, one thing to remember about summer is it's no shocker here. It's peak time, right? So July in particular is an extremely expensive and busy time to travel. August is kind of the shoulder season of the summer, especially late August between the last two weeks of August and Labor Day weekend. So that's a great shoulder season time because the weather gets a little cooler and travel really cools off. So you don't have as many crowds.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, you can start looking for those shoulder season deals right now. Christy, thank you so much for joining us on Smart Travel.

[Christy Hudson]

Thanks for having me.

[Sally French]

Okay, good tips in there. I do want to throw in some caution, though. Booking with an online Travel agency like Hotels.com means you usually usually won't earn loyalty points with that hotel. If you're not trying to earn status or you don't often stay with that brand, maybe it doesn't matter that much to you. But something to keep in mind if.

[Meagan Coyle]

It does, good call out. You'll definitely want to compare the perks you get through something like Hotels.com's VIP Access Program with the opportunity cost of booking directly and earning loyalty points. I just stayed at the Santa Monica proper hotel courtesy of hotel stock to try out that VIP access program and the perks were worth a couple of hundred dollars.

[Sally French]

Oh, interesting. There's a proper hotel near my house. I need to check it.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes, definitely.

[Sally French]

Okay, time for our favorite segment. Hot takeoffs.

[Meagan Coyle]

I've got one.

[Sally French]

Okay, let's hear it.

[Meagan Coyle]

This is related to the Capital One Venture X guest policy changes.

[Sally French]

Oh, yes. I knew we were going to talk about this.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes, I think there are maybe 10 things they could have done before taking away all of that guest access. You used to be able to bring in two guests. Your authorized users used to bring in two guests. So that's like eliminating guest access for so many people. I think we could have done this, you know, more gradually. Like maybe have a reservation system and maybe like limit it to one guest.

[Sally French]

No. No reservations. I hate reservation systems. I just want to walk in when I walk in. No way. No guests.

[Meagan Coyle]

If there are no guests, I just won't use the lounge at all. So now this is a perk that does not work for me at all.

[Sally French]

But it works for the people who are paying the annual fee on the card. And that's really who the lounges are for, not for your five besties.

[Meagan Coyle]

I understand that, but if you are paying the annual fee and your friend does not have the same card, we're just gonna eat like some random airport food outside.

[Sally French]

You can pay a guest entry fee.

[Meagan Coyle]

But neither of us eat $45 worth of those small plates.

[Sally French]

See you at the airport McDonald's. Megan. That's our Hot Takeoffs. And that was our show. If you guys have any takes of your own, including feedback on our Hot Takeoffs, feedback on the state of summer travel, please email us. We love to hear from our listeners and also please make sure to rate and review our show. We love 5 star reviews, but we will take any reviews you got.

[Meagan Coyle]

And make sure to follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes. You don't wanna miss one.

[Sally French]

And if you're listening on Spotify, you can drop us a comment right in the app.

[Meagan Coyle]

This episode was produced by Tess Viglin and Hilary Georgi and edited by Nick Karismi. Claire Sosi helped with fact checking and.

[Sally French]

Here'S our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.

[Meagan Coyle]

We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. Thanks, everyone. We'll see you next week.