You may not be aware of it, but we’re right in the middle of Spring Break. Elementary, middle, and high school students as well as collegians all have weeks off that begin as early as the first or second week of March and ending sometime in April. That means business travel is going to be expensive and hectic for the next few weeks.
With the uptick in family and student travel to popular destinations such as Florida, California, Colorado, and the Caribbean, creating and booking last minute itineraries means you’ll pay premium prices for flights and hotel accommodations during this time. And you may have trouble finding seats and beds, so here are a few ways to still get to where you’re going and to have a place to stay once you get there.
If you encounter problems booking flights, consider regional options, which may be less busy and offer more flexibility for your schedule and allow you to avoid the Spring Break crowds. Consider rescheduling trips to hot spots such as Orlando until after this season concludes. Or, fly into smaller regional airports nearby, and drive into the busier city.
With hotels typically maxxed out, look into Airbnb for other reliable accommodations. Don’t be surprised to encounter less availability than normal though, as this type of lodging is becoming an increasingly popular option for families and groups of students, as well as for business travel.
Weather in the northern parts of the country is still very unpredictable. In fact, as I wrote this, my home state of Pennsylvania was getting ready to be hit by another severe winter storm.
That means snow and severe weather remain a possibility even in late March and early April. If your travel takes you to Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, or other points north, keep this in mind as you prepare your itinerary and try to arrive at your destination the day before an important meeting so you don’t get surprised by inclement weather.
While traveling to warmer climes may seem easy to pack for, be sure to pack a couple outer layers — a fleece, windbreaker, or light sweater — so you can adjust your wardrobe between daytime and evening temperatures. Even if it’s supposed to be nice and warm during the day, early mornings and evenings after sunset will still need a jacket.
Finally, allow extra transit time when navigating Spring Break hotspots. Roads, shuttles, and ride sharing services will be experiencing higher volumes than usual, so add an extra 30 – 60 minutes in order to arrive at the airport unfrazzled. Apps like Waze will help you understand traffic patterns and make you aware of delays in an unfamiliar city.
Consider this a warm-up for your summer business travel, when infrequent travelers will again flood terminals, hotels, and restaurants. Make your plans accordingly and just try to avoid arriving at popular destinations on a Friday.
How do you manage your business travel during peak travel seasons, especially to those vacation hotspots? Any tips to share or horror stories to learn from? Tell us about it in the comments below, on our Facebook page, orin our Twitter stream.
Photo credit: TSReptilien (Pixabay, Creative Commons 0)