This couple biked from Alaska to Argentina 6:34
(CNN) --
This week in travel news: the best time and day to book your flights, new business class and first class cabins for Qantas and Air France, and the only woman to live on an island populated by convicted criminals. .
When should you book your flights?
If you've been watching flights lately, you've probably had a bit of a shock.
Or quite a shake if you were hoping to fly to the Asia Pacific region.
With some airfares up to 50% more expensive, it's more important than ever to be smart with your booking strategy.
An expert at the Hopper travel site told CNN that you need to start tracking your May, June and July vacations right now.
And there's a "Goldilocks window" for booking that's neither too early nor too late, says another expert from travel site Going.
Get out your laptop and credit card on a Sunday for the best chance of securing the best deals, says booking platform Expedia.
You can further refine your search with flight comparison site Skyscanner's new Savings Generator, launched this month.
Enter your departure city, your destination and when you would like to travel, and it will help you identify the best time to book and the cheapest time to travel.
Airfare right now and what to expect for late spring and summer
Fares for domestic US flights are now about 20% higher than they were in February of last year, when demand was still depressed, according to Hayley Berg, an economist at the Hopper travel site. .
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Cheap fares originating from the UK were up 36% over the same period last year, according to data from Flight Center UK, which includes domestic and international flights.
Stock image.
This photo shows travelers stranded at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado, due to winter conditions.
(Credit: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
In the US, however, domestic airfare is pretty close to pre-pandemic prices — just 4% higher than in 2019, Hopper's data shows.
But today's prices still surprise consumers for two reasons, Berg says.
For one, it's been a while since we've seen 2019 prices. And second, to rebuild their networks with fewer planes and fewer staff, airlines have changed their schedules and reduced service.
They also reduced regional capacity in ways that affected certain routes and airports more.
“So while the national average seems pretty normal to us compared to pre-pandemic prices, for many travelers a route they may have taken for years and years to a smaller, regional airport could be two to three times as expensive. than they were paying before the pandemic,” Berg said.
US domestic fares are expected to exceed pre-pandemic prices as spring and summer travel picks up, but are expected to be lower than last year at their peak.
“We expect that in May, which is usually when prices peak in the summer, the [domestic] airfare will be around $350 per round trip ticket, which would be about 10% higher than in 2019, but lower than in 2022,” Berg said.
And that's the good news.
International air travel will definitely cost money
You won't have such luck when it comes to international tickets.
“Overall they are more expensive than before the pandemic and more expensive than last year,” Berg said.
Some regions are experiencing much steeper increases than others.
The region that will really impact your economy?
Pacific Asia.
“Prices are absolutely exploding and will continue to do so until capacity really comes back up,” Berg said.
Demand is high for the latest region to broadly lift covid restrictions and open its doors to international visitors.
Compared to 2019, Asia rates are 50% higher, and even higher, according to Berg, while Europe is 15% higher.
A monk walks past an empty Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on September 9, 2021.
The pent-up demand from Asian destinations meant a rush of bookings now that they are fully open.
Bookings from the UK via Flight Center UK to Malaysia and Vietnam are up more than 2,200% since the start of last year, when both countries were still closed to international tourists.
Data from Flight Center UK shows a 25% increase in cheap fares to Vietnam year on year.
It is the cheapest of the company's most popular destinations in Asia.
Tariffs to Thailand increased by 50%.
Highest fare increase year on year, according to Flight Center UK?
Rates to New Zealand, which also closed around this time last year, increased by 81%.
Find deals this spring and summer
In the good news column, "there are definitely more deals this year," said Scott Keyes, founder of travel site Going, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights.
Europe (especially Portugal and Ireland), Hawaii and Florida have been "cheap flight standouts" in recent years, he said.
When it comes to international rates, he suggests what he calls the "Greek island trick."
If your heart is set on Santorini, consider booking the international leg to Athens, where deals from US cities can drop to less than $500, and find a more affordable regional flight or ferry to the island.
“By splitting the trip into two itineraries, you can save $1,000 or more on a major international trip, whether you're traveling to the Greek islands or anywhere far away,” he said.
Tourists and locals stroll in a tourist area in Athens, Greece, on June 1, 2022. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images)
Berg says that for international travel, Friday and Saturday departures are the most expensive.
If you fly to Europe on a Monday for spring break, you can save an average of $140 per ticket, or about 20%.
Flying mid-week domestically can save you up to 33%.
Even when some variables are fixed, say spring break dates, "there's still a lot you can do, like not waiting to book until the last minute, keeping your destination flexible, and playing around with exact travel dates." Keyes said.
Returning a day early can yield significant savings, or if you're really looking for a bargain, reverse your search by looking where flights are cheapest, then pick your destination.
If you're traveling for spring break, "you really should book that right now," Berg said.
New cabins for Qantas and Air France
If you're an airline planning to launch new record-breaking 19-hour flights connecting Australia with New York and London, you better make sure you offer your customers a comfortable experience, especially those who spend a lot of money in the front section.
Qantas is the flag carrier of Australia and number 5 on this year's list.
Credit: Tino Plunert/dpa/picture-alliance/AP
Qantas has revealed the first and business class prototypes for the Airbus A350s that will serve its new "Project Dawn" routes to launch in 2025. The airline says its First Suite will feel like "a mini boutique hotel."
That follows last month's unveiling of Air France's sleek new long-haul business cabin, complete with sliding doors and redesigned seats.
It debuted on a Boeing 777-300ER flying Paris-New York and the first destinations it will serve are New York, Rio de Janeiro and Dakar, Senegal.
Prison islands turned paradise islands
In 2011, Giulia Manca went to a former Italian prison island in search of a relaxing break.
Twelve years later, she is the only woman living on an island populated by convicted criminals and loves life on "Alcatraz of the Tyrrhenian Sea".
In Mexico, one of the country's most notorious prisons began a new chapter in December as an escape to the Pacific Ocean.
The former penal colony in the Islas Marías archipelago now has a tourist center, restaurant and cafeteria, as well as villas for guests to stay in before heading to the beaches.
See the world by bike
Dubai could have a 93-kilometre indoor, climate-controlled bike superhighway encircling the city, if developer URB has its way.
The green corridor "aims to make Dubai the most connected city in the world on foot or by bike."
The move could perhaps earn the central Middle East a future spot on our list of the world's best cities for biking: destinations in North America, Scandinavia and Asia Pacific are part of the current roundup.
Two people who know better than most about world cycling culture are British couple Laura Massey-Pugh and Stevie Massey, who last year became the fastest cyclists to circumnavigate the world on a tandem bicycle.
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