Month: December 2021

If you were to rewind to two years ago and ask us what TripIt features would be most useful to travelers in 2021, we couldn’t have predicted that it would be tools to navigate travel during a global pandemic.

But two years later, here we are. And we’re proud of the tools, resources, and enhancements we’ve introduced to help you feel not only more prepared to travel safely, but also equipped with the information you need—when you need it—most. 

Go on a quick journey with us to check out the new tools and enhancements we’ve rolled out since the start of COVID.

And here’s a closer look at those features, plus the benefits they offer in our ever-changing world of travel. 

COVID-19 travel guidance

Travel restrictions related to COVID-19 vary greatly and constantly change, meaning the decision to travel—and the process of traveling—isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. Earlier this year, we added the COVID-19 travel guidance feature to show you the latest COVID-19 travel guidelines, restrictions, and requirements—alongside infection rates—for the destinations you’re visiting. 

You can also find destination-specific information about vaccination rates and requirements, approved vaccines, testing requirements, and exemptions for vaccinated travelers. We’ve also added airline-specific COVID-19 guidance, including airline-recommended apps to assist with travel and entry, airline-facilitated COVID-19 test availability, and more.

TripIt Pro users can also search for the latest COVID-19 travel guidance by destination, so you can see these details in advance of adding a plan to TripIt.

Read more: TripIt Adds New Enhancements for Navigating Travel Based on Your Vaccination Status

COVID-19 Summary 

Not too long after the above updates, we added a COVID-19 Summary screen so you can view crucial pre-departure information you may need to take action on before your trip. These pre-trip details include vaccine and testing requirements for your destination, as well as the contact tracing apps recommended by your airline. 

Search for iOS 

This year we added one of our most requested features for iOS. With a few keywords, you can now search within your travel plans to find trip details like restaurants you’ve booked, hotels you’ve stayed (or plan to stay) at, states or countries you’ve visited or plan to visit, and so on. 

To get started, enter a few keywords—e.g., “London hotel”—into the search bar and results will instantly start to populate. Then, simply click on the plan that you were searching for, and voila! You can jump right to that plan and recall the details you need. 

Learn more: Don’t Scroll, Search: New Tool Added for Locating Trip Details in TripIt for iOS

Interactive Airport Maps

We’ve added even more Interactive Airport Maps in TripIt Pro to give you everything you need to quickly and easily navigate your way around the airport, with step-by-step directions, walking times, search options, dynamic 3D detail, and more. 

In pace with the times, we’ve added amenities related to health and safety to Interactive Airport Maps. For available airports, TripIt Pro users can search interactive maps for the locations of COVID-19 testing sites, stores that sell face coverings, hand sanitizer stations, and personal protective equipment (PPE) vending machines—all right in the app. 

Interactive airport maps are available to TripIt Pro users for more than 105 global airports. 

Learn more: Prepare for Takeoff: 2 New Enhancements for Air Travel in TripIt

Nearby Places

Whether you’re looking for a place to eat, drink, pick up supplies, or seek medical care, TripIt’s Nearby Places feature makes it easy to find places close to where you’re staying. 

Should you need medical help while traveling, our enhanced Nearby Places makes it easy to find hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies close to where you’re staying. 

The feature will give you the medical facility’s contact details, hours, and more. TripIt will also show you an interactive map with each option tagged so you can see where it is in relation to your accommodations. Then, you can easily get directions or tap the plus (+) sign to save the information for later.  

Supplemental reading: From Care to Convenience: Find What You Need Most with Nearby Places

Neighborhood Safety Scores

TripIt’s Neighborhood Safety Scores feature helps you learn about the safety of the neighborhood they’re visiting. You can access hyperlocal safety ratings along any point within your TripIt itinerary for more than 65,000 cities and neighborhoods for both daytime and nighttime. 

This helps you visualize and gain an understanding of current safety conditions by location. Among the safety categories, you can view a health and medical score—which factors in COVID-19 data—for the area you’re visiting.

Since safety looks different to everyone, we enabled the ability to set a personal risk level within the Neighborhood Safety Scores feature. Once you’ve done so, we’ll warn you if you’re planning on visiting an area that exceeds your threshold—helping you to make better informed decisions while you’re on the go. 

Take action: Set your personal risk level ahead of your next trip.

Documents

Gone are the days of toggling back and forth between your digital boarding pass and TripIt app as you multitask your way through the airport. Those unfiled business trip receipts in an oft-forgotten tab? Bye. 

The addition of the Documents feature enables you to upload PDFs, photos, boarding pass and mobile passport QR codes to your travel plans, so everything is in one place. You can add attachments to the Details screen for your flight, lodging, car rental, activity, and other trip items.

This feature is available to all TripIt users. Anyone can upload three documents per trip; TripIt Pro users can upload up to 25 documents per trip.

Read more: Get Attached to Our Newest feature: Documents in TripIt

Travel Stats

Oh, the places you’ve been! Proud of how many destinations you’ve explored? Did you know you can view these stats, and more, in Travel Stats? 

To check out your Travel Stats, head to the More tab of the TripIt mobile app, then tap Travel Stats. You can also share your travel stats on social media using the share button or by snapping a screenshot. Remember to include #TripItTravelStats with your post.

In our latest update, we’ve also added a new graph view of distance traveled, trips taken, and other stats in your Travel Stats. Not seeing your new graph view yet? Be sure that you’ve downloaded the latest version of the app. Find more information about setting up your Travel Stats here.

The post In a Changing World of Travel, Here’s How We’ve Kept Up appeared first on TripIt Blog.

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The year 2021 has been full of ups and downs, and twists and turns when it comes to travel. We’ve gone from near standstill to stronger-than-ever returns; from closed to the world, to reopened borders; from so much unknown, to scientific breakthroughs that have made travel feel safer again. And we are happy to say that the most wonderful time of the year is here, and for travel, that description rings extra true as we see some of the strongest numbers we’ve seen this year.

TripIt analyzed U.S. origin lodging, rental car, and flight reservations made by our TripIt users for Christmas and New Year’s travel and compared the findings to equivalent booking periods in 2020 and 2019.  

Our data shows that end-of-year holiday travel will be triple—and in one case, quadruple—the volume of last year, and inching ever closer to pre-pandemic levels. More findings and tips on how to finish the 2021 travel season strong are below. 

Current Percentage of Flight Reservations Compared to Years Prior

	2021 Flights (All)	2021 Flights (Domestic)	2021 Flights (Int’l)	2021 Car Rentals	2021 Lodging	2021 Vacation Rentals
Compared to 2020	320%	304%	373%	404%	271%	182%
Compared to 2019	51%	53%	47%	76%	61%	56%

Air travel soars—especially to warmer climates

While all airports can expect to be busy (more than 3x the volume we saw last year), there are some that will be busier than others:

1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 
2. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 
3. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) 
4. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
5. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
6. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
7. Denver International Airport (DEN)
8. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
9. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DWF)

We can expect to see most travelers starting their trips on the Thursday (12/23) and Wednesday (12/22) before Christmas (Saturday, 12/25), as well as the Sunday (12/26) and Monday (12/27) before New Year’s Eve (Friday, 12/31).

And where are travelers heading? Similar to what we saw during Thanksgiving, major metros are rising back to the top, and travelers are eager to soak up some vitamin D as we see flights to California, Florida, and Hawaii claim 39% of all flights.

Flight Destination Rankings and Rank Changes Compared to 2021

2021 Ranking	City, State	2020 Ranking	Rank Change (2020 to 2021)	2019 Ranking	Rank Change (2019 to 2021)
1	Orlando, FL	2	1	1	0
2	Las Vegas, NV	6	4	4	2
3	Denver, CO	1	-2	3	0
4	Phoenix, AZ	3	-1	7	3
5	New York, NY	20	15	5	0
6	Cancun	4	-2	10	4
7	Los Angeles, CA	9	2	2	-5
8	Miami, FL	19	11	13	5
9	Fort Lauderdale, FL	8	-1	6	-3
10	Honolulu, HI	12	2	9	-1

Car rental surge sticks

Car rentals continue to be the transportation darling of 2021, with bookings reaching more than 4x the volume of last year and the transportation method closest to pre-pandemic levels. The busiest day for car rental pickup will be the day after Christmas (12/26) followed by the Tuesday before Christmas (12/21), and again we see Florida, California, and Hawaii taking the bulk of bookings (43%).

Car Rental Destination Rankings and Rank Changes Compared to 2021

2021 Ranking	City, State	2020 Ranking	Rank Change (2020 to 2021)	2019 Ranking	Rank Change (2019 to 2021)
1	Denver, CO	1	0	1	0
2	Orlando, FL	2	0	2	0
3	Phoenix, AZ	5	2	6	3
4	Kahului, HI	3	-1	3	-1
5	Honolulu, HI	9	4	5	0
6	Salt Lake City, UT	8	2	9	3
7	Los Angeles, CA	14	7	4	-3
8	Miami, FL	12	4	11	3
9	Las Vegas, NV	13	4	8	-1
10	Fort Meyers, FL	4	-6	14	4

Lodging and vacation rentals

Lodging reservations are outpacing the return of flight bookings and inching ever closer to 2019 levels at 61% in 2021. The subset of vacation rentals aren’t far behind at 57% of 2019 reservations. 

Most travelers will stay in their hotel (57%) or vacation rental (37%) for 5-7 days; 34% will extend their vacation home (for the holidays) stay for a total of 8-13 days. And while 14+ day stays were popular this time last year, two-week and longer hotel (.5%) and vacation rental (2%) stays are back down, though still above 2019 levels (.2% for hotels and 1.8% for vacation rentals). One of the biggest shifts we saw was in the number of people staying in hotels for 1-2 days, which decreased 88% from pre-pandemic volumes (51% in 2019) to today (just 6% in 2021).

Percentage of Lodging Reservations by Length of Stay

	1-2 Days	3-4 Days	5-7 Days	8-13 Days	14+ Days
2021	6%	35%	57%	1.5%	.5%
2020	8%	26%	62%	3%	1.2%
2019	51%	31%	17%	.8%	.2%

Percentage of Vacation Rentals by Length of Stay

	1-2 Days	3-4 Days	5-7 Days	8-13 Days	14+ Days
2021	4%	23%	37%	34%	2%
2020	4%	24%	40%	26%	5%
2019	3%	25%	46%	24%	1.8%

Lodging Destination Ranking and Rank Changes Compared to 2021

2021 Ranking	City, State	2020 Ranking	Rank Change (2020 to 2021)	2019 Ranking	Rank Change (2019 to 2021)
1	Las Vegas, NV	2	1	2	1
2	New York, NY	3	1	1	-1
3	Orlando, FL	1	-2	3	0
4	Honolulu, HI	4	0	5	1
5	San Diego, CA	8	3	4	-1
6	Los Angeles, CA	14	8	6	0
7	Miami, FL	9	2	9	2
8	San Francisco, CA	19	11	7	-1
9	Chicago, IL	18	9	10	1
10	Scottsdale, AZ	12	2	22	12

Vacation Rental Destination Rankings and Rank Changes Compared to 2021

2021 Ranking	City, State	2020 Ranking	Rank Change (2020 to 2021)	2019 Ranking	Rank Change (2019 to 2021)
1	Kissimmee, FL	5	4	9	8
2	Park City, UT	1	-1	7	5
3	San Diego, CA	6	3	2	-1
4	Honolulu, HI	8	4	6	2
5	Breckenridge, CO	3	-2	10	5
6	Kihei, Hi	4	-2	8	2
7	Sedona, AZ	14	7	28	21
8	Palm Springs, CA	7	-1	13	5
9	New Orleans, LA	18	9	4	-5
10	Miami, FL	15	5	11	1

End-of-year holiday travel tips

From Jen Moyse, Sr. Director of Product, TripIt from Concur

• Make a list, check it twice. COVID-19 has added things to our already long pre-travel checklist, but a trip can easily be ruined if you forget your vaccine card, negative COVID-19 test, face covering, or other essential documents required for your trip. Know what you need, and have them in hand and on your mobile device, when possible.  Make sure to add your travel plans to your TripIt itinerary so that you can see COVID-19 travel guidance by destination and airline, find medical facilities (should you need them) in Nearby Places, and locate local health and medical scores with Neighborhood Safety Scores.
• Plan to leave early. And then add 30 minutes and leave even earlier. Lines and congestion will be the norm, not the exception, this holiday travel season. We are seeing volumes that are 3 or 4x the volumes of last year, so give yourself some buffer room, and worst case you get a few extra minutes to sit instead of stress. Consider signing up for TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, or both to help speed up your airport security experience. With a TripIt Pro subscription, you can try CLEAR on a four month free trial, plus you’ll receive a discounted annual rate of $149.
• Brush up on winter driving safety. The rental car demand continues with 2021 reservations at 404% of 2020 and 76% of 2019. For those headed to northern states or the mountains, be sure to brush up on winter driving best practices. Make sure the car you’re renting is equipped with four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, and plenty of windshield wiper fluid. Travelers going through mountain passes should also have snow chains, as they’re required during snowstorms. Check with your rental car provider to learn how to obtain proper equipment for your winter drive. Kitty litter or sand are always good supplies to keep in the trunk in case you get stuck in the snow. 
• Pack a picnic for the airport. Based on our data and what we saw over Thanksgiving, airports will be packed—especially the Thursday and Wednesday before Christmas, and Sunday and Monday before New Year’s Eve. Not only does the influx of travelers mean longer lines at security, but also more difficulty popping into restaurants for a quick bite or enough time to grab a snack to go. To avoid hunger, pack more snacks than usual. Sandwiches, cheese and meat slices, or pre-packed meals like salads are good options, and likely more affordable than airport buys. Just be sure to avoid liquids (like salad dressing) over 3.4oz. Expect long lines and modified hours for restaurants at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which will be the top five busiest airports. 
• Track Rudolph, and your flight. Winter travel always comes with the risk of delays and cancellations due to weather. Keep an eye on your flight with alerts via TripIt Pro, or by checking directly with your airline. Keep in mind that even in clear weather conditions, airlines can still face delays and cancellations as a result of staffing issues, technical issues, or other unforeseen circumstances, so don’t let clear skies stop you from being vigilant.
• Consider contactless check-in. Lodging reservations are recovering quickly, with 2021 bookings levels at 61% of 2019 and 271% of 2020. While Las Vegas, NV, New York, NY, Orlando, FL, Honolulu, HI, and San Diego, CA are the top five lodging destinations for the winter holidays, you can expect crowds at many popular destinations. See if your lodging destination offers online contactless check-in, including virtual room key access. Not only does this help you avoid the line at the check-in desk, it helps you maintain extra social distance.
• Channel your inner Santa. You will need all the patience, like Santa-listening-to-hundreds-of-toddlers-requesting-gifts patience, so prepare and show up with a smile. Everyone will be doing their best, but travel is always a little stressful—and with COVID and the crowds, there could be hiccups. Spread cheer when possible.

Methodology: TripIt looked at  U.S. origin round-trip  flight, lodging, and rental car  reservations made between November 15, 2020, and November 15, 2021, for travel during  the Christmas – New Years holiday (Wednesday, December 22, 2021 – Monday, January 3, 2022) with a U.S. origin, and equivalent booking periods  in 2020 and 2019. Reservation data in TripIt is provided by users and is booking provider agnostic.

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Scratching your head about what gift to give the traveler in your life this holiday season? Stress no more. Next to a plane ticket itself (or a subscription to TripIt Pro—hint, hint), a book is the ideal present to help inspire new adventures—and satiate the love of travel in between trips. 

Here are 18 books to give the traveler(s) in your life. (And maybe one for yourself, too.)

1. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner grapples with the loss of her mother and reflects on their difficult relationship (one often shaped by food), their trips to Korea, and what you learn about someone only after they’re gone in this powerful memoir. 

2. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever

Considered the late, great Anthony Bourdain’s final word on travel, this travel guide sheds light on the places he loved—and why you should visit them or avoid them. The guide also features many of Bourdain’s closest circle, with essays and anecdotes from those who knew him best. 

3. Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

Set in Cuba and Miami, a tale of resilience, resistance, and the sacrifices generations of immigrant women made (and still make) for their families and themselves. 

4. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Set in the Mexican countryside, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic weaves Mexican folklore with the tale of an unlikely heroine tasked with rescuing her cousin from her new husband’s dark past—and the horrors inflicted by a haunted house. 

5. The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina

Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and hope-forming, Laura Imai Messina’s gently-told tale details how we cope with grief, loss, love—and find the will to keep going. Based on a true story about the phone booth in Japan that locals used to call their loved ones after the 2011 tsunami. 

6. On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward

In her memoir, acclaimed journalist Clarissa Ward pulls back the curtain on her personal life and career—giving readers a first-hand account of what it takes to balance being a woman, a mother, and a warzone journalist. 

7. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

Featuring four generations of characters grappling with sexuality, misogyny, hypocrisy—and who they want to be in the world—The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the multifaceted, contemporary lives of Black women in Appalachia.

8. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

The first book in Diana Gabaldon’s wildly popular series is perfect for the lover of all things Scotland, historical fiction, and steamy romance.

9. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts 

A love for India at its heart, this epic novel by Gregory David Roberts details the tumultuous life of Lin—one filled with love, loss, torture, and triumph. 

10. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Beautifully told, Pachinko features four generations of a Korean immigrant family struggling to make a life—and livelihood—for themselves in Japan. 

11. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This work of fiction gives readers a peek into Hadley and Ernest Hemingway’s marriage, from their budding romance in Chicago to the bohemian party scene of Paris. McLain drew inspiration from the couple’s written exchanges and details how Hadley never stood a chance against the whirlwind life Ernest—along with his mistresses and cohorts—pursued with abandon.

12. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

This novel by Ruth Ozeki spans the Pacific Ocean and features two characters—young Nao in Tokyo and Ruth on a remote island off Canada—whose connection bridges time and geography. 

13. This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell 

Set in County Donegal, Ireland, Maggie O’Farrell’s This Must Be the Place shares the human experience of two people who, after an unlikely meeting, find solace in one another.  

14. Food in Cuba by Hannah Garth

This work of nonfiction details the real-life struggles Cuban families have accessing food—and a decent standard of living—in a post-Soviet welfare state. 

15. The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

The daughter of Cypriot refugees, Christy Lefteri weaves this fictitious account of a family’s journey across Syria, Turkey, Greece, and, ultimately, the UK. At once heart-wrenching and inspiring, The Beekeeper of Aleppo illuminates the power of the human spirit in the face of tragedy and loss.

16. Correspondents by Tim Murphy

New England-born Rita Khoury is ambitious and worldly. When her journalism career takes her to wartime Baghdad, she forges relationships that will both shape and haunt her life back home. 

17. Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

Spanning Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine, Against the Loveless World details the plight of a Palestinian woman who refuses to give up any more of herself.  

18. The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

Winner of the 2019 National Book Award, Sarah M. Broom’s memoir, The Yellow House, tells the story of her family and their relationship to home in a neglected area of New Orleans. 

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