9 Summer Travel Tips 2023
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With the Covid-19 public health emergency officially over, this summer travel season is going to be busier and more expensive than ever. Everyone from families to solo travelers and anyone in between is looking for an escape, which is bound to create a few bottlenecks.
Luckily, you don’t have to stay home this summer and miss out on a great vacation to avoid the chaos. Below, CNBC Select shares eight tips for a smooth, and hopefully, more economical, summer travel experience.
Top summer travel tips
Sign up for a trusted traveler program
Airports are projected to see record passenger numbers this summer, which means security lines could be longer and slower. If you haven’t signed up for a trusted traveler program yet, now is the time. And by getting through security faster, you’ll be able to spend more time in the airport lounge and relax before your flight.
You can skip ahead and enjoy a less invasive screening with TSA PreCheck, which costs just $78 for five years. Or, for $100, you can sign up for Global Entry and automatically get PreCheck upon approval. Global Entry is great for those who travel abroad since it also provides expedited immigration processing when returning home. Getting a Global Entry appointment in time for summer travel might be challenging, but you can do it on arrival after an international flight at many airports.
Plenty of credit cards waive PreCheck and Globaly Entry application fees, making it even more affordable. For example, the $95-per-year Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a statement credit of up to $100 every four years by using the card to enroll in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Cardholders also enjoy two complimentary airport lounge visits each year.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Information about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
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Rewards
5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase
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Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
N/A for purchases and balance transfers
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
0% at the regular transfer APR
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
If you can’t secure a trusted traveler program approval before your trip, there might be workarounds. Several major airports like Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport now offer reservation systems that let you reserve a spot in the security line up to three days before travel. These programs are only available at certain checkpoints but may be expanded if successful.
Another option is to sign up for a CLEAR® membership on the spot. Agents are eager to sign up travelers and you’ll get access to expedited security right away. CLEAR® costs $189, but you may be able to get that waived if you’re a top-tier Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus elite member. The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Green Card also offer up to $189 in CLEAR® credits annually. Terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
On the American Express secure site
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Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 1X points on all other eligible purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit Needed
American Express® Green Card
On American Express’s secure site
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Rewards
3X Membership Rewards® points on travel, transit purchases, and on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other eligible purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Know your rights as a passenger
Whether you’re traveling domestically or abroad, it’s important to know what your rights are as a passenger in case of delays and cancellations. For example, if you experience a delay in Europe, you’ll receive compensation for the inconvenience. European regulation EC261 entitles all passengers flying an E.U.-based airline or departing an E.U. airport to compensation of up to $700 for delays of more than 2 hours, cancellations or denied boarding due to overbooking.
Stateside, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has a page outlining passengers’ rights. For example, consumers are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel — even for non-refundable tickets. Be sure to read through the full protections before your trip and claim compensation if your trip is delayed.
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Pack the right credit card
Knowing your rights is important, but sometimes you don’t want to line up with hundreds of other passengers to claim a hotel voucher when your flight is canceled. Or perhaps the airline lost your luggage and you need essentials fast. With the right credit card, you can get reimbursed for things like hotels, meals and essential purchases when things go wrong without needing to purchase a separate policy. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay coverage, auto collision damage waiver and luggage insurance are all included when you charge your travel to a credit card with these benefits.
Be sure to read our guide to credit card travel insurance for our top picks, which include the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express. Many of the best travel cards also come with other valuable perks like no foreign transaction fees.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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Rewards
Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
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Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Rewards
$50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3X points on dining, 3X points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
21.24% – 28.24% variable on purchases and balance transfers
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Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
Use Autoslash to save on rental cars
For many, summer means road trip season, which often sends rental car prices soaring. If you’re looking to hit the road, be sure to start your search through AutoSlash. The free site specializes in tracking and rebooking rental cars to secure lower rates. By constantly monitoring prices, Autoslash helps users find the lowest prices across major rental car companies. Autoslash will even search for discounted rates based on the types of credit cards you carry and any memberships that would qualify you for savings (i.e., AAA, AARP, Costco, etc.).
If you already have a reservation, you can set an alert with Autoslash to notify you in case of price drops. Setting up only takes a few minutes and can save you hundreds of dollars on your rental car. Overall, Autoslash is a valuable tool for travelers looking to save money on rental cars by finding the best rates and tracking reservations for price drops.
Remember to pay with a credit card that comes with *primary car rental insurance, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This way, you won’t need to go through your own auto insurance provider in the event of an accident or theft and can simply submit a claim through your card issuer.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Information about the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
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Rewards
10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars, 5 Miles per dollar on flights when booked via Capital One Travel; unlimited 2X miles on all other eligible purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
21.74% – 28.74% variable APR
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Balance transfer fee
0% at the regular transfer APR
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Foreign transaction fees
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Credit needed
Use HotelsSlash to save on hotels
With hotel prices predicted to skyrocket this summer, HotelSlash could be a great way to save money. HotelSlash is the sister site to Autoslash and charges a $29.95 annual membership fee, though you can easily recoup that cost if you frequently stay at hotels and find a good deal.
The site scours the web for the best possible deals on hotel bookings. Not only can you conduct a general search for hotels by city, but you can set up alerts for individual hotels. The rate monitoring service applies to hotels booked directly through HotelSlash and third-party bookings. Setting up alerts is easy, requiring you to specify the hotel, travel dates, number of guests, and room preferences.
You’ll get an email alert when the search is complete and you can review the available rates. HotelSlash will notify you if rates drop further. The nice thing about the site is that the checkout page will display the total price, including resort fees (which some hotels leave out until it’s time to check out).
Don’t miss: Get free breakfast, room upgrades and more with the best hotel credit cards
Best rate guarantee claims
Every major hotel chain has a best-rate guarantee policy to encourage guests to book directly. If you find a lower rate on another public site, most hotel chains will match that rate, and some will even give you additional 20% to 25% discounts or bonus points. If you have upcoming hotel stays, it’s absolutely worth familiarizing yourself with your hotel chain’s best rate guarantee policy and monitoring the site for lower rates. Hotels often run sales or discount last-minute stays. By staying on top of these deals, you can secure a substantial discount.
HotelSlash can also come in handy here, allowing you to put the monitoring process on autopilot. Once you find a lower rate, simply submit proof and wait for the claim to be processed. This simple step alone can save you hundreds of dollars on your hotel stay this summer. Just remember that the lower rate must be publicly available, be for the same room type and have the same exact cancellation policy.
While airlines generally don’t offer any guarantees of this sort, if your ticket allows for free changes, you may be able to rebook it and get the fare difference back as a travel credit. Alternatively, if you’re a Capital One cardholder, you can book through the Capital One Travel portal, which automatically gives you credit back if the flight cost drops after you book it.
Use points when booking flights last minute
Take advantage of Lyft’s airport pick-up feature
Lyft unveiled a new feature that takes the hassle out of airport pick-ups. Rather than rushing to the rideshare pick-up stand and hoping it’s not packed with other travelers, causing an extensive wait, you can pre-order a ride as soon as you land. Lyft will then assign a vehicle to you as you near the pick-up spot, estimating exactly when you’ll arrive. This makes hailing a ride even easier than before, allowing you to just focus on going from Point A to Point B rather than stressing over how and when you’ll actually get there.
Have flexibility and be patient
Summer travel can be busy and crowded. Everyone is stretched thin and experiencing frustration, so it’s important to have some flexibility and patience. Delays and crowded attractions are going to be common, so prepare yourself mentally and try to embrace the experience. Get to where you’re going early, plan to avoid the crowds and have a backup plan in case your trip doesn’t go as planned.
The last thing you want to do is lose your cool (at others or yourself). Remember that you’re on vacation and even the biggest frustrations can turn into humorous anecdotes later. Do what you can to avoid the ruckus but don’t stress over things you have no control over. Cooler heads always prevail and that goes for travel more so than anything.
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Bottom line
Summer can be a stressful time to travel, but it doesn’t have to be unpleasant. With a bit of planning and forethought, you can prepare yourself for possible hiccups and make sure you’re not overpaying. More importantly, being aware of your rights as a passenger ensures that you won’t be left stranded in case of flight delays and luggage issues. With the right travel credit card, you can earn heaps of rewards that can help offset the cost of your vacation and unlock valuable perks like airport lounge access and travel protections.
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*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For rates and fees of the Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, click here.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.