WATCH: ABCs of Summer Travel: Advice from the Experts

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Are you getting ready to travel this summer after a year of quarantine? Are you prepared for travel?

Monday on the WDBJ7+ Digital News Desk, we hosted for the ABCs of Summer Travel. We had experts with advice from AAA, the Better Business Bureau and COVID-19 safety tips from the Virginia Department of Health.

We covered topics Monday such as gas prices, best practices for safely booking on third party sites and tips for keeping your family safe and healthy while traveling.

According to Morgan Dean, Senior Specialist in Public and Government Affairs for AAA. He said a new survey shows more than a million Virginians are planning to travel for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. By and large, they are planning to drive to their destination. Dean says travel for this time of the year is about 88 percent of what was seen in 2019, pre-pandemic and it is about 60 percent more than travel for the same time frame last year.

Dean says following the shut down of the Colonial Pipeline earlier this month, gas prices remain higher than what they were before the shut down but have not changed in the last ten days. Air travel is up six times over last year’s numbers. While not many are flying internationally, those who do head to Mexico or elsewhere in the Carribean, according to Dean.

The most common travel options include camping or RV trips, including trips to National Parks.

Dean recommends being sure your vehicle is in good condition for travel to increase fuel efficiency. He also recommended using the AAA TripTik planner and map to be sure you’re aware of COVID restrictions in each portion of your road trip.

AAA recommends planning ahead for your trip since demand is high. Be sure to make accommodations, book excursions, make appointments and other pre-planning as much as possible.

“Everybody loves to be spontaneous sometimes. But this may not be the year,” Dean said. “There is so much interest in traveling and so much demand out there, if you’re not planning ahead you may not find a spot that you wanna go to, you may have to stay further away than where you wanna go to.”

While you’re planning ahead, Julie Wheeler with the Better Business Bureau serving western Virginia encourages travelers to do their homework to avoid being scammed. Wheeler said it’s important to use reputable third party websites and resources. Stay off of Facebook and Craigslist for rentals, she said. And don’t let third party sites lure you off of the site.

“We see a lot of scams that run that way,” Wheeler said, “and you want to make sure that even if you’re on the legitimate sites like Air Bnb or Vacation Rental By Owner, if they try to get you off that site to complete your transaction, chances are they’re trying to stay out of the safety net that’s on that site to protect us as renters. So you always want to handle your transaction completely through that site.”

Use a credit card for payments so you have some opportunity of recourse if it turns out to be a scam. You can see more travel booking guidelines and money saving tips at the bottom of this article.

Lastly, we can’t forget the “C” in our ABCs: COVID-19. Christie Wills, spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Health in Roanoke reminds travelers that your chance of getting infected with COVID increases with travel.

Wills said guidelines from the CDC and VDH recommend people wait to travel until they are fully vaccinated.

“Remember that fully vaccinated means two weeks after your final dose of your COVID-19 vaccine,” Wills said. “They also recommend that unvaccinated people, partially vaccinated individuals absolutely need to keep wearing those masks and remain physically distanced.”

Wills said the safer travel choice would be a road trip with few stops.

“That’s the best way that you can assure that you have control over your environment,” Will said, adding, “If you choose to fly, you want to try to minimize the number of connecting flights or layovers in airports if possible. And try to find an airline that is not booking middle seats.”

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More tips from the BBB on summer travel:

What are some common scams related to traveling?

1. Vacation Rental Con:

Vacation rentals are a great way to travel and have the comforts of home. But watch out for scammers who post listings for properties that either aren’t for rent, don’t exist, or are significantly different than pictured. These con artists then lure in vacationers with the promise of low fees and great amenities. Typically, the “owner” creates a false sense of urgency – such as telling you that another vacationer is interested in the rental – to get you to pay up before doing sufficient research.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Talk with the owner. If you are not using a service that verifies properties and owners, do not negotiate a rental solely by email. Many scammers don’t live locally, so get the owner on the phone and ask detailed questions about the property and local attractions. An owner with vague answers to your questions is a clear red flag.
• Check public records. Investigate on Google or another search engine. Look up the address and use Google Street View to confirm the property matches the one advertised. Also, verify distances to beaches, attractions, and airports while on the site.

Are there specific booking sites we should be cautious of use?

Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are scammers’ typical stomping ground. But criminals are getting smarter and have even found ways to use verified rental sites.

Are there red flags for payment we should be looking out for?

You’ll know it’s a scam if the host asks for payment in gift cards, money orders, or even cash. If they want payment in anything other than a credit card where you can dispute it, that’s a red flag.

2. “Free” Vacation Scams:

When a cruise or travel company advertises a vacation as “free,” it does not necessarily mean the trip is entirely without cost or restrictions. Be on the lookout for add-on fees for air transportation to the port, port charges, taxes, tips, and other undisclosed fees. Learn more about these cruise scams, and watch out for the following red flags:

• If you win a trip without actually entering a contest, be very suspicious.
• Anything that looks too good to be true usually is.
• Anytime someone says you must accept the offer now or it’s gone forever, walk away or hang up the phone

3. Hotel Scams:

When staying in a hotel, beware of these techniques scammers use to get ahold of your credit card information. Scammers bank on travelers – tourists and business people alike — being tired or in a hurry. Be sure to pay attention and watch out for these tricks:

• Fake Front Desk Calls:  Scammers call late at night impersonating the front desk person. The caller claims there’s a problem with the card on file and asks the traveler to “re-verify” the credit card information.
• “Free” Wi-Fi Connections: Wi-fi “skimming” is a growing scam that targets travelers with the promise of free Internet access. Scammers set up a fake connection that appears to be free, but it’s not safe. A scammer controls the connection through their computer, collecting all the data the traveler transmits. This includes passwords, card information, and more.
• Fake Food Delivery: Scammers will distribute fake menus to hotel rooms. When a traveler calls the phone number and orders delivery, they collect the credit card information and never deliver the food.

4. Third Party Booking Site Scams:

If you book your airfare, hotel, or other travel through a third-party website, be sure to use caution. As of summer 2019, BBB Scam Tracker has received several reports of scammers pretending to be online airline ticket brokers. These sites will cancel your airline ticket reservations, but not before charging you. In the most common version of the scam, you pay with your credit card like normal. But shortly after making the payment, you receive a call from the company asking you to verify your name, address, banking information, or other personal details – something a legitimate company would never do. Learn more about these booking scams.

5. Timeshare Reselling Cons:

Another common travel scam is the timeshare resale con. A timeshare owner who is looking to sell gets a call from someone claiming to be a real estate broker or agent. These scammers claim to specialize in timeshare resales and promise they have buyers ready to purchase. To secure this service, the scammer pressures the target into paying an upfront fee. The timeshare owner pays up, but the reselling agent never delivers.

If you are buying airfare, use caution and double-check the URL or phone number before providing your credit card information.

What are some tips to keep you safe while planning your summer travel plans online?

• Do your research. If you come across a company you haven’t dealt with before, research it before making any purchases. Look on BBB.org for reviews and feedback from previous customers.
• Double-check the URL before you enter personal and payment information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or imposter website without notice. Before you enter any sensitive information, double-check that you are on the right website and that the link is secure. (Secure links start with “HTTPS://” and include a lock icon on the purchase page.
• Be wary of third-party websites. Some websites appear to offer a legitimate service but are only fronts for a scam. Be suspicious of websites with no working customer service number and no physical address. Typos and grammatical errors can be indications of a scammer’s handiwork, too.

Are there additional traveling tips we should keep in mind while traveling to deter identity thieves while away from home?

• Make online purchases with your credit card. Fraudulent charges made on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.
• Set up a travel alert on your financial accounts. Let your bank and credit card companies know you’ll be using your money and cards in places outside of your normal spending habits. Or, if you previously set limits on your accounts, you’ll likely need to adjust your settings accordingly.
• Be smart with Wi-Fi connections. Don’t use free public Wi-Fi to access sensitive accounts. Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) or a personal hotspot if you need a more secure connection. Set your device settings to ask permission before connecting to a network.
• Don’t overshare vacation plans on social media. Depending on your social media privacy settings and current connections, complete strangers may have access to your posts and see that you’re away from home.
• Protect your devices. Set up the “find my phone” feature on your devices. This will allow you to find, remotely wipe data and/or disable the device if it gets into the wrong hands. Make sure all of your devices are password protected.
• Check for card skimming devices. Skimmers are illegal card readers often attached to gas pumps or ATMs that take data from a card’s magnetic stripe. Criminals use the stolen data by either selling your information or using it to make purchases, often online.

What are some ways we can ensure a worry-free vacation?

• Plan ahead. The early bird gets the worm. Allow yourself the time to research hotels, flights, and the area where you will be staying. Typically, the earlier you make reservations, the better the deals you will find and the lower the risk of your favorite destination being booked solid. Making reservations in advance also locks in rates and prevents you from paying higher prices later during prime spring break or holiday seasons.
• Avoid broad internet searches. Try to avoid entering phrases like ‘best deals’ into whichever search engine you use. Broad search terms like that can sometimes lead you to websites that look official but are designed solely to rip people off.
• Be alert for travel scams. Watch out for phone calls or letters claiming that you’ve “won a trip” or websites offering prices that are too good to be true. It’s easy to extend questionable offers like these, but the vast majority of them leave hopeful travelers in limbo – and out of money. Learn more about travel scams here.
• Get trip details in writing. Before making the final payment, get all the details of the trip in writing. This should include the total cost, restrictions, cancellation penalties, and names of the airlines and hotels. Also, review and keep a copy of the airline’s and hotel’s cancellation and refund policies, as well as the cancellation policies of the travel agency or booking site you are using.
• Consider travel insurance. Travel insurance covers things like trip cancellations or medical emergencies. There are different levels of coverage based on what type of plan you purchase. Ask a lot of questions, and always read the fine print to see what’s covered and what’s not.
• Pay with a credit card. Paying with a credit card gives you additional protection if something should go wrong with the travel reservation.
• Planning to travel internationally? Check to see if there are any advisories of the U.S. Travel Association for any issues that may impact your trip.

Are there ways we can save while booking a vacation?

For flights:

• Avoid Thursdays and Fridays. They are usually the most expensive for arrival.
• Book in advance. Book at least 3 weeks in advance often results in cheaper fares.
• Be flexible with your departure date. According to global trends, Thursday and Friday are the cheapest departure days for most air travel. This can save travelers around 10% on airfares.

For Lodging

• Always book a refundable room.
• Continue checking for deals. Concentrate one week out and less. A lot of times, the best deals are the last few days before you travel.
• Remember to cancel the original refundable booking if you find a better deal. If you do find a better deal, remember to cancel your original refundable booking.

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