*By Carlo Versano* If you're eyeing the coming year for that big vacation you've been meaning to take, gird yourself for higher prices. Flight and hotel prices are edging up around three percent on average, according to Mark Ellwood of Condé Nast Traveler, due in part to higher fuel and labor costs, more long-haul trips, and good old-fashioned supply and demand. "When you're booking that big bucket-list trip, you gotta plan ahead," Ellwood told Cheddar. To save money on flights, Ellwood stands by his favorite booking sites: Airfarewatchdog.comand Scottscheapflights.com, which allow users to plug in routes and timeframes and sit back and wait for alerts about sales. This year, he's also adding nextvacay.com to his recommendations, a relatively new member-only site that allows users to put in their home airport and gets deals to far-flung places. Those big-ticket vacations are becoming more popular among millennials, who tend to spend money on experiences over products. When booking hotels, Ellwood said the industry is paying more attention to personalized service ー remembering that you like a room far from the elevator, for instance. That's why he always recommends guests sign up for hotel loyalty programs, even if they don't know if they will ever stay at that hotel again. "It indicates to them that you might be a long-term loyalist, and they'll start learning what you like."

Share:
More In Business
Nestlé dismisses CEO after he has relationship with a subordinate
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz undoes blockbuster merger after a decade of falling sales
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
Load More