HOUSTON — With COVID-19 vaccinations ramping up, more Americans are ready to take off.
According to the TSA, Sunday marked the 11th-straight day where more than a million people traveled through U.S. airports. Experts say it could signal the beginning of a travel rebound.
After a year of sitting at home and staying apart, Americans are giving a slumping travel industry a badly needed boost.
"The pent-up demand for travel is unlike anything we've ever seen," said Scott Keyes, founder of Scott's Cheap Flights.
Keyes studies the travel data daily. And it's promising.
"Almost every single week since New Year's of 2021, flight search data has increased," Keyes said. "Each week people are searching more than the last."
Americans are logging on, and in many cases, booking travel, snagging eye-popping deals from Houston to popular vacation spots.
"More people are searching for flights to Cancun and Maui right now than they did 2 years ago," Keyes said. "I think that underscores how people are anxious to get traveling again."
We saw a glimpse of that over the weekend. When more than 1.5 million people were screened at TSA checkpoints. The last time that happened was March 15, 2020. And now with COVID-19 vaccinations ramping up, Keyes predicts this summer will be even busier.
"I think by late April or May, the number of cheap summer flights is really going to dwindle," Keyes said.
His best advice is to buy now. Be sure to lock in that cheap fare whether you're vaccinated or not. You can always change your flight later if needed.
"By setting price at the top priority instead of the last priority, that's one of the best ways to get cheap flights and to make sure you don't overpay for your vacation," Keyes said.