What is Trip Stacking?

The world of travel has always been inspired by change, from advances in technology and safety to uncovering new destinations and dealing with the unexpected (that’s you, COVID-19!).

One recent trend has developed in reaction to the pandemic, namely “trip stacking”. As the name suggests, it involves booking more than one trip at the same time, “stacking” your options in case something goes wrong. And it’s an approach that’s continuing to grow in popularity. After all, if ever we’ve not wanted to waste a trip, it’s when traveling is already such a commitment of time and money —- and a little bit of stress!

So, for example, you might book a week’s vacation in London, but hedge with a week in Helsinki, with a detour to see the Northern Lights. If one falls through — if cases rise or a quarantine is needed — then cancellation policies let you choose one over the other. Often the first option to be booked is the riskier choice, like a time-specific cruise departure, with the second choice being more open-ended. But of course, you should also check that you have thorough insurance coverage.

The U.S. Department of State even recently issued an advisory saying that American citizens choosing to travel internationally should “make contingency plans” in case of changes that are out of their control. That seems to have given the green light to travelers to ensure that they don’t get stranded and that they make their overseas trips worthwhile.

Many people are also choosing to leave things until the last possible moment. Travel search engine Kayak recently has seen a 50 percent increase in searches for flights departing within seven days.

Whichever way you do it, one thing to note is that it’s far better to organize your itinerary through a travel agent, as terms and restrictions on bookings are often hidden away in fine print. Not only that, but if you do end up having to cancel one trip, you can make sure you can still take it at a future date.

This can also benefit vendors. Understandably, some are not keen on trip stacking: hoteliers, restaurants, and other suppliers risk losing bookings with people canceling at the last minute. Booking with a postponement policy rather than cancellation ensures that those vendors will eventually benefit from your business.

So, good luck in your planning. And remember that while travel stacking is a new development, once we’re through the pandemic and fully on the road to recovery, it should be over quickly, consigned to the history books alongside things that now seem very strange, like carrying paper airplane tickets or using traveler’s cheques — or smoking on planes!