As the Iran War rages and with no apparent end in sight, holidaymakers around the world are seeing their plans thrown into chaos. Those who are just planning their next big getaway are, meanwhile, hit with soaring airfares that are putting their holiday in jeopardy. And people already abroad are finding it challenging to return home as flights are cancelled and schedules adjusted.
It all makes heading overseas this year an enormous risk, say travel experts. Unsurprisingly, many people are cancelling their long-planned trips and booking “safer” destinations instead, while others are considering just staying at home while bombs rain down across the Middle East.
So should you stay or go anyway? Here’s what the experts say.
Flexibility and Patience
If you’re planning to head overseas this year, amid all that’s going on in the world, two things you will need are flexible plans and bucketloads of patience. So says Eryn Gordon of travel blog Earth To Editorial. Otherwise, she says, you might as well stay at home.
“In my opinion, the thing that travellers need to prioritise above all else is flexibility, especially in this current climate with the Middle Eastern conflict and disruptions to flights, airspace and costs,” says Gordon.
She suggests that travellers use plane-tracking apps like Flightradar24 so they can instantly see where aircraft are and if there are any issues. And that people go “above and beyond” in getting comprehensive travel insurance as soon as they’ve booked a trip.
“Make sure your travel insurance includes the covering of geopolitical events,” she warns, as standard policies may not include the outbreak of conflicts that could leave you without sufficient cover.
Gordon also recommends contacting airlines straight away if there are problems, and don’t wait for them to get in touch with you. Equally important, she says, is keeping records of everything in case you need to make a claim.
Right now, travellers should try to steer clear of major Middle East airports like those in Dubai and Doha, using alternatives instead, says Gordon.
She says people should make sure they book their travels with trusted platforms so they don’t get scammed. “And have some patience as well,” she says.
“I think this gets often overlooked so much in travel. Things do go wrong. And if you’re travelling in a time of heightened geopolitical events, then there’s an increased chance of things going wrong. And if you haven’t got the patience, then it’s probably best to avoid travelling during these times.”
Making Use of Loyalty Programmes
One aspect of travel that some people may overlook are the various frequent flyer and other such programmes from airlines, as you can more easily change tickets without being hit by big penalties.
“Points-based bookings offer great flexibility during periods of instability,” says travel writer and blogger Maria DiCicco. “Unlike cash tickets with restrictive change policies, many loyalty programmes provide more generous cancellation terms.”
DiCicco, who writes about her travels at Always Pack Tissues, says doing so might mean fees of just a few pounds instead of a lot more if you cancel and rebook flights under a frequent flyer programme.
“The flexibility becomes invaluable when travellers need to pivot their travel plans away from affected airspace. Rather than being locked into expensive cash fares with change fees, points bookings allow for quick, and relatively cheap, changes as new circumstances change.”
Importantly, during this time of war, she urges people not to “overlook war exclusions in your travel insurance policy.
“Travellers should closely examine their travel insurance policies, as most contain significant gaps for war-related disruptions. Most trip-cancellation coverage policies, like those offered by premium credit cards, exclude coverage for a ‘declared or undeclared war’. Travellers assuming their travel insurance policies will cover Middle East-related disruptions may face significant out-of-pocket costs.”
DiCicco’s tips for avoiding problems when away are to book backup plans with points currencies that offer flexible cancellation; verify that your travel insurance actually covers acts of war; and
book fully refundable fares or use points for any travel through the region. She also suggests not using Middle Eastern airlines but their alliance partners, such as with British Airways over Qatar Airways.
Alex Weihmann, a US-based traveller who works in marketing and started points site Milesmate.io, agrees that frequent flyer programmes are vital these days.
“My top piece of advice: Strategically use your airline points for added flexibility,” he says.
“Points-based bookings offer great flexibility during periods of instability. Unlike cash tickets with restrictive change policies, many loyalty programmes provide more generous cancellation terms.
“British Airways’ Avios, for example, charges only £35 for ticket cancellations. Even better, if your taxes and fees are less than the cancellation fee, you only forfeit what you actually paid. This means a domestic US flight could be cancelled for just $5.60 in taxes.”
Weihmann argues that this level of flexibility “becomes invaluable when travellers need to pivot their travel plans away from affected airspace.
Rather than being locked into expensive cash fares with change fees, points bookings allow for quick — and relatively cheap — changes as new circumstances change.”
Protecting Yourself Against Scams
Scamming people during times of travel chaos is also on the mind of Taimur Ijlal. “Whenever there is travel disruption, there are also scammers, and they often come out in force during these times, preying on desperate travellers with things like fake refund offers and massively inflated deals,” says Ijlal, who runs coupon-discount site ProxyCoupons.
He advises booking directly with airlines and using verified travel platforms as the best way to avoid falling victim to scams.
“Try and pay only with credit cards, so you get your chargeback protection and never wire transfers or crypto to people calling themselves ‘agents’. This is a massive red flag,” he says.
“Use price-tracking tools like Google Flight Alerts. That helps you avoid the dynamic pricing spikes and can help you avoid discount proxy scams as well.”
He also suggests going through email bookings for “red flags like urgent demands, and weird-looking sender domains.
“And if you do feel like you’ve been scammed, make sure to freeze your credit card immediately and report it to the bank. In order to save money during things like cancellations, document everything from delay screenshots to chat logs. Just be hyper-diligent.”
Consider Other Destinations
At a time of turmoil in one part of the world, it’s advisable to avoid it altogether and see other, peaceful places instead, says Nick Kembel, who runs travel blog Taiwan Obsessed.
“The current disruption is really heavily concentrated around the Gulf Corridor. So those routes that typically rely on places like Dubai or Doha are being cancelled or severely reduced and rerouted as well,” he says.
“So this is why I think Taiwan is an amazing choice right now: a great pivot and a wonderful opportunity to still experience the region in a much safer way. You can reach Taipei via northern or Pacific routes that absolutely 100% bypass the Middle East altogether. There’s much less disruption on those routes.”
The benefits, he says, are more predictable schedules, far fewer last-minute cancellations and much less exposure to the knock-on effect of rising fuel costs.
“And on the ground, Taiwan is actually one of the easiest places in Asia to travel during these times of uncertainty,” says Kembel. “They’ve got high-speed rail connections and great infrastructure built for independent travel, so you’re not relying really heavily on complex transfers and tour operators.”
He adds that choosing somewhere like Taiwan also “gives you flexibility. You can base yourself in Taipei and then still see the mountains, the coastlines, the smaller cities, towns, villages. It’s all right there for you to enjoy”.
More Travel Options
Sri Lanka tour agent Ceylo Travels has been dealing with the fallout from the Middle East conflict in recent weeks as concerned clients alter and cancel their trips. “[T]he past several months have been some of our busiest, for all the wrong reasons: reroutes, last-minute cancellations, clients calling in a panic,” the company’s head of marketing, Chinthaka G., said.
Generally with flights, he says, people “who end up in the worst situation are those who wait for the airline to make the first move”. That’s because in the time they are waiting for a formal cancellation notification to arrive, there are no decent rebooking options left.
“If your itinerary touches Dubai, Doha or Amman, get on the phone with your agent or airline now and find out what flexibility you have, before you need it,” Chinthaka advises.
Many people mistakenly believe their travel insurance will cover them in all circumstances, including when flights cannot cross a country. “[T]his is where most travellers get a nasty surprise. Standard policies rarely cover airspace closures. The ones that do will explicitly mention government travel advisories as a payout trigger; that’s the phrase to look for.”
Holidaymakers also need to look out for their rights when they have booked their flights and accommodation separately instead of a package, he says. When they organise it themselves, their “rights are much weaker. That’s a lesson a lot of people are learning the hard way right now”.
Parts of Asia have become far more attractive as people shun the Middle East, says Chinthaka. “We’ve seen a genuine shift in where people want to go. Clients who had Jordan, Egypt or the UAE planned are now looking at Asia, and for many of them it turns out to be a better trip anyway.”
