Delta Air Lines has been in the spotlight of the airline industry this week following a five-day-long operational meltdown that led to more than 5,000 flight cancellations and stranded passengers and their checked bags for days.
13.07.2024 - 13:55 / cntraveler.com / Gilbert Ott
I’ve been planning my trip to the Olympics since March 2023. I’ve spent countless hours pouring over the ticketing platform, researching the best neighborhoods to stay in Paris, figuring out the Metro, and finding any way to save money.
When my parents and I secured our first round of Olympics tickets in May 2023, the time came to book our Airbnb. We wanted to stay in the city center of Paris, but apartment rentals were going for more than $25,000 at the time. So when we booked a three-week stay in Rueil-Malmaison, a suburb of Paris, for roughly half the cost—about $13,000—I thought it was a steal.
Fast forward to a month before the Games. A friend visited me here in Spain, where I’m currently based. She lives in Paris and explained that she heard hotels and Airbnb hosts were having difficulty filling their listings, as prices were exorbitantly high and people were canceling. As a result, many places were offering steep discounts to try to get bookings.
Upon hearing the news, I thought, What if…? Since our Airbnb in Rueil-Malmaison had a free cancellation policy anyway I did some searching on Airbnb to verify if what my friend said was true—and it was. I found a two-bedroom apartment in the 11th arrondissement, steps away from Place de la Bastille and the neighborhood of Le Marais. It’s about 230 square feet larger than our booking in the suburbs—and it even has air conditioning, a rare feature but a big bonus during the hot Paris summers. The best part: It only costs $9,000 for three weeks. I booked this apartment and canceled the other booking, resulting in a net savings of more than $4,000.
It’s not just an anecdotal thing; even big travel platforms are clocking the trend. “It’s fantastic news for people who haven’t given up on their dream of going for Olympic Gold in Paris this summer,” explains Gilbert Ott, a spokesperson for point.me, a flight search and service that finds the best ways to book travel with points and miles. “Airline seats bookable with credit card points and airline miles are wide open right now, both to Paris and nearby cities, which can be a great hack for finding opportunity if Paris is tight from your city.”
A good mantra in life and in travel: It's never to late. “As we get closer to the Summer Games, we see that Americans are still looking to book last-minute trips to Paris,” says Ben Harrell, the US managing director at Booking.com. “Searches to Paris are up 69% compared to last year, with growth in both single travelers and couples looking to stay in the French city during the Games.” Everyone's still trying to get to Paris—and so should you, if seeing the Olympics is on your bucket list.
If you want to turn your Olympics dreams into a reality, here are some strategies
Delta Air Lines has been in the spotlight of the airline industry this week following a five-day-long operational meltdown that led to more than 5,000 flight cancellations and stranded passengers and their checked bags for days.
I'm an independent traveler who likes making my own arrangements. (Or, to rephrase that for the people who know me and will want me to tell you the truth: I'm a travel obsessive with a need to usually control every aspect of a trip.)
Paris is expected to welcome 11.3 million visitors during the Olympic Games, significantly increasing its population density. This surge in visitors is spurring travel demand to international destinations, such as Italy and the United States, that harness this desire to leave crowds behind, also benefiting United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece, as well as farther destinations, such as Thailand or Japan.
Recently, I walked through Paris to meet a friend on the Rive Gauche. On the hour-long route from my home in Montmartre, I popped in for a croissant at a favorite boulangerie, skirted around the Palais Royal, passed the pyramid of the Louvre, crossed the Seine. Post-coffee, the walk home unfolded in reverse. I ran a few errands as I got closer to my apartment: greens and radishes at our neighborhood épicerie, a crusty and warm baguette at another boulangerie, a bottle of sparkling wine at the caviste. Pausing briefly to adjust my grip on the bags at the base of the stairs leading up to the Sacre-Cœur, I made the inevitable climb up.
This story about surfing in Tahiti is part of How Paris Moves, a series of dispatches about communities and social change in France through the lens of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Read more here.
As summer heats up, Heathrow Airport highlights nine hidden gem destinations perfect for last-minute travel. From Pula’s glittering waters to Chengdu’s giant pandas, these varied locations cater to sun seekers, adventurers, and everyone in between. Heathrow, the most connected airport globally, serves numerous exclusive destinations, making it the ideal starting point for unforgettable summer holidays.
This story about swimming in Paris is part of How Paris Moves, a series of dispatches about communities and social change in France through the lens of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Skift Travel Podcast is going all-in on the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris with several interviews lined up. First up is a discussion with Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith, whose company is an official partner for this year’s Games.
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Visitors to the upcoming Paris Olympics will soon have an easy way to save money on transportation. Uber, the popular rideshare app, will be offering an automatic 10 percent discount on rides for passengers from Paris airports between July 22 through Sept. 8. The discount applies to arrivals from both Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Orly Airport Aéroport de Paris (ORY). Passengers can also save 30 percent if they use UberX Share within the city, as long as they are matched with another rider during the trip.
Amazon Prime Day 2024 has come to a close, but some of the best deals for travelers are still going on right now. There are deals leftover across all categories, including comfortable clothing and shoes, luggage and bags, outdoor gear, home goods, and more. There are even some deals still running on best-selling tech essentials like noise-canceling headphones, portable speakers, and tablets. To make sure you don't miss out on any of the Prime Day deals that are still hanging on, we rounded up our top picks for travelers below, with some items marked down as much as 60 percent off. But hurry—these last-minute deals aren't likely to stay around for long, so be sure to add anything you’re eyeing to your shopping cart ASAP.
While athletes from around the world will flock to Paris later this month to go for gold at the Summer Olympics, this doesn't mean travelers are following suit and heading to the City of Light.