Our Perspectives on International Travel in 2021

Travellers in Canada and around the world are looking keenly ahead at the resumption of global travel in 2021.

While the coronavirus situation continues to place a burden on our daily lives for the time being, it’s clear that the world is headed in the right direction in terms of vaccine production and distribution, which leaves many of us contemplating the possibility of resuming safe travels by summer or fall.

As we look ahead at the upcoming year, I’ve asked the team members here at Prince of Travel to share each of our perspectives on when we’d feel comfortable travelling internationally again, which destinations we’d like to visit as part of their first post-pandemic trips, and what our Miles & Points strategies for 2021 will look like as a result.

We carry a fairly wide range of perspectives across the team, which I’d like to think reflects the wide range of perspectives across Canadian travellers as a whole.

(For an up-to-date guide on everything you need to know about international travel during this time, including which countries are open to Canadians and provincial testing availability, refer to our Travel During COVID-19 resource for Canadians.)

Ricky

When in 2021 will you feel comfortable to travel?

As someone who took my first international trip of the pandemic era back in November 2020, my instinct is to say that I’m ready and raring to go again. However, I’ve been given some pause by the ever-worsening situation in global caseloads in this last little stretch before mass vaccinations begin worldwide.

With recent news of novel COVID-19 variants coming from the UK and South Africa, as well as more onerous travel restrictions like Canada’s new requirement for a negative test prior to boarding an inbound flight, it’s certainly not an easy time to travel right now given the sheer volume of information, rapidly changing restrictions, and the considerable stigma that travellers must contend with. 

Another factor to consider is Canada’s 14-day mandatory quarantine upon return. Having already been through one round of quarantine, I’m not very inclined to do it all again.

Even though there wasn’t much to do outside in Toronto anyway, and I felt like my quarantine period passed relatively quickly, it still feels like a bit of an unnecessary burden for whose reduction I am happy to wait a little longer. Recent reports of rapid testing coming to Toronto Pearson are encouraging in that regard.

All this is to say that I’m not really in a big rush to embark on the same type of “business and pleasure” trip to Dubai trip that I took last November. I’ve already gotten my first-hand experience of international travel and aviation during COVID, I’ve secured some ongoing travel content for the site – and so I’m happy to wait a bit longer through the spring before taking a trip of a similar nature.

However, there’s one type of trip that I do intend to take in the near future, although it’s up in the air as to whether it’ll actually happen: to visit family.

I haven’t seen my family back in Beijing for almost a year (since I had to cut last year’s trip short in the very early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in China), so I’d like to make that trip this year and spend some longer time back home.

The only problem? I’m not certain if I’ll be able to go, as all previous China visas have been temporarily suspended, and new ones are understandably quite tough to get. I’m slogging my way through the process at the moment, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Which destinations do you plan to visit in 2021?

Aside from China, my calendar looks pretty empty for most of the spring, but starting in April is when I have speculative travel plans lined up month after month.

With many award programs offering generous change and cancellation policies and plenty of attractive fare deals in 2020, I’ve planned several different types of trips in every month from April 2021 onwards, and it’ll be touch-and-go to see which one of these trips are actually realistic to take.

There’s trip to Japan and Singapore across a variety of aspirational cabins like ANA 777 New First Class and Emirates First Class, which feels quite ambitious at this stage, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Then there’s a couple of old Aeroplan bookings that I had made to the new Atlantic zone (whose prices have gotten disproportionately more expensive under the new program), such as a trip to Senegal and Gambia in West Africa, a round-the-world trip through South East Asia and Africa, as well as a two-stop trip to Georgia and Ukraine – two of the old “Europe 2” countries that have been on my bucket list for a long time.

If I’m being honest, some of the more exotic destinations I’ve planned are definitely less likely to materialize than some of the safer countries like Japan or Singapore.

Much will depend on whether the destination country openly welcomes me as a visitor or not, keeping in mind that the COVID vaccines have been shown to prevent us from showing symptoms of the disease, but not necessarily from spreading the virus.

On the more aspirational side, having checked off the Maldives from my bucket list just before the pandemic hit, a visit to French Polynesia is naturally the next item on my hit list.

If time allows, and if my more risk-averse fiancée Jessy is comfortable travelling with me, I’d like to make that a reality sometime in 2021 as well.

What’s your Miles & Points strategy for 2021?

2020 was mostly a year of accumulating rather than redeeming points for many of us. Indeed, one of my greatest sources of earning points in 2020 was cancelling my previously planned trips!

I expect a closer balance between the two sides of the game in 2021. The new Aeroplan already offers a host of new strategies to play with, such as maximizing eUpgrades for Air Canada business class flights and leveraging Priority Rewards for half-off awards. We’ve been promised several new airline partners too, which should expand our range of redemption options and aspirational experiences.

Meanwhile, I also harbour hopes to book another British Airways Avios multi-carrier award that’s fully maximized to the tilt; however, the multi-stop nature of that trip may be challenging to pull off in the nascent post-pandemic world, so it may have to be a booking made for 2022.

From an earning perspective, I’ll be keeping a keen eye on the TD and CIBC Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, hoping they offer some more attractive bonuses for us dedicated Aeroplan collectors after January.

And with repeat welcome bonuses on American Express cards looking riskier and a less viable strategy this year, my focus will be on building out the Amex portfolio for other players in the entourage, while also concentrating more on diversification options such as the RBC Avion ecosystem.

My Avios and Asia Miles balances are healthy, but I’d like to build up my American AAdvantage balance as another Oneworld diversification option.

Speaking of diversification, while I’ve built up a solid US credit card history, the same isn’t yet true for my other players – it may be finally time to get ITINs sorted out for them, with a new Aeroplan Chase Mastercard on the horizon!

Josh

When in 2021 will you feel comfortable to travel?

Truth be told, I haven’t been keeping up with pandemic news super closely, in the interest of my own sanity.

As for the personal risks of COVID-19, I’m not as worried about mortality rates as I am about the unknown, complex long-term potential effects. Also, if I do contract the disease, I’d rather avoid the hassle of dealing with it abroad.

I’m discouraged by new case numbers rising this winter. It’s as if we’ve moved the goalposts: it seems like people were more concerned six months ago, when numbers were 10 times lower. Lockdown fatigue is real and it’s only become harder through a dark season, which is a shame with a light at the end of the tunnel.

I don’t have a firm set of conditions that would make me feel comfortable to travel. I don’t expect to leave the country until I’ve been vaccinated. I’d like to be able to enjoy the features of my destinations that attracted me there – as things open up again, I’ll be more inclined to visit places that have the pandemic under control.

While my wanderlust is stronger than ever, I’ve got ample things to focus on at home. We’ve made it this far, and I can afford to wait a little longer. At this point, I personally don’t feel a need to look for excuses to justify travel for myself, although I certainly understand that others may feel differently.

The beauty of travelling on points is that these aren’t once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for us. I’m fortunate that the travel programs I collect haven’t impacted my financial well-being through the pandemic, unlike a purely cash-focused traveller. I’m thankful for the flexibility of booking with points, whenever the time comes.

Which destinations do you plan to visit in 2021?

“Plan” to visit and “intend” to visit are very different questions this year. It’s been difficult to set realistic travel goals with so much uncertainty on the horizon.

For plans, I loaded up on speculative bookings to take advantage of various Aeroplan sweet spots: some old Aeroplan Mini-RTWs, some discounts from the early days of dynamic pricing.

Destinations include the Maritime provinces, Nashville, Turkey, Norway, Japan, a Europe hopper stuffed with long layovers, and a fun routing to South Africa if the Etihad Apartments ever fly again. I’m also eyeing an Emirates booking before their Alaska partnership changes.

As for intentions, I don’t expect to take most of these trips, though I’d be thrilled to take any of them. Additionally, I’m feeling a pull to Latin America, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand, but haven’t planned anything yet – I’m open to making a few spontaneous bookings.

I’m inspired by my Rockies road trip last year. I’d like to make it a priority to visit annually, and I’ve already picked out some new parts of Jasper and Banff that I want to explore more deeply.

What’s your Miles & Points strategy for 2021?

All things considered, 2020 was a fantastic year for earning. Not being able to travel, I’ve built quite a healthy balance of points across a few different programs, plus a good chunk of cash back rewards.

I have enough points that I can afford to be a bit sloppy when it comes to squeezing out every last drop of redemption value. Regardless, I look forward to brushing up on some award program knowledge that has atrophied on the couch.

That said, I don’t plan to take my foot off the gas. I learned a lot last year, and I’m hoping to streamline my existing earning strategies so I can focus on new tactics. I’d like to integrate my points strategy better with other areas of personal finance, and to fine-tune how I value the time I put into these activities.

I’ll continue to diversify into the US credit card market and other lesser-known programs. Also, as the newest contributor here, I feel like I now have a professional obligation to add some more Player 2s. (Hi mom, if you’re reading this please use my Business Platinum referral.) 🙃

Kirin

When in 2021 will you feel comfortable to travel?

It’s a bit of a running joke I’m always the “harbinger of doom”, although it isn’t intentional. That being stated, I’m not particularly optimistic for 2021, and I don’t want to drag anyone else down with me.

What I will say is this: I, personally, am not going to be leaving the country until the vaccines we have in effect have been disseminated much more widely to the populace of any destination I want to go to. This means that my realistic timeline will be in Quarter 3 at earliest for international travel.

Please understand my perspective is my own and is shaped because I had COVID-19. I have a more pessimistic view of the efficacy of vaccines, how often people shall use them, and if the plague will be subject to mutation, and so prefer to err on the side of caution.

For those who do feel travel is on the cards, or are sick of sitting cooped up in their home workplace, do take hope that there are many positive developments. We have a vaccine and it’s being distributed. It looks like we might be getting cases under control.

Last of course, the pilot project out of Calgary has been by all measures a success, and offers options to those who wish to travel provided they can pass screening. If I get really sick of staying here, I might even dip my toes in it a bit early.

Which destinations do you plan to visit in 2021?

I’ve made no secret of it: the country at the top of my bucket list has always been the mysterious, albeit fascinating, North Korea. Alas, I do not foresee the China–DPRK border (which is where one enters by land) or the flights operated by Air Koryo out of Beijing or Vladivostok returning until 2022.

Still, my travel goals are bit different than I think for many on the blog: a lot of the team here love the experience of going somewhere “aspirational” such as the famous underwater suites, especially if it’s a great deal or very convenient. I’m not so much about that, my preferences are to go places I’ve always wanted to go and see people whom I’ve been separated from.

There’s a very good friend I have in California, and by the will of providence I hope we can go on our promised South-Western road trip by this time next year. Aside from that, if they ever re-open, then Japan, South Korea, mainland China, and perhaps Israel and Lebanon are top of my to-visit list, as well.

What’s your Miles & Points strategy for 2021?

Welcome to the new year, same as the old year – at least for the foreseeable future. My intent is to spend this year hitting accumulation hard. There’s a variety of ways to do this, such as the card you absolutely should never use, but overall I think I’ll continue playing the “get” the points game even if it’s challenging to “redeem” them.

I’m pretty active on the Discord chat group for Prince of Travel members, where we often discuss some of this stuff with the proverbial boxing gloves off. If you haven’t checked it out, it’s one USD transaction you won’t regret even if you do get dinged the 2.5% FX rate!

Lastly – I never said the cards I’ll be getting this year will all be Canadian! Down with those silly 2.5% FX fees, up with no FX and great benefits! I cannot wait to up my US credit card game and encourage everyone who hasn’t started to get an ITIN and start their US Miles & Points journey.

Stay safe, folks – and hope that 2021 flies you to much better locations!

T.J.

When in 2021 will you feel comfortable to travel?

Around this time last year, I felt very optimistic about the year ahead. Having thoroughly enjoyed a suite upgrade at the Westin Perth followed by Lobster Thermidor on back-to-back flights with Singapore Airlines and endless matcha milk teas on the EVA Air 787, I looked forward to a year of indulgence and adventures in 2020.

After squeaking in my annual pilgrimage to New Orleans in late February, the world shut down, and the remainder of my domestic and international travel plans were kicked in the teeth.

Dreams of sipping on Hibiki Suntory 21 en route to Japan in ANA First Class were replaced by the sheer delight of seeing friends in real life for a distanced walk in Mount Royal Park after months of isolation.

With the nightmare that was 2020 now in hindsight, I am approaching 2021 with modified expectations. 

I am very grateful to now live on Vancouver Island, a place that has so many beautiful places to visit and a host of things to do. It is very easy to get away from people by spending time in the mountains and by the ocean, which are places that I am always stoked to be anyway.

As the pandemic drags on, I plan on sticking pretty close to home until our fearless leaders recommend otherwise. There are many friends and family members across the country whom I’d love to visit in person, and these will be my first trips away from home.

As long as there is an extended quarantine in place for returning from abroad, I don’t plan on venturing far away. The prospect of shortened quarantines with testing upon arrival intrigues me, though, and I remain hopeful that this will become more widespread as the vaccine rolls out.

Which destinations do you plan to visit in 2021?

When I do get stamps in my passport again, I plan on trading the crowds of Mardi Gras or Shibuya Crossing for trips that are more akin to staying away from others. 

With displeasure, I recently cancelled a long-awaited trip on Turkish Airlines Dreamliner business class to Turkey and Georgia over Spring Break. I am hopeful, though, that hiking the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park in Hawaii or an extended surfing trip to Costa Rica may be possible replacements.

I also have a trip to Japan and Indonesia booked for July. As with 2021 in general, I am cautiously optimistic that consuming an absurd amount of ramen and honing my surfing skills will actually come into fruition. I hope to cross ANA First Class (old and new) off my list, as well as experiencing other airlines’ products.

What’s your Miles & Points strategy for 2021?

Similarly, my Miles and Points strategy in 2021 is to diversify as much as possible. Having fallen victim to an American Express financial review a few years ago, I’ve built up a decent amount of points in other loyalty programs. And due to the pandemic, I’m sitting on a decent pile of Aeroplan points for the time being.

I am intrigued by Oneworld multi-carrier awards, aspirational flights with Emirates, and using Marriott Bonvoy points to convert to programs that are otherwise difficult for Canadians to earn. The more I read about other programs, the more motivated I am to get myself into a seat in a premium cabin.

More than anything, though, my 2021 strategy is to get back to interacting with the Miles & Points community in person, once it’s safer to do so. I am privileged to have met many enthusiasts in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria, and I am always inspired by people’s dedication to and passion for this craft.

While 2020 was a challenging year in many ways, we have a lot to be grateful for. May 2021 bring you all endless adventures and fulfilling experiences. I look forward to connecting with you online, in person, in lounges, and in the skies. Cheers.

Amy

When in 2021 will you feel comfortable to travel?

If there’s anything I’ve learned during this pandemic, it’s that things are unpredictable and constantly changing and hence my outlook for travel has ebbed and flowed over the past few months. 

At this point in time, as much as I am itching to travel, I am hesitant given the current COVID landscape in Canada. With case numbers increasing and hospitals at capacity, I feel the right thing to do is just sit tight and wait until things stabilize once more. Once they do, I will be packing my bags in a heartbeat, but then the question is, where to?

Assuming we don’t receive the vaccine by then, the destination would have to be a place where Canadians are not subject to quarantine on arrival, where the COVID situation is under good control, with good testing capabilities and medical facilities and where we can spend most of our time outdoors and avoid crowded areas. 

Now we get to the deal breaker: the 14 day quarantine. Although my work situation affords me the ability to work from home during the quarantine, it may be difficult for my husband and kids to. Although my son has the option of online learning, my younger daughters do not. That means a one-week vacation all of a sudden becomes a three-week vacation. 

Does this mean I have nothing booked for 2021? Absolutely not. 

Which destinations do you plan to visit in 2021?

I’ve rescheduled a couple of family trips from last year to this year. Hawaii was rescheduled for this March Break, which isn’t looking promising, but because both our accommodation and Aeroplan have such flexible cancellation policies, I’ll wait another month or so before deciding. My kids have two weeks of March Break, so with the 14-day quarantine, they would only miss one week of school. 

We initially had direct flights, but unfortunately, there was a schedule change and now our flights transit through Vancouver, which I’ll take over a layover in the US. Maui currently has a much lower case count per million people than Ontario does, which is encouraging! 

Our trip to Ireland was also pushed to this summer from last. Their COVID situation is currently similar to us here in Canada. We haven’t booked our Aer Lingus flights yet because British Airways Avios is charging a cancellation fee and seat availability appears good, so I’ll see how the situation evolves over the next couple of months before booking.

Both destinations are well suited for family travel, as they are well developed nations, easy destinations to get to, and have plenty to do outdoors.

For both international trips, I’ve also planned back-up ones domestically. For March Break, I’ve booked a couple of resorts within Ontario. For the summer, I’ve booked a trip back out to the West Coast, but this time to Kelowna, and maybe parts of Alberta. 

My husband and I also have a couple of trips on our own planned for this year. Our first trip is at end of spring to Cappadocia and Croatia, both currently open to Canadians, booked on Aeroplan points.

Our second trip is to Seychelles and Cape Town, which I’m really hoping will happen given that we’ve booked Emirates First Class going there and Qatar Airways Qsuites coming back. Seychelles is currently not open to Canadians, but I’m hoping this will change by the fall. 

What’s your Miles & Points strategy for 2021?

1. Save up for brighter days. At some point in time, international travel will return to normal. It never hurts to have a stash of points at your disposal. I’m starting to look at my travel plans one to two years out to and focusing my earning strategies accordingly. Here’s hoping for better signup bonuses this year!
2. Maintain flexible currencies. Given the fluid situation we find ourselves in with COVID numbers and travel restrictions, it’s likely that I’ll have to change my travel plans at some point. Flexible currencies allow access to different airline and hotel programs as needed. This year my efforts will be focused on collecting American Express Membership Reward points, Avion points, and Alaska miles for flights. For accommodations and other travel expenses, I like flexible fixed travel currencies like points from HSBC’s World Elite Mastercard and Membership Rewards Select points from American Express Cobalt Card.  
3. Get into the American game! For reasons #1 and #2, you want to start looking into this if you haven’t already. Now is a great time to get started with all the high signup bonuses floating around in the US market. I just got my husband started. 😉

Now that we’ve shared our perspectives on travel in 2021, we’d love to hear from you as well:

• When in 2021 will you feel comfortable to travel?
• Which destinations do you plan to visit in 2021?
• What’s your Miles & Points strategy for 2021?

Are you raring to go and ready to deal with travel restrictions and quarantines? Are you waiting for the vaccine? Are you perhaps exercising a little more caution and waiting until widespread vaccinations have taken place worldwide? Let us know in the comments below.