1 out of 5 flights departing from Romania undergoes, at least, a change in the flight schedule. 1 in 15 passengers misses their reservation and needs assistance in correcting the incorrectly entered information. Waiting time at airports in the country is double compared to 4 months ago.
These are the statistics of the beginning of the peak season that brought to the largest plane ticket booking platform in Romania, Vola.ro. substantial increases compared to last summer and a turnover of about 90% compared to airline ticket sales in the summer of 2019.
Airline ticket sales are close to the 90% threshold compared to 2019.
Trends in tourism are already showing a return to pre-pandemic consumption habits, such as city breaks, active holidays and exploration of European tourist regions. Removing restrictions on vaccinated people, easing travel conditions, easing pandemic restrictions at European level and introducing EU COVID Digital Certificate led to an increase in Romanians' interest in travel and to a volume close to 2019 for Vola.ro.
The reopening of Europe generated a wave of reservations from Romanians who wanted to travel, but who were discouraged by the limitations imposed by the authorities. Given the number of flights up to 33% lower than in 2019 and the reduction of staff in airports and airline teams, the summer season puts immense pressure on the entire industry.
The EU COVID Digital Certificate will bring an additional wave of holiday bookings and airline tickets.
Every step taken by European or national authorities in the organization of travel, in the context of the pandemic, has meant an increase in the demand for tourist packages or plane tickets. Thus, the introduction of the EU COVID Digital Certificate, which attests to immunity from COVID-19, will facilitate travel in the next period and will help streamline the entire process of verifying the documents required for a pandemic trip.
The EU COVID Digital Certificate is not only dedicated to those vaccinated. It can be obtained by both vaccinated people and those who have a negative PCR test or who have already gone through the disease and will thus be able to present proof of the conditions for entry into a given state.
5 things Romanians who want to travel in the next period can do for a carefree vacation:
- Increased attention in the process of booking plane tickets. 1 out of 15 Romanians enters at least one wrong information in the reservation of plane tickets, a situation that requires additional steps to modify or validate the reservation and sometimes even additional costs for the passenger.
- Periodic monitoring of the situation of the purchased flight. In the last weeks, 1 out of 5 flights has undergone at least a change in the flight schedule, so it is necessary to regularly monitor the situation of the chosen flight.
Constant verification of travel conditions at destination and return
- Constant verification of travel conditions at destination and return. Although more and more countries are lifting restrictions on Romanian travel, they are still constantly changing or may change and it is the responsibility of travelers and not tour operators to check them and make sure they meet them. 10% of the interactions with the tour operators are about the travel conditions, information that can be found in an online search on the MAE.ro website. Travelers are advised to take information only from official sources and to complete correctly and completely all the documents required by the state in which they intend to travel in order to avoid possible additional checks and delays at border crossing points.
- Complete flight planning from the time of booking. Many passengers add multiple additional services after booking: luggage, seats, insurance, check-in. Vola.ro advises travelers to carefully plan the reservation because adding these services later increases the costs of the final booking. Adding all the additional services you want from the moment of booking optimizes the final cost paid for the trip.
- Waiting time at the airport has increased by up to 50% in the summer season. According to statistics from major European airports, waiting times at the airport can increase by up to 50% during peak periods, such as the summer season. Thus, if normally for check-in, security control and boarding formalities were recommended 1.5 - 2 hours before the announced departure time, in the context of crowded airports and much undersized airport staff, Vola.ro recommends Romanian tourists as in this period should take a margin of at least 2.5 - 3 hours before take-off time.