One of the things I spend a lot of time looking at when planning travel for my clients is connection time.

I know it can be tempting to choose the flight with the shortest layover. After all, who wants to spend extra time sitting in an airport? If one itinerary gets you to your destination two hours earlier, it can seem like the obvious choice.

But here’s the thing: a short layover leaves very little room for anything to go wrong.

And unfortunately, things do go wrong.

Flights don’t always run on schedule

Recent U.S. airline data shows that roughly 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 flights arrives at least 15 minutes late, depending on the month. Cancellations add another 1–2%.

Now, I don’t want you to read that and think there’s a 25% chance you’re going to miss your connection. That’s not what the statistic means. A 15-minute delay may not matter at all if you have a comfortable layover.

What it does tell us is that flight delays are common enough that we shouldn’t plan an itinerary as though everything will go perfectly.

And delays aren’t always the airline’s fault.

Weather can cause problems long before you ever see a raindrop

Weather is one of the biggest factors affecting air travel. Thunderstorms, snow, ice, high winds and low visibility can all cause delays and cancellations.

What’s important to remember is that the weather doesn’t have to be bad where you are.

Your aircraft might be coming from an airport experiencing thunderstorms. Your connecting airport might be dealing with bad weather. Or weather somewhere else could cause air traffic restrictions that create delays throughout the system.

Once an aircraft gets behind schedule, that delay can follow the aircraft and crew to the next city, and the next one, creating a domino effect throughout the day.

This is one reason I don’t like to build an itinerary around a connection that gives you only a few minutes of wiggle room.

Your luggage has to make the connection too

Here’s something else I want you to think about when choosing a connection: your suitcase has to make that connection with you.

If your first flight arrives late and you have a very short amount of time before your next flight departs, you may be able to make it to the gate in time while your checked luggage doesn’t.

Your bag has to be unloaded from the first aircraft, sorted, transported through the airport, processed and loaded onto your connecting flight. That’s a lot to accomplish in a short window.

Usually, a delayed bag isn’t permanently lost. It may simply arrive on a later flight. But that can still be a major inconvenience, particularly at the beginning of a vacation.

Imagine arriving in Europe and finding out your suitcase won’t arrive until tomorrow. 

Or flying to meet a cruise ship and discovering that your luggage is still sitting at the connecting airport.

That’s not the way I want my clients to start a vacation.

So how much time should you allow?

There isn’t one connection time that works for every itinerary. I look at several factors when deciding whether a connection is comfortable or too tight.

I consider:

• The size of the connecting airport
• Whether you have to change terminals
• Whether you’re connecting domestically or internationally
• Whether you’ll have to go through customs or security
• Whether you’re changing airlines
• Whether you’re checking luggage
• The time of day you’re traveling
• The potential for weather-related delays
• What other flights are available if you miss your connection
• What happens to the rest of your itinerary if something goes wrong

Sometimes a one-hour connection is perfectly reasonable. Sometimes I will recommend two hours or more.

It really depends on the specific itinerary.

My goal isn’t just to get you there

When I’m planning a trip for my clients, my goal isn’t simply to find the flight that gets you there the fastest.

My goal is to get you there with as little unnecessary stress as possible.

Yes, a longer layover may mean spending an extra hour at the airport. But I would much rather have you sitting comfortably at your gate with time to grab a coffee than running through an unfamiliar airport because your first flight was 30 minutes late.

And I’d much rather give your luggage a reasonable opportunity to make the connection than have you start your vacation wondering when your suitcase is going to show up.

You can’t control the weather. You can’t control air traffic. You can’t control whether your incoming aircraft arrives late.

But you can control how much breathing room you build into your itinerary.

That’s why, whenever possible, I recommend giving yourself a little extra time between connecting flights.

Because when you’re spending your hard-earned money on a vacation, the goal isn’t just to get there. It’s to start your vacation relaxed and ready to enjoy it.

If you’ve been looking at the cost of your next vacation and thinking, “Didn’t we used to be able to do this for less?” You’re not imagining it.

Travel has become more expensive.

And while that doesn’t mean you have to stop traveling, it does mean that many of us need to rethink what we budget for a vacation if we want to maintain the same level of comfort, convenience, and experiences we’ve enjoyed in the past.

It’s Not Just Your Imagination

Inflation has changed the cost of everyday life, and travel hasn’t escaped it.

As of June 2026, the U.S. Travel Association reported that its Travel Price Index was 8.1% higher than a year earlier. Airfare was the biggest shock, with airline ticket prices 26.5% higher than June 2025. Hotel prices were also up 4.8% year over year.

And airfare isn’t showing signs of suddenly returning to the prices travelers became accustomed to several years ago.

Rising fuel costs, constrained airline capacity, and continued demand for travel are all contributing to higher prices.

That’s a significant difference when airfare is only one piece of the vacation puzzle.

Consider a couple who once budgeted $1,000 for their international airfare. A 25% increase puts that same airfare closer to $1,250, before adding the hotel, transportation, excursions, meals, and other experiences.

And that’s where travelers really begin to feel the difference.

The Vacation You Want May Cost More Than the Vacation You Remember

This is perhaps the most important distinction. It’s not necessarily that you’re choosing more expensive vacations. It’s that the same vacation can cost more today.

• You still want the ocean-view room.
• You still want the balcony cabin.
• You still want the private tour instead of the crowded bus.
• You still want to fly at a reasonable time rather than spend 14 hours making connections.
• You still want to stay somewhere comfortable and well located.
• You still want to enjoy a nice dinner without worrying about every item on the menu.

Those things haven’t necessarily changed. The price of providing them has. And if you want the same overall travel experience you’ve enjoyed in the past, your vacation budget may need to increase accordingly.

Why waiting for a “deal” isn’t always the answer

Travelers have traditionally been told to wait for a sale. And yes, deals still happen. But today’s travel market doesn’t always reward waiting.

Airfare is especially unpredictable. Prices can move dramatically based on demand, capacity, fuel costs, seasonality, and the number of seats remaining on a particular flight.

That doesn’t mean you should panic and buy the first flight you see. It means that a genuinely good fare should be evaluated as a good fare, not automatically dismissed because you’re hoping it will become even cheaper.

For a traveler with a non-negotiable cruise departure or a specific vacation date, the risk of waiting can be even greater.

Sometimes the cheapest flight isn’t actually the best value if it involves an inconvenient schedule, multiple connections, an overnight layover, or a greater risk of missing your cruise or tour.

The good news: You don’t have to give up travel!

This is where I think travelers need to change the conversation. The answer isn’t necessarily “travel less.” It’s “travel more intentionally.”

• You might decide that your annual travel budget needs to increase.
• Or you might decide that you’d rather take one exceptional trip instead of two average ones.
• You might travel during the shoulder season.
• You might choose a destination where your dollar stretches farther.
• You might prioritize the hotel and save somewhere else.
• Or perhaps the opposite, choosing a simpler hotel because the private tour or once-in-a-lifetime experience matters more to you.

There isn’t one right answer. The goal is to decide what matters most to you and spend your travel dollars there.

Think About Value, Not Just Price

One of the biggest mistakes travelers can make right now is focusing exclusively on the lowest price. The lowest price doesn’t always equal the best value.

A $700 flight that requires two long connections may not be a better value than an $850 nonstop.

A less expensive hotel 30 minutes outside the city may not be a better value when you’re paying for transportation every day.

And a cruise fare that looks fantastic at first glance may not represent the same overall value once you add airfare, transfers, gratuities, excursions, and the experiences you want to enjoy onboard and ashore.

Value is what you receive for the money you spend, not simply the lowest number on the screen. That’s an important distinction in today’s travel environment.

Your Travel Budget May Need a Reality Check

If you’ve been traveling on a $5,000 budget for several years, it may be tempting to assume that your next trip should still cost $5,000.

But if the cost of airfare, accommodations, and experiences has increased, maintaining the exact same vacation may require a larger budget. And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re spending irresponsibly. It means you’re acknowledging the current cost of the experience you want. 

For some travelers, that may mean increasing a $5,000 budget to $6,000 or $7,000. For others, it may mean adjusting the destination, travel dates, or accommodations to keep the trip within the original budget.

The important thing is to make that decision intentionally rather than discovering halfway through the planning process that the vacation you envisioned no longer fits the budget.

This Is Where Professional Travel Planning Becomes Even More Valuable

When travel costs were lower, it was easier to make a few mistakes. A poorly located hotel or an inefficient flight might cost you a little extra. Today, those mistakes can be much more expensive. 

A good travel advisor isn’t simply looking for the cheapest vacation. The goal is to help you determine where your money will have the greatest impact on your experience.

Should you spend more on the room and less on the rental car? Is the more expensive cruise actually the better value once everything is included? Would flying from another nearby airport save enough money to make the extra drive worthwhile? Is it better to travel in May instead of July? Would a slightly different itinerary allow you to see the same destinations without spending as much?

Those are the questions that can make a significant difference in the final cost and the quality of your trip.

So, Are We Saying Travel Is Too Expensive? Absolutely not.

We’re saying travel is different. People still want to see the world. They still want to celebrate milestones. They still want to spend time with family. They still want to explore places they’ve dreamed about for years. And honestly, we don’t think that should change.

But the way we plan and budget for those experiences probably should. Travel isn’t necessarily something you need to give up. It may simply be something you need to budget for differently.

If you have a destination you’ve been dreaming about, don’t assume it’s out of reach just because travel costs have increased.

Let’s look at the options. Maybe we adjust the dates. Maybe we change the itinerary. Maybe we prioritize the experiences that matter most. Maybe we increase the budget. Or maybe we discover an entirely different destination that gives you more of what you want for your money.

The goal isn’t to spend more. The goal is to make the money you spend on travel count. And that’s what good travel planning is all about.

If a trip to the United Kingdom is on your travel wish list—whether it’s wandering the streets of London, exploring the Scottish Highlands, or hopping over to Wales—there’s an important entry requirement U.S. travelers need to know about: the U.K. Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

As your travel advisor, my goal is to make sure there are no surprises before you depart, so let’s break this down in simple terms.

Tipping etiquette can be one of the most confusing parts of travel when visiting Europe. Every country has its own customs, and what’s expected in one place might be seen as unnecessary—or even rude—in another. Knowing when and how much to tip can help make your journey smoother.