Ask The Captain: What Is Value Travel?
Most of us know budget travel when we see it, and we know luxury travel too, even if our definitions don't line up exactly. So where does value travel fit into that? Which one is it?
Defining Value Travel
Budget travel can be value travel. So can luxury travel. Value travel is really about getting a solid return on the travel dollars you're spending, whether that's $100 or $1,000. For some people, good value means finally being able to afford a trip they otherwise couldn't. For others, cost barely factors into the decision at all. Let's run through a few real scenarios and see where value actually shows up.
The Amsterdam Package
I found a 7-day trip to Amsterdam from the East Coast for $755 per person, airfare and lodging included. It's hard to argue that's not a good deal on paper, but is it actually worth it? That depends entirely on who's buying it. The lodging isn't going to feel luxurious to everyone, and the airfare doesn't include checked bags, which could add real cost depending on how you pack. For me, this is an easy yes. I can pack a week into a carry-on without thinking twice, and I don't care about hotel amenities in Amsterdam since I'd be out exploring the city almost every waking hour anyway.
True Airfare Value
Here's another one: a flight from New York to Manila. I'd love to fly business class. My wallet would very much prefer I didn't pay $3,500 round trip for it. The $900 economy fare makes my wallet a lot happier, just not my body. Premium economy runs about $400 more than economy, roughly a 45% jump in price. But that premium economy seat is genuinely nice, think old-school domestic business class. Once I break that extra $400 down across a 40-hour round trip, it works out to about $10 an hour. After a few hours crammed into economy, $10 an hour starts sounding like a pretty easy call. I'm booking premium economy.
A Good Value Hotel Depends on the Trip
Here's a lodging deal: a $500-a-night hotel room in Paris for $300 a night. On the surface, that's a clear win. Then I remember how little time I actually spend in my room on past Paris trips, and the math changes. That same discount would be a far better value to me at an island resort in Hawaii, where I'd actually be around to enjoy the room.
So what's your definition of value travel? I'm confident that as you keep reading, you'll start spotting some real values of your own, and maybe pick up a new way or two to size up a travel deal.
original publication 2019