Hi. I had a trip to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami planned for this week that I had to cancel because of COVID-19, of course. Southwest gave me a credit to rebook. I've been considering trying to go August 9th-18th, or something like that. I would consider waiting even longer but i'm a college student and I get really busy once fall comes, so August would be really ideal. Some people are saying things will still be a complete mess in August and others are saying things will have calmed down at least to the point where its safe to travel. I know that no one can predict anything for sure but i'm just curious what everyone's opinion is. I know its way too early to book anything yet so im holding off. I've been looking at hotels and airbnbs just to see whats available for August and theres some really good deals that I hope last so I don't miss out if things did work out.

I agree that nobody can predict what August will look like, and many of us would like to have something positive like a trip to look forward too. It's not a bad plan for keeping some kind of sanity in these hard times.

Personally I don't think deals will suddenly evaporate, but I myself would wait to better understand what my own situation (or that of my family) was, both health and financial. Many people will lose their jobs as companies cut payrolls to just stay alive. If there is someone in your life who may have a dire need to have $$ in August, then be cautious about depleting family emergency money. Only you and your family can judge that.

There won't be a mad rush back to travel that will drive up prices. Since SW normally has the most generous rebooking policy I would be comfortable booking something now, then rebooking again should the situation change. Airlines and people renting out AirBnB's will also need income, so consumer spending is not a bad thing either.

These are crazy times with no how to guide.

You have access to the same information sources as all of us so your guess as to the travel situation in August is as good as anyone's. Right now, the information regarding travel that we are being given by the various health experts across the globe is focused on dealing with the near term - i.e. what is happening now and what type of restrictions might be put in place in the next week or so. No one is thinking much passed that horizon, let alone trying to predict what will happen by August. Your crystal Ball is as fuzzy on this issue as anyone else's.

J62 made some good points for you to consider. If you feel you must make plans in the near future to travel in August you should thoroughly investigate and understand the cancellation/refund policies of your airline, the hotel/resort or other accommodations you are considering before making any commitment.

Personally, I would just continue to monitor the situation and wait until you have a much clearer picture of health conditions where you now live and where you are planning to go before making any plans.

I agree that you should wait. No one, not even the "experts", know how long this will last.
The deals won't go away any time soon since the travel industry is really hurting.

According to the latest medical estimates, we’re 18 months from a vaccine. So no, it likely won’t be safe to fly in August.

wait as long as possible to rebook. Remember that you’ve also got spring break and Christmas next year.plus, if the idea is to rebook for Florida, there’s a reason it’s cheap in August. It’s a miserable time to be there.

Seriously, your guess is as good as anyone's. I'm not rebooking any travel yet. I was supposed to fly to Mexico today from Seattle, which obviously I am not doing. I'd like to go in the fall sometime but will wait until I see how things go. As long as you book everything that is completely refundable, I suppose no harm in planning an August trip. Unless your voucher has a deadline to use it, I would hold off as long as possible myself. My Alaska ticket credit is good thru February 2021 and I may wait about that long to use it.

Florida in August is not appealing either, hot and very humid.