Courtesy of Thrifty Traveler
In 2015, Jared Kamrowski founded a straightforward website—thriftytraveler.com—and figured he’d write a few blog posts about flight booking, using credit card points and airline miles, and finding hotels.
Now, more than a decade later, Minnesota-based Thrifty Traveler has a team of full-time employees and reaches millions of travelers via its website, social media, and popular podcast. The company is based in the Twin Cities, and the team’s proximity to MSP means that local jetsetters can get detailed, region-specific advice about when to fly and how to budget. It also offers a premium flight-deal alert service, where analysts comb through daily data to find the best airfare, points, and miles deals for MSP and 220 other airports.
We asked Thrifty Traveler’s Gunnar Olson, a flight deal analyst and travel reporter, to share some tips and tricks—and current trends—for the 2026 summer season. Pack your bags, and let’s ready, jet, go.
Are there any destinations that seem especially popular this year?
As always, travelers love going to Europe in the summer. And I can’t blame them! We’ve heard from travelers who booked flights from MSP to Stockholm, Sweden for just $517 round-trip, to Paris in business class nonstop for just 60,000 points each way, and flying the Delta nonstop flights to Dublin or Rome for 48,000 points round-trip or 60,000 points round trip.
But as prices go up, we’ve also heard from travelers who want to stay a little closer to home while still getting those same epic experiences. For that reason, our members have been equally excited about nonstop flights to Banff National Park in Canada for $257 round-trip, to Chicago for just $96 round-trip, and even in first class to Washington, D.C., for $357 round-trip.
For travelers wanting an off-the-beaten-path destination, what are a few of your favorites?
Sometimes the same old trip to Florida or London just doesn’t cut it. We heard from happy members who booked flights to Lima, Peru, to go see Machu Picchu for $576 round-trip from MSP, people who want to go explore the coast of Maine with flights to Portland from $235 round-trip, or even flights to Hong Kong or Taipei for just 30,000 Delta SkyMiles round-trip.
What should people know about airline travel this year?
There’s no doubt about it: Airfare is going up. But that’s not the whole story. Airlines are raising fares and fees to try and recoup the money they’re losing on rising jet fuel, but good deals are still out there, especially on routes where there’s competition. Delta has ultimate pricing power in Minneapolis. But if you’re willing to fly another airline, you can sometimes see massive savings. Or, better yet, pick a route or a destination where Delta has some competition and has to keep airfare low.
Ultimately, this is going to be the summer of using your points and miles … That’s the sweet spot this summer.
At airports, I suspect things won’t be too chaotic this summer. The TSA [upheaval] of this past spring seems to be behind us, with lines quieting down all over. As usual, the peak travel times (Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays) are always going to be busy. But if you fly mid-week or on Saturdays, the travel experience should be generally smooth for most travelers.
How does this year feel compared to last year?
Overall travel sentiment appears to be cooling down among Americans right now, due to rising prices and some uncertainty around the world. That’s why I’m watching closely to see if airfare gets cheaper when the airlines want to fill empty planes. If you’ve put off booking that summer trip until now, when prices are high, there could be some good deals at the last minute (think three to six weeks before you fly).
What are your favorite pieces of travel gear?
I personally love the Trtl Neck Pillow—it’s the only neck pillow that actually allows me to sleep upright on a long-haul flight. I also love my Halfday Garment Duffel Bag, which is a two-in-one small duffel bag and a suit bag for formal occasions. If you have weekend weddings to attend, this piece of luggage is incredible.
I also love the Flighty app. It tracks all the minute details of your flight and, most importantly, gives you up-to-the-second updates on the status of your flight. It often alerts you to delays a few minutes or hours before the airline does, giving you a head start on rebooking your travel or helping you execute the perfect airport pick-up without having to wait in the dreaded cell phone lot for hours.
What’s a piece of advice you wish all travelers could hear?
This might seem obvious, but my favorite travel mantra is, “Control what you can control.” Flight delays happen, long security lines happen, and weirdness seems to follow the airlines during the busier summer months.
My advice: Book yourself a flexible flight (i.e., main cabin fares or higher) just in case disruptions occur; get to the airport early so you don’t have to sprint through the concourse or miss your flight; and most of all, be kind to fellow travelers and airline staff. It’s not the gate agent’s or flight attendant’s fault that your flight is delayed. Remember that air travel is truly a miracle, and the fact that MSP flies hundreds of planes filled with thousands of passengers around the globe every day is a stunning achievement. There will be bumps in the road, but keep your cool and control what you can control.
Courtesy of Thrifty Traveler
Thrifty Goes Live
The Thrifty Traveler team hosts a live taping of its popular podcast at Minneapolis’ Parkway Theater on June 12. “Our show gives travelers real, practical advice on how to travel better and for less, but we also love chopping it up about the hilarity that is the travel experience,” says Olson, who co-hosts the pod. Audiences at the taping can expect an after-show Q&A session, new merch, trivia with prizes, and more. Tickets are $35 and available at thriftytraveler.com.
