5 big signs that travel is roaring back

New York CNN Business — Vacation deprivation is about to be replaced by a travel boom, according to Expedia CEO Peter Kern. He told CNN’s Julia Chatterley earlier this week that people are beginning to think about their future travel “very quickly.” Reservations on the travel website for some parts of the United States this summer are “all booked up” and he expects Europe will soon follow as the number of vaccinations grow. “The last three weeks have been the best three weeks since the pandemic hit,” American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said about advanced ticket sales. “We’re getting very close to 2019 levels in total bookings.” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes echoed the optimism, saying there’s “a lot of pent-up demand.” He added: “As people are getting vaccinated, they’re jumping on airplanes to see people they haven’t seen in year.” In a note to employees Thursday, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said it has “seen positive momentum in recent weeks,” adding that it could break even sometime soon. The home-sharing website said this week that it’s seeing more bookings because of “pent-up travel dreams.” Among the most-searched cities and regions on Airbnb are southern Maine, the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and Montana.