Book travel now
Airlines and hotels are pushing big March discounts, but carriers like Qatar and United are adjusting schedules and adding surcharges as fuel costs bite — experts recommend buying 2026 tickets now to avoid higher fares later. ( )
United told staff it will remove about five percentage points of planned capacity in the second and third quarters of 2026 — cancelling roughly three points of off‑peak flying and pulling about one point from Chicago O’Hare while keeping Tel Aviv and Dubai suspended — and CEO Scott Kirby warned the airline is modelling oil as high as $175 a barrel and above $100 through the end of 2027, which would add roughly $11 billion to United’s annual fuel bill. ( cnbc.com ) Qatar Airways said it will operate a revised, limited schedule from March 18–28, 2026 while Qatari airspace restrictions remain in place and the carrier has expanded flexible rebooking and refund options for affected passengers. ( qatarairways.com ) Independent tracking of Doha departures showed Qatar’s operations swung from only about 15 departing flights daily during the recent grounding to roughly 42 departing flights ex‑Doha on March 21 as the airline shifted to interim routings. ( loyaltylobby.com ) Hotel and OTA promotions in March include site‑level and chain offers — Forbes’ March roundup lists third‑party discounts such as up to 50% off some Asia stays via Trip.com and about 20% off select Expedia bookings, while major chains (IHG, Marriott and Accor) are running points bonuses and targeted discounts through late March. ( forbes.com ) Airline retail promotions are running alongside those hotel deals: Southwest’s short “Pinch Me” sale in mid‑March advertised fares from $59 for select domestic trips with tight booking windows, even as carriers adjust capacity regionally. ( adept.travel ) Travel experts and data providers are urging early purchases after Deutsche Bank data showed domestic fares booked about three weeks out have jumped between roughly 10% and 50%; The Points Guy managing editor Clint Henderson told KERA to book as many 2026 trips as practical and to avoid basic‑economy fares that offer little rebooking protection. ( keranews.org ) Airlines’ capacity trims and regional airspace restrictions are likely to tighten seat supply through spring and summer — a dynamic industry sources say has already supported fare increases — and travelers tracking prices can use tools such as Google Flights’ price insights and alerts to monitor changes and rebook when carriers’ flexible policies allow refunds or credits. ( cnbc.com (google.com) )
