Can I get a refund?

Tax day is about a month away, which could mean more money in your account to explore the world, courtesy of your refund(s). If you already know your refund amount, we’ll show you where to go for the same price of your return (or less). Catch up on this week’s travel news, learn how to travel to Europe on the cheap and see more on our tax refund tool below.

The pre-check

The week’s latest travel stories and news.

• Keep it in the family. 
  The Transportation Department is creating a tool for travelers with young kids to help find airlines offering seats together without fees.
• Time to get in line.
  Higher demand for international travel means higher than usual processing times for passports – right now it takes 8 – 11 weeks.
• Rescheduled again?
  If your scheduled flight time keeps changing, you could be eligible for a refund – it depends on the airline and when the time was changed.
  
• Paid a visit.
  After reopening its borders back in October, Taiwan is now toying with the idea of paying travelers ~$164 to visit in efforts to boost tourism.
• Take a hike.
  A report found that hiking and backpacking trips are becoming popular among US travelers and that North America is a prime place for this trend.

Trending travel

How to not miss out on the Euro trip this year.
ICYMI, flights to European destinations are 29% higher* compared to last year and they’re even more expensive during peak season – aka May through September. But we have the info to hack these rising prices in our In-betweasons Guide. Our data shows that you could save up to 27% on trips to Europe during the in-betweason** (aka the time between peak and off-season travel). With this in mind, here are a few destinations you could visit for less***:

• Reykjavik, Iceland.
  The cheapest destination on our list, Reykjavik has flights starting at $416. It’s a great option under $450 for travelers in Boston, Maryland and Washington, DC.***
  Go to Iceland
• London, England
  This UK hot spot happened to be the most popular European destination on our list, with deals from 20 airports in the US – making in-betweason an ideal time to visit.***
  Explore London
• Madrid, Spain
  For 8 states in the south and midwest, Madrid is the place to go. The majority of deals fall during the month of April, with flights starting at $527.***
  Discover Madrid
• Copenhagen, Denmark
  From east to west, Copenhagen is the destination to see next for 7 states during in-betweason. Head over during the spring with flight deals starting at $504.***
  Head to Copenhagen

Wonder what the best European deal is for your state? See the full guide on our blog.

Tricks of the trade

Take a taxation vacation with your returns.

Tax day is about a month away and you could get your refund before you know it. A survey from 2022 actually found that 1 in 6 people that expected a tax refund planned to spend it on travel. Want to find out where your refund could take you? Try our calculator. Drop in your expected tax refund and we’ll show flights for the same amount or less.

Social Shoutout

Did you really take a trip to San Francisco if you didn’t get a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge? Thanks for the love, @cesar.milo. Tag #KAYAKPicks on your next travel Insta for a chance to be featured.

Links in this Newsletter are for informational purposes only, and there is no affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement by or with KAYAK Software Corporation whatsoever.

<Methodology>

*For Asia, Europe, Central America, Caribbean, Middle East, South Pacific and North America, KAYAK considered flight searches from the US to each region between 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for all 2023 travel dates. To determine whether shoulder season searches have increased compared to last year, KAYAK considered search dates 8/1/2021 – 1/31/2022 for all 2022 travel dates and then considered the average YoY increase in searches per region by month. The average 2022-2023 annual YoY percentage increase in searches was considered to determine the 2023 shoulder season months with a higher than average percentage increase in searches.

**For Asia, Europe, Central America, Caribbean, Middle East, South Pacific and North America, KAYAK considered flight searches from the US to each region between 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for all 2023 travel dates. To determine savings, KAYAK compared the average median airfare of the defined peak season months in a region to the average median airfare of the defined shoulder season months in that same region. Savings are based on general regional data and are meant to be representative of savings opportunities, which are not guaranteed.

***KAYAK considered flight searches between 8/1/2022 and 1/31/2023 for travel dates in the months of March, April, October and November 2023 (previously defined shoulder season in Europe) from every US international airport code to European cities to determine the cheapest city to travel to during a specified shoulder season month. Airport codes without enough search data were excluded. Cities that did not meet a certain minimum click threshold were excluded. Prices are on average and are for example purposes only.