My No Travel Summer

David J. Danto

Travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on

My No Travel Summer June 2026

After spending the better part of the last several months living out of suitcases, airports, rental cars, and hotel rooms, I finally looked at my calendar after returning home from one of our industry's largest conferences in Las Vegas and realized something unusual.

I'm home.

Other than a couple of overnight trips, I don't really travel again until the first week of September.

That almost feels unnatural.

There are certainly things to look forward to. I'll finally get to see Herb Alpert, now 91 years old, performing with the Tijuana Brass. I'll also catch Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman back together again playing the music of The Guess Who. Those are the kinds of trips that remind you travel doesn't always have to involve airports, keynote presentations, and expense reports. And I have a few gadgets I’ve picked-up along the way to share with you in another Traveler’s Toolbox article as soon as I get around to testing them.

Mostly, though, I'll be home.

And being home for a couple of months gives me something business travelers don't often have enough of – time to hope.

I'm hopeful that by the time September arrives, travel will be a little less expensive and a little less stressful. Perhaps some of today's geopolitical hot spots will have cooled down enough that crossing oceans won't require quite as much concern. I'm not particularly confident about that, but hope doesn't cost anything.

I'm hopeful gas prices will come down, because if I'm staying home, I'll probably spend more time behind the wheel than in seat 10C.

I'm hopeful that the puddle in my kitchen where my freezer used to be turns back into a functioning freezer after the repair technician works whatever magic repair technicians work. (I’m extremely glad that we bought that eight year warranty in 2021.) Then again, I've already started browsing replacement freezers online, just in case optimism proves to be misplaced again. (The harvest gold GE refrigerator freezer I grew up with is still in the garage working just fine, it’s the new one that broke down.) I’m also hopeful that the management of Holland America will someday answer my complaint about the lunchtime crab fest they fed us at 8am in Alaska, but every week that passes makes me more and more doubtful.

Most of all, however, I'm hopeful we get through the summer without another major health scare. No new outbreaks, no unexpected disruptions, no reasons to once again wonder whether every crowded airport terminal is a good idea.

Some hopes are easier to believe than others.

For example, I have absolutely no expectation that airline fares will ever come back down. Temporary airfare increases have an amazing ability to become permanent features of the pricing landscape. Once an airline discovers passengers will tolerate paying more, those prices seem to develop roots.

And despite decades of experience, I remain unconvinced that many airline executives understand that taking care of customers and running a profitable airline are not mutually exclusive concepts. Every so often they stumble into doing both, but it always seems more accidental than intentional.

Still, that's the rhythm of a business traveler's life. We spend months wishing we were home, then after a few weeks at home we start looking at our calendars wondering where we're going next.

For now, though, I'm content to enjoy a New Jersey summer, attend a few concerts, get my freezer back, and recharge before the next boarding pass appears in my inbox. Already I can see I have autumn trips forming to Denver, Hawaii, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London or Oslo (hard to believe they’re not sure which) and Vegas one more time.

I hope all of you have a wonderful, healthy, and relaxing summer. We'll compare frequent flyer horror stories sooner than we’d like, I’m sure.

After decades of candid travel commentary – from loyalty program “magic tricks” to hotel check-in roulette – I’ve decided to turn some of that honesty into apparel. These aren’t novelty shirts; they’re the exact truths every road warrior wishes they could say out loud. Whether you’re quietly muttering “My loyalty points devalued while you read this shirt” or admitting “If delays build character then I’m the whole movie’s cast” you’ll find plenty of familiar sentiments… and more. Everything is produced by a reputable outfit, with black tees that work under a sport jacket plus hoodies and wicking travel gear for life on the road. The site also has my honest and snarky takes on technology trade shows. Take a look at Tinyurl.com/TechAndTravelWear. Even if you’re not buying they’re fun to read and commiserate – and if you do buy something, maybe I’ll break even. If you want a style you don’t see, just email me and I’ll add it.

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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As always, feel free to write and comment, question or disagree. Hearing from the traveling community is always a highlight for me. Thanks!