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The availability of remote work has increased significantly in recent years, creating the potential for telecommuters to pay for travel regulations.
While some workers have returned to the office this year, many others have continued to work remotely indefinitely. This seismic shift has changed where people live and work, and increasingly so.
In the first quarter of 2022, nearly 25% of job postings at the 50,000 largest companies in the U.S. and Canada were for permanent remote positions, according to job listing service Ladder. This is only 4% of what it was before the outbreak.
“It’s allowed us to extend trips, go earlier and work different hours,” said Kirsten Reckman, a credit risk manager based in Tampa, Florida. “My boss is very friendly as long as the job gets done.”
Reckmen’s experience reflects a larger trend. One in five travelers plans to work on the road this summer, according to a report from global professional services network Deloitte. Of these so-called “laptop bags”, 4 out of 5 plan to extend their trip due to schedule changes.
The departure of the ‘blossoor’ journey
Remote work has blurred the lines between business and personal travel. Instead of rarely leaving home, remote workers can travel anytime. This has the potential to upend long-standing travel trends.
“Fortunately, many travelers are combining remote work with travel for a change of scene, as well as opting to maximize PTO,” or paid time off, according to Mark Crossey, travel expert at travel search engine and agency Skyscanner. “Jobs allow people with flexible home and work lives to be ‘half-tourists’ for a while.”
That kind of freedom appeals to Lisa Wikstrom, a mortgage broker in Arizona who now works with suitcases from around the world.
“I’ve had three weeks off before, but I never feel like I need to take time off because … I’m always on vacation,” Wikstrom said.
For the travel industry, these nomads offer enormous opportunities. Remote workers can spend a lot of time – and money – in remote destinations. However, “flash” travelers don’t fit the typical tourist mold.
“You can’t go everywhere freely,” explains patent attorney Derek Midkiff, who moved out of San Diego during the outbreak and never looked back. “You are living somewhere but you are working. Someone will ask me, ‘Did you do such and such,’ and I have to say, ‘No, I’m working, it’s not the same when you’re on vacation.’
Travel dates are changing.
Before the outbreak, it was expensive to fly on weekends and cheaper during the week. All that can change with remote work.
According to data from travel booking app Hopper, the price of domestic flights on Sunday and Monday increased by 5.90% and 2.97% in 2022 compared to 2019, respectively, while the price of flights on Friday and Saturday decreased by 3.04%. And 1.60% is now cheaper to fly on average on Saturday than on Monday.
Additionally, remote workers may take longer trips during busy holidays, adjusting for “peak” peak travel dates.
“Starting in 2020, we’ve seen a small but noticeable change to Thursday itineraries,” said Google Flights spokesman Craig Ewer.
An industry adapter
During the outbreak, many workers fled the big cities, filling the suburbs and rural areas. But telecommuting has dramatically changed the calculus for some, freeing up budgets for more travel.
“Living in Florida, I save over $2,000 a month after taxes,” Reckman says. “We travel a lot because of that.”
A lower cost of living and tax incentives mean more freedom for some remote workers. And some companies are seeing potential wind.
Airbnb, the vacation rental platform, doubled the number of long-term stays (more than 28 days) in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2019. No need to return to the office on a specific day.
“I find Airbnb cheaper, and it has better rules,” says Midkiff of why he chooses vacation rentals over hotels. “And I like to stay a month to get the discount.”
Remote work is here.
No longer limited to vacation days and returning from travel on Mondays, remote workers have changed the travel landscape, perhaps for the better. As executives continue to mull over plans to return to the office, remote workers are happily sending emails from far away.
“I think about office politics, baby showers, all of that,” Wikstrom said nervously. “I can’t even imagine doing all that again.”
This article was contributed to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Sam Kemmis is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: skemmis@nerdwallet.com
Related link:
NerdWallet: Laptop Luggage: Should Your Next Trip Be Mix and Play?
https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-workcation-laptop-luggers
FILE- In this June 19, 2017 file photo, a man types on a laptop keyboard in North Andover, Mass. The availability of remote work has increased dramatically in recent years, allowing telecommuters to pay for travel regulations. Telecommuting has blurred the lines between business and personal travel, giving workers the opportunity to extend trips to fly on cheaper days. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
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