The top service provider for travel brands has been Uplift, which offers options for travelers to create payment plans for everything from airfare to tours and even cruises. The benefit of a partnership with Uplift is that it pays for things upfront and allows travelers can continue making payments even after they go on their trip. The traveler is responsible for paying back Uplift as one would pay for a loan, often including interest.

Other travel companies are offering pay-as-you-go options on their own, without these partnerships such as Delta, exclusively for flights. Other companies, like Intrepid Travel and Contiki, offer payment plans that allow travelers to place a small deposit down, then pay in interest-free installments through to an end period. These interest-free options are preferred to the high-interest rates, however, Intrepid allows travelers to pay in as many installments as they’d like up to 28 days prior to departure date; Contiki’s is 45 days prior to departure. These options are harder to use when booking last minute – a habit very popular amongst millennials.

Pandemic