Gen-Z travelers reveal how they vacation so often — but experts caution against this hack: ‘Don’t do it’

With summertime correct astir nan corner, Gen Z vacationers person begun touting their recreation tips.

And among nan apical recommendations? “Buy now, salary later” services for illustration Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm.

Those devices person slow expanded crossed different platforms, giving consumers nan action to schedule retired incremental payments for practically anything: sneakers, burritos — and now, moreover airplane tickets.

For young, azygous aliases financially-limited Gen-Z travelers, covering airfare and different recreation expenses pinch BNPL methods has go a celebrated — if concerning — trend.

Many awesome airlines and hospitality groups person started to connection BNPL methods to travelers. Getty Images/iStockphoto

“I didn’t want to driblet nan afloat value [straight away],” 29-year-old Najee Mcfarland-Drye told Thrillist of a caller vacation. By choosing to salary nan full fare successful mini installments, “I still sewage to do nan nosy worldly I wanted to do successful nan clip beforehand alternatively of nan normal ‘Oh, I spent $800 and now I person to laic debased for a minute.’”

But Gen-Z’s recreation spending habits person go a predominant root of online outrage — return Coachella’s shocking stats, for example.

A post-2025 show study conducted by Billboard recovered that much than 60% of concertgoers utilized BNPL options to finance their tickets, compared to a minuscule 18% erstwhile nan prime first became disposable successful 2009.

While spending smaller increments of money whitethorn look initially charismatic to prospective travelers, experts counsel against it, citing imaginable liking payments and credit repercussions arsenic a consequence of changeless loans.

“The short reply is, don’t do it,” Clint Henderson, a recreation master astatine The Points Guy, recently told NBC10 Boston. “All nan airlines connection immoderate shape of ‘buy now, salary later’ now, truthful they’re each getting successful connected nan act. You know, this is free money for them.

“You’re overmuch amended disconnected opening a in installments paper that’s going to springiness you a connection in installments and a large signup bonus,” Henderson added.

If those tried-and-true signup bonuses and rewards aren’t a large capable inducement to debar nan BNPL method, remainder assured knowing that 2025 formation prices for summertime recreation are down 7% year-over-year, according to a Kayak report.

Oftentimes, experts suggest, readying your vacations astir destinations pinch important deals tin beryllium nan champion measurement to trim recreation costs. Getty Images

Henderson agrees connected that front.

“This is nan first clip successful astir 5 years that prices are really down twelvemonth complete twelvemonth for nan highest summertime recreation season,” he said.

While Gen-Z whitethorn boast immoderate occasional crafty tips and tricks to make navigating e-commerce a breeze, this “buy now, salary later” bonanza is simply a superior no-no, according to experts.

Instead, look to recreation in installments cards that connection rewards, for illustration free miles aliases discounted edifice bookings, which use vacationers much successful nan agelong run.

The Points Guy Director of Travel Content Eric Rosen previously shared different adjuvant recreation extremity pinch The Post: Tourists should “garden their reservations” and cheque successful play regarding arrangements for a formation aliases hotel.

“If that airfare drops betwixt nan clip you book it and nan clip you fly, you tin cancel it (depending connected which type of summons you have), rebook and prevention immoderate of that money arsenic a in installments towards a early reservation,” Rosen explained.