The Summer I Turned Pretty dresses up as a swoony love triangle, but it’s also about how grief reshapes identity, how healing is jagged and unfinished. And it also features some spectacularly bad travel decisions. The finale drops Wednesday night, and while fans are crying into their popcorn, any travel agent watching is probably reaching for a Panadol.
If you missed The Summer I Turned Pretty boat because you were doomscrolling assorted global meltdowns instead of wondering why a 22‑year‑old man‑child delivers a TED Talk on chocolate cake, this is a story of two families (the Conklins and the Fishers), one beach house, every summer.
The main character, Belly Conklin, stumbles through grief (and a terrible nickname) and ricochets between the Fisher brothers like a pinball in a sundress. It’s tender, it’s dramatic, it’s addictive. And thanks to Chris Briney, whose Conrad Fisher is to Gen Z what Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo edition) is to Millennials, it’s practically impossible to look away.
It has all led to The Summer I Turned Pretty finale, a cultural moment complete with watching parties in lounge rooms and screenings in pubs. For a generation raised on streaming, it’s practically retro: waiting week to week, bonding over the shared agony of the slow burn, emotional cliffhangers and the absolutely ridiculous idea of buying a plane ticket from an airline counter at the airport.
What these kids need isn’t another summer at fictional Cousins. They need a travel agent, someone who can save their wallets (and keep them off the No Fly list) while they figure out what to do with their hearts.
Karryon caught up with Sydney travel agent Malik Giesen, who’s seen the receipts of every chaotic booking, every tragic lack of insurance and has notes. Below, Malik lays out the bad travel calls of The Summer I Turned Pretty that made agents everywhere wince, plus the fixes that would have saved both Belly and Conrad money and meltdowns.
Spoilers ahead.
Belly buys a same‑day Boston to Paris ticket at the airport
So you’ve blown up your life. Fine. Get away. But instead of buying your ticket out of the hell hole you’ve created from an airline counter at the airport, make a beeline to a travel agent.
Travel agents have much knowledge and if Belly had rocked up with her wedding dress in her bag, Malik would likely have steered her towards a flexible fare.
“These would have allowed Belly to contact her travel agent to utilise the existing ticket/s to re-book the next available flight home when she decided to return home [even if it was the same day she arrived],” says Malik.
“A travel agent could have also assisted in a search for cheaper fares, for example, the next day flight may have been cheaper than a same-day ticket.”
And yes, that phone call to her travel agent would have likely saved her from booking online from a questionable cafe and saved us having to endure watching her run around Paris, chasing her stolen bag (AirTag ad anyone?). Less running, more Conrad.
Conrad cancels his California flight on the day of departure, again
He cancelled once because he caught the love of his life crying, heartbroken and alone. Then he did it again when he found out she wasn’t marrying his brother. Translation: goodbye, fares. According to Malik, a travel agent can “request to search for flexible fares if a client is concerned that they may need to change/cancel their ticket, or even investigate with an airline directly if a change is permitted given extenuating services”.
“Travel agents can also bundle travel insurance into a package for their client, which may assist with them needing to cancel should they become sick or need to look after a family member who has become unwell.” Sadly, heartbreak has yet to be ruled a medical condition.
Conrad pays $473 to change his plane ticket from Brussels to Paris
Conrad’s got a conference in Brussels, Belly is in Paris. Without a travel agent, Conrad is $473 out of pocket when he changes his ticket last minute. Malik’s fix? Book the train.
“Definitely would have looked into a train journey and attempted to obtain a refund back from the airline before departure,” says Malik.
“Booking with a travel agent means that you’re likely going to get recommendations based on first-hand experience, so in Europe, it’s likely your travel agent would have recommended a train journey at the time of booking, so that you get a chance to check out the scenery along the way (and potentially saved a few hundred Euros)!”
Imagine a smouldering Conrad looking out a train window instead of being stuck in a middle seat?
Belly’s backpack with valuables gets stolen in Paris
“Most travel agents have travel insurance providers that they work with, and can bundle into your itinerary for you,” says Malik.
“By speaking to a travel agent about what your concerns are, they can assist taking the guess work out of choosing the right insurance. In this instance, if Belly had purchased insurance through my recommended insurance, I would have been able to get her in touch with the travel insurance emergency assistance team, who would’ve been able to provide direction to the nearest consulate or embassy to obtain an emergency passport, if necessary, helped with advice on what she needed to do next and what documents to gather, in order to submit a claim.”
A travel agent would also advise on the best steps to keep your valuables (even if it’s more about emotional attachment rather than monetary value, like with a very modest engagement ring) safe.
Belly doesn’t have the right visa for her stay
Fun fact: when entering a country, skirting answers at border control while looking for a dropped AirTag isn’t cute. Answer the questions. And even more importantly, maybe have the right visa before arrival.
“As travel agents, we have a duty of care to ensure that our clients are able to successfully board their flight, and enter the country that they have purchased a ticket through us, to go to,” says Malik.
“We have a plethora of resources to assist us in finding information out about entry requirements and passing it on to our client.”
The improbable Boston airport potential “meet‑cute”
She’s bound for Paris, he’s supposedly bound for California, and their gates are side by side? Cute on TV, impossible in real life.
“It’s all well and good to try to organise clients to just ‘meet at the airport’, but unfortunately, some airports are large, with multiple terminals, and daily operations mean that sometimes gates are changed at the last minute, or flights are delayed or cancelled altogether,” says Malik.
“Most travel agents would recommend doing a stop over somewhere so that their client can meet up with their friends and/or family, and relax for a night or more.
“Plus, there are a number of airlines that have programs that allow for stopovers and some even discount hotels and tours when you book with them. Travel agents can organise all of this for you!”
If you can sort out your love life enough to actually meet up, that is.
Booking the same holiday over and over
“Staying at the same place each and every time you go on holiday is a great way to stay comfortable, but who doesn’t want to go out and explore the world? Travel agents can often recommend multiple destinations with incredible beach resorts, ski resorts, country getaways, etc!” says Malik.
“Try something new, explore the world, and lean on the people who know how to get you there and can tell you all about these other amazing places! Who knows, you might meet someone who isn’t related to someone you already know…”
@jetstaraustralia conrad – we're looking xo
After chatting to Malik, we realised that a decent travel agent could’ve saved Belly and Conrad thousands, a few breakdowns, and maybe even the entire The Summer I Turned Pretty love triangle! Forget Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah. We’re Team Travel Agent!
KARRYON UNPACKS: The Summer I Turned Pretty may be a teen romance, but its string of reckless travel choices is a reminder: agents don’t just book tickets, they protect value, add foresight and keep journeys (and budgets) from falling apart.
