There’s More To Pandemic Travel Than Mask Mandates: Safety Tips Before Taking That Summer Trip

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The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that Canada will begin welcoming vaccinated visitors starting August 9 of 2021. The CDC has lowered the risk level of cruise ship travel from Very High to High. Hawaii Guide reports that vaccinated visitors from the US can now skip the previously mandated quarantine upon arrival.

Destinations are opening back up. If you plan on traveling, even if you are vaccinated, have recently received a negative COVID-19 test, are wearing your mask and are social distancing, you’ll be co-mingling with people who are only doing one, some or none of those things. You’re used to your bubble of friends and family who live by the same rules, but once you pack your bags, you agree to venture into the culture and mindset of other places.

In addition to health concerns, there are also considerations when it comes to the finances and just the fun of travel. A pandemic can mess with a lot of that, so booking travel requires added attention to detail. Here is your to-do list for booking pandemic travel.

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Get flights with no-change fees

If you like to book your flights early (like three to nine months early) in order to get a better price, then you may book the flight while COVID-19 restrictions are one way at your destination, but by the time you travel, those restrictions may have changed. Your destination may no longer be accepting travelers from your area. All of the activities you had planned may be closed/off-limits due to a rise in cases, making the trip rather pointless. Maybe you’re traveling for a wedding that’s been postponed due to a rise in cases, or a sick bride or groom. For all of these reasons and more, make sure that your flight has a no-change-fee policy. If there’s ever a chance of having to change your flight, it’s during a pandemic, and you don’t want to pay a $150 (or more) fee for that.

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Book hotels with free cancellation

Most major travel booking sites now offer free cancellation up to 48 hours before your trip. But pay close attention. Sometimes, you only get that luxury if you pay in full up front, rather than choosing to pay at check-in. Some limited locations simply do not offer this policy. But due to all of the uncertainty during this time, it’s very important to book a hotel that offers full refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of your stay. It’s one reason why some sites that shall not be named that let you rent someone’s private residence…may not be the best idea during a pandemic. Many offer only partial or no refund for cancellations made within a week of travel. Some don’t even issue a refund if the cancellation is made less than 10 days before your visit. In pandemic times, that isn’t a risk you can take. Anything can come up.

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Add trip protection * when applicable *

You will be offered trip protection at every turn. For your hotel. For your flight. For your rental car. There might be times when this is applicable. For example, if you cannot book a hotel with a 48-hour free cancellation window, it’s a good idea to add trip protection. If you’re booking a car at a destination where only stick-shift vehicles are available, and only one person in your group knows how to drive that…add the protection. What happens if your designated driver falls ill a week before the trip? Just be sure to read the fine print. Some travel insurance will not pay out claims related to COVID-19 cases. That is, naturally, a huge issue given the current situation.

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Check COVID-19 cases at your destination

In the weeks leading up to your trip, pay close attention to COVID-19 cases at your travel destination. The area may have had low cases when you booked your travel, and since then, things may have changed. For example, the CDC is urging Americans not to travel to Britain right now because of high COVID rates. That’s probably a huge disappointment for those who booked travel to the UK half a year ago to cash in on cheap flight prices. If you’re within the month window of travel, you should already be checking in with local news for your vacation destination to see if cases are rising. This gives you plenty of time to cancel travel, if you feel that’s necessary.

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Quarantine before your trip

For the sake of yourself, your fellow travelers, flight and airport staff and residents of your destination, quarantine before your trip. Quarantine the best you can. Maybe you have to go to the pharmacy, but dinner parties and concerts can wait for now. Is going to a 20-person house party, 10 days before your trip, worth risking getting COVID-19 and having to cancel your trip/potentially lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars? Probably not. And remember even if you don’t get sick, you could carry the virus to the flight staff, to your fellow travelers, or to the place you’re visiting. If possible, the smartest thing to do is limit interaction with others leading up to your trip.

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Read all the fine print on reservations

Read all of the fine print closely. You should always do this when you travel, but it’s especially important now. Here’s one example of fine print you may not like: a hotel that charges you a $100-per-day resort fee, during a time when the resort offerings (pool, Jacuzzi, mini golf, gym, buffet) will be closed due to COVID-19. So…what exactly are you paying the $100 a day for? Or you may find fine print stating that guests must present their vaccination card in order to enter the on-site night club or lounge. That’s good to know, in case you hadn’t planned on packing yours, and you love visiting the night club.

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Research the pandemic culture

There is the official pandemic protocol, and then there’s what people are actually doing. Just based on where you live, you likely already know there is a major discrepancy between the two. That’s probably the case anywhere you visit, but how big is the discrepancy? You may want to get in touch with locals who actually live where you hope to visit. You can ask them what things really look like. Are people wearing their masks indoors? Do people keep distance? Are venues enforcing distancing? You may find an entire city under an indoor mask mandate isn’t really enforcing it. That could influence your decision to go there.

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Call your hotel about COVID-19 protocol

Call your hotel in advance to ask about their pandemic protocol. Are they sanitizing rooms thoroughly between guests? Do they have special equipment they’re using to kill bacteria? Is their staff vaccinated? Is their staff taking regular COVID-19 tests? What is the current dining situation? Are guests eating at the buffet? Is it take-out only from the restaurant? Is it room service only? Are tables distanced at the restaurant? Are lounge chairs distanced by the pool? Any respectable hotel should be prepared with a detail explanation of the COVID-19 safety measures they are taking. If they seem confused or surprised by the question and fumble through a half-hearted answer, you may want to stay elsewhere.

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Get on the same page with your travel group

If you are traveling with a group, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re on the same page about pandemic safety. It’s no use if you are only comfortable eating outdoors at restaurants and avoiding crowded places when you’re the only one desiring that restriction. If the rest of your group is ready to throw caution to the wind, you’ll either be forced to enter situations where you feel unsafe, or you’ll have a very lonely trip. Either way, this is your travel group, so if one of them gets sick, there is a chance many of you will. Have a detailed chat with the group, weeks in advance of the trip, about how you’ll handle every situation, with the pandemic in mind.

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