Traveling in a Post-Pandemic World

Traveling today in a post-pandemic world is easier than it has been in the last few years.

However, many shifting paradigms will require our strict attention.

And, if we don’t heed these changes, frustration will ensue.

Please allow me to share some essential travel tips to travel in a post-pandemic world successfully.

Travel Tips for a Post-Pandemic World

• Airlines – While it is getting better, there was a period in the summer when we were forced to tell a few of our clients that they needed to book their own airline tickets. As you might imagine, this didn’t go over well. “WHAT, they proclaimed, “as my travel advisor, I thought you would take care of our airline tickets.”  And while we did take care of most of our client airlines tickets, there were certain circumstances where we were simply in the way. During these difficult months, we would spend hours and hours on hold with the airlines to get a proposed schedule for our clients. And if the client wanted to make changes, we were back on hold for hours and hours. We quickly concluded that we were simply in the way. The airline industry had gone from complete shutdown to overwhelm without ample staffing. It was a nightmare. It has improved, but booking airline tickets is still our biggest challenge. We will shout for joy when the airline industry can get fully staffed. In the meantime, patience is required. And please, don’t shoot the messenger. 
• Travel Insurance – Now that the pandemic seems to have passed, those “cancel and rebook for voucher programs” have ended. No longer can we cancel for any reason and get a future cruise voucher. Standard cancelation policies are back, and travel insurance is a must.
• Book Early – The travel industry is very busy. We are all experiencing unprecedented volumes. Because of this, you must consider booking earlier than ever before in history. We recommend booking ocean, river, and expedition cruises at least a year in advance. This is also true of many small-group land journey packages. Roaming Boomers Travel Services has had a great year. But remarkably, we already have more business booked in 2023 than we did in all of 2022. And the amount of bookings we already have in 2024 is shocking. Let me repeat it, book early!
• Airports – As I mentioned above, the airline industry is not yet fully staffed from the pandemic shutdown. This is also true of the airports. Therefore, be sure to allow extra time. Get to the airport earlier than you usually would, and ensure you’ve allowed spare time if you have a layover. Tight airline schedules are a terrible idea in the current environment.
• Apple AirTags – With the airline’s comeback from the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented amount of lost luggage. Be sure to pack a few days of clothing in your carry-on, and we highly recommend purchasing Apple Airtags (or their equivalent) to put in your luggage. That way, if your luggage gets lost, you will know where your luggage is located. To read an article on Apple AirTags, please CLICK HERE.
• COVID-19 Cases – We’ve seen a dramatic drop in Covid-19 cases from our clients. When we sailed with Silversea in September, there were 3 Covid cases among the passengers and 4 Covid cases among the crew. Our ship held 596 guests and 411 crew members. So that puts the Covid count at .007%. And you should also know that all of the cases were mild cold-like symptoms, and no one was removed from the ship. Today’s standard protocol seems to be isolation in your stateroom/suite until you again test negative.
• Facemasks – Facemasks are no longer required.  However, we strongly recommend having a face mask in your pocket or purse should you find yourself in a crowded situation with poor air circulation.
• Pre-Travel Covid Testing – A pre-travel PCR test is no longer required in most situations. However, doing one of those home Covid tests before going overseas is not a bad idea. Carol and I always do a home Covid test before we fly overseas. Why? We don’t want to fly overseas only to find out we have Covid.  While it may seem like overkill, trust me, we’ve seen it all.

Carol and I have a lot of travel plans in store for 2023.  And we know that many of you do as well.

Heed our travel tips, and let’s all have a safe and stress-free travel experience.

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