You CAN Plan Travel in the New Normal
What should you know if you want to travel now? Many of us want to spread our wings and travel again. What do you need to know about traveling now? We give you our top ten tips for travel during the new normal.
1. To travel now, be flexible.
Covid is still a worldwide issue so countries and companies must change their rules and restrictions on short notice. Airlines, hotels, resorts, tour providers, and cruise lines–all must sometimes quickly adjust their travel rules with short notice. Understand what the rules are when you book and recheck them before you travel. Travel agents can help you with this. You can access current CDC recommendations here.
2. Vaccinations and tests.
Recognizing that some people cannot or do not wish to get vaccinated, fully vaccinated travelers can expect to have a better travel experience. Unvaccinated people are often expected to provide proof of a negative Covid test (usually at their own expense) a few days or hours before travel.
Many cruise ships will require crew and guests to be vaccinated. For those that do not, unvaccinated guests may have a separate bracelet and will be expected to remain masked while inside. Often they have separate dining areas. In general, the unvaccinated can expect to be required to have, and pay for, multiple Covid tests during their trip. In some cases, they will not be allowed to visit a given country at all or may be denied entry onto a cruise ship or a resort.
Some enterprising resorts advertise free Covid testing for their guests.
3. When Should You Book?
Soon! Pent-up demand has the phones ringing off the hook for travel agents and suppliers. We are seeing many sold out cruises-even in 2022! Alaska cruises are incredibly popular right now so book soon if you want to take one.
4. What About Cancellations?
This is our most important travel tip.
Cancellation policies are a huge issue for travel now, and for good reason. When the pandemic hit, some people who booked themselves directly, especially with “non refundable” reservations, had an extremely difficult time getting refunds. Travel agents worked hard, spending hours on the phone so their clients did not have to, seeking refunds or future travel credits.
To minimize future problems, we strongly recommend that for any travel you book now:
1) Is fully cancellable with a full refund or
2) You understand clearly what the rules for cancellation are and
3) Consider travel insurance protection. (more on that below)
5. Will There Be Last Minute Sales?
Travel now has changed. While you may find a few last minute sales, in the short run there will not be nearly as many as before because:
- Pent-up demand for travel is at record highs. We are seeing travel for 2022 and even 2023 selling out quickly. People who have travel credits from 2020 are booking now.
- Supply is still low as resorts and cruises are operating at reduced capacity to keep travelers safer.
- Cruise lines are just bringing cruises online again now. They must wade through a thicket of local regulations and conflicting laws.
In general, the lowest prices are for 2021 travel as some travelers are not “ready yet.” Expect to see price increases in 2022 and 2023.
One great travel tip: people cruising now report wonderful experiences because the cruise lines are sailing with reduced capacity to keep everyone safe. Fewer crowds!
6.To travel now, be flexible-Part 2. Dealing with Flying
Air travel is in flux right now. Prices fluctuate more than ever. Many major airlines are working to meet new demand by adding flights, but they don’t always have the staff. As a result, expect MANY changed schedules and cancelled or delayed flights. Don’t be surprised to get multiple flight schedule changes after you book. Whether vaccinated or not, you will still be expected to wear a mask in the plane and airport.
7. Where Are People Traveling Right Now?
Americans are traveling in the US this year. This means US destinations are selling out quickly. Alaska cruise round trips out of Seattle in 2021 have some cabins available–but not many. U.S. national parks are packed. Expect to have a difficult time finding a room in popular tourist destinations. Reach out to a travel agent who may have some hidden inventory-but don’t expect miracles 🙂 Some of the most popular areas are state and national parks, Hawaii, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California, Chicago, Michigan, and the Northeast.
8. Car Rental Ruckus
This is a critical travel tip. You may have read about the national car rental crisis this year. It’s real-at least in some popular locations like Hawaii and Alaska. During the height of the pandemic lockdowns, car rental companies sold off a many cars. Then when demand returned, car production had plummeted for several reasons. The bottom line, car rental companies are having a hard time meeting demand. Don’t wait until the last minute to reserve your car–and call to confirm it before you go.
9. Travel Protection. A little complicated, so bear with us.
- First, evaluate the cancellation policies of your travel suppliers. Can you cancel for any reason just a few days before without penalty? Usually not. If not, can you receive future travel credit for the same amount or more?
- Remember that travel insurers view Covid as a “ known event” meaning that basic policies won’t cover Covid related expenses like cancellations, Covid testing, quarantine expenses. However, there are policies that will cover this (for a higher cost). The gold standard is “cancel for any reason” coverage but expect to pay for it. Finally, some insurers are rolling out policies with specific Covid coverage.
- If you are seeking only a basic policy for medical evacuation, illness or accident, etc. be sure to get one that covers the bankruptcy or financial default (which are two different things) of the supplier. While this happens rarely, you don’t want to be stranded abroad and find your airline went out of business or you got to the port and the cruise line stopped. A good travel agent can help you find a policy that covers what you want to insure against. We also keep up with which tour companies are believed to be in financial distress.
10. Is Europe open to travel now?
In general, yes–and prices are down because tourism is still down. There are lovely cruises out of Mediterranean ports. While European countries each have their own requirements, for most the borders are open, especially to fully vaccinated travelers. England, due to recurring Covid outbreaks, has remained generally closed. Because the situation changes quickly, we suggest you check on the status of your destination before you go. Your travel agent can help with this. The CDC maintains a list of the Covid status of other countries. We recommend against visiting level 4 countries.
Travel tip alert! This may be a great time to finally visit Paris!
