Thumbnail image courtesy of the Halekulani hotel
The choice to travel these days is personal. The rules are changing everyday. Everyone has varying degrees of comfort. The great thing about being a Travel Advisor, is speaking with my clients and getting to the heart of what they want and what concerns them. Through these conversations, we’re able to decide where and when we should plan.
The “Get Me Out of Here!” Client
I have clients who are just fed up with quarantine (like pretty much everyone around the globe) and are ready to travel now. Many of these clients are looking for a quick getaway and, while they accept the risks of contracting Covid while traveling, there’s still a great deal of things to think about when planning. Are they planning to stay at a resort the whole time or do they plan to explore off property? Curfews and closures could affect exploring options. Nobody wants to plan a trip to beach destination only to find the beaches are closed! Is a test or quarantine required for that destination country or even a specific region? For example, there are testing requirements for Hawaii while other domestic locations do not have any. If travel is international, how easy will it be to get a test in time for the return to the US as is currently required? Is any type of Covid test acceptable or only specific ones? These are just some of the factors we discuss when planning.
The “I Really Want to Travel But Want to Balance the Risk” Client
These clients are absolutely fed up with quarantine (see previous client description). However, they don’t feel safe going just anywhere. We talk through the pros and cons of various destinations. This group further divides into domestic and international travelers. I have clients who only want to travel to destinations that require a negative Covid test prior to arrival. They want a direct flight so that we ensure everyone on their flight has recently tested negative. While nothing is foolproof, it does provide a greater sense of comfort for some. This rules out most domestic travel and some international locations. They can narrow it further based on the window for testing. Are they comfortable with a test required within 10 days, 5 days, or 3 days of departure? Will the logistics of getting their own pre-departure test in time sway their decision? Don’t forget that we still need to consider the regular criteria such as budgets, flight times, etc. too! (I hope our value as advisors is starting to become clear!)
The “I Want To Plan Travel But I’m Not Sure When” Client
I have gotten several requests for late 2021 and well into 2022. In some cases it is because the desired destinations, such as Australia and New Zealand, do not appear they will open to US tourists any time soon. In other cases, the client doesn’t yet feel comfortable traveling but wants to plan something to look forward to. Planning this far out in a time of uncertainty is tricky. We can base our plans on pre-pandemic knowledge and current protocols. However, we have to be ready to shift as infection rates and rules change (or don’t change as hoped).
Other Factors to Think About
Don’t forget to see if the Covid testing/entry requirements for the connecting city/country are more stringent than your destination and if they apply to you. Some destinations make allowances for transit passengers while others do not. Furthermore, you may have a gate or customs agent who decides to apply an older more stringent policy whereas another agent does not. For example, I had clients transit through an airport in both directions, yet their testing credentials were only reviewed on one leg. Or, the CDC has reduced the recommended length of possible exposure quarantine, but some agents still enforce the original 14 day requirement. We plan according to the information that we have available to us but we cannot foresee if and when destinations will change their rules; nor can we know if hotels or airlines will enforce policies other than those available in writing to us. As we all know, things happen. As advisors, we do our best to minimize the opportunity for such stressors to occur. These roadblocks can arise just as easily when booking on your own. However, if you work with an advisor, you have at least one more person in your corner to help you get through it.
Personal Travel Plans
My personal travel this past year has been domestic to see family for a few reasons. As you can imagine, my business didn’t exist for the last year (except continuous canceling and rebooking of trips from last year as the pandemic persisted). I’ve been blessed that the loss of my income was not the absolutely devastating factor that it has been for so many families around the world during the pandemic. I am grateful for that but it has affected my ability to fill up that vacation fund. While I would personally consider flying now, I don’t believe my toddler would sit for an entire flight. With less cabin movement allowed, I don’t want to risk the ire of the cabin crew with a freakishly strong (and mobile) 18 month old breaking free to roam about the aircraft.
With those personal limitations in mind, I am planning some travel for this year: driving distance getaways in the near future; a domestic family celebration at a TBD vacation spot in late summer’ and, hopefully, an international trip at the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022. We all need something to look forward to! Have you planned anything to look forward to?
***While we do our best to provide you with up to date information, travel restrictions and travel requirements (including required documents and mandated quarantines by localities) are constantly changing, including after commencement of travel. There is an inherent risk in contracting COVID-19 while traveling during the pandemic and each traveler must assess their own individual level of risk tolerance. We strongly urge you to check the latest guidance from the CDC and the State Department travel advisories and review the individual supplier’s websites before traveling. Links to those resources and others can be found on our website at https://www.tzell.com/covid-19-resources***