Travel

COVID-19: Where Do Travelers Go From Here?

The first few weeks of COVID-19 isolation, which we all expected to be short-lived, were wonderfully calm and peaceful. It felt like Christmas morning, when everything is closed and families are out with new scooters and bikes.

But as the weeks marched on, I and everyone I know started feeling restless. Now, three-plus months into the pandemic, I wonder: where do travelers go from here?

I know the pandemic isn’t forever. But it’s obvious that there’s no way back to what everyone wistfully describes as “normal.” Lots of things will be different. Travel, in particular, is going to change. But how?

There are no crystal balls. But there’s a lot of chatter, speculation and magical thinking out there. Here’s some of what I’ve picked up during the past few weeks.

Will we continue to fly?

Some of us can wax nostalgically about air travel before 9/11. No security lines, no need to strip off our belts and shoes or stow the nail clippers in our checked bags. Friends and family could even meet us right at the gate when we came off the plane. Imagine that!

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Why you might want a travel agent for your next trip

Many thanks to consumer advocate and passionate traveler Christopher Elliott for this very helpful post.

Planning a trip after the pandemic? Maybe it’s time to call a professional. A competent travel advisor can help you navigate the strange new world of airlines, hotels and rental cars. Travel is radically and almost unrecognizably different after the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why you might want a travel agent for your next trip.

A travel expert can handle any emergency that may arise when you’re on the road — everything from a missed flight connection to a hotel that closes unexpectedly. But remember, an online travel “agency” is not the same as a travel agent.

“Try dealing with an online travel site at 10 p.m. when your connecting flight gets canceled while you are in flight,” says consumer expert Chip Bell. “Travel sites are filled with data and information; travel agents are filled with wisdom and ingenuity.”

It’s a discovery a lot of travelers made at the start of the pandemic

“As travel restrictions were just starting around the globe, many of our advisors were receiving phone calls and emails from travelers who had booked with online companies and were not getting a response from them,” says Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network. “Yet our advisors were answering the phones and returning emails. So our advisors helped travelers who were not even clients get their trips rescheduled or get them on flights back home.”

What travel advisors can do for you

Why might you want a travel agent for your post-pandemic trip? Here are 10 things a travel advisor can do for you:

Prepare you for the travel experience
Understand where you’re going
Screen every travel company
Hold your hand
Help you navigate the rules of travel
Be available to you 24/7
Leverage insider contacts to help you have a smoother trip
Go the extra mile to get you home
Solve your problems
Help you secure a no-hassle refund if necessary

“A travel advisor is one of the best tools that travelers can use in a post-pandemic time,” says Clark Mitchell, a travel agent with Strong Travel Services. “As the world reopens, a well-connected advisor can save the average do-it-yourselfer not only money but time.”

Travel agents can prepare you for the travel experience

Travel companies are so eager for you to book another trip that they will promise you the world. From squeaky-clean cabins to “touchless” check-ins, travel companies are cranking up the hyperbole.

An experienced travel advisor can help you cut through the PR, says Mimi Lichtenstein, founder of Virtuoso-affiliated Truvay Travel. She recalls one client who wanted to go on a 10th-anniversary golf trip to Ireland in June. “I knew that was unrealistic,” she says. So he tried to postpone it to September. “Very unlikely,” she says. So they settled on an 11th anniversary trip in 2021.

“That’s how I work,” says Lichtenstein. “For me, it’s about long term relationships.”

Travel agents understand where you’re going

If you’re traveling somewhere, chances are there’s a travel professional who knows the area well. “The world is not going to open up all at once,” says Sherry Sutton, the vice president of marketing at Travel Insured International. “Most travel advisors spend significant time researching and becoming experts on specific destinations. Their detailed knowledge of countries, cities and processes will be critical for anyone looking to travel while restrictions are still in place.”

Travel agents screen every travel company

Another reason you might want a travel agent: Your product will be thoroughly vetted. That’s particularly true if you’re working with an agent affiliated with a buying consortium like Virtuoso.

“You can be assured the products and services we are recommending are top quality,” says Jennifer De Luca, owner of Luxury Adventure Travel. “Our affiliation with Virtuoso means that they stringently vet all products or services we recommend; the path to becoming a Virtuoso approved supplier is very hard. Our travelers are assured that we are offering only the best of the best.”

Travel agents can hold your hand

Why you might want a travel agent for your next trip: smiling woman in nice office at laptop

Even the most experienced — and fearless — travelers may be worried about taking the next trip while the coronavirus is still making the rounds. “We’ve received more new client requests from travelers who are concerned about navigating travel during and after the pandemic,” says Hilary Stockton, CEO of TravelSort. An experienced travel agent can soothe those worries by offering sound advice on destinations, travel requirements, quarantine measures in place, and safety. “Also, we know which vendors have been reliable at refunding clients — and which have resisted providing cash refunds and tried to foist future credits on travelers.”

Travel agents help you navigate the rules of travel

And that includes some of the more arcane rules and restrictions on your airline ticket or hotel reservation. “I’ve been asked questions on insurance, cancellation, and refund policies more than ever,” says Andrea Norfolk, owner of Shoreline Destinations. “Insurance and cancellation policies used to be an afterthought for many travelers. Our clients have shifted their focus from the bottom line cost of a trip to ensuring they are protected if they need to cancel or change their trip dates.” A competent travel adviser is an expert on the rules and can help you navigate the ins and outs of post-coronavirus travel.

Travel agents are here for you 24/7

You also need a travel agent because when you have one, you’re not traveling alone. A travel advisor is always there for you. And when your agent isn’t working, there’s almost always a 24/7 service number you can call. “That is one of the things that really distinguishes a travel professional from the internet,” says David Harris, CEO of Ensemble. “Whether it’s a flight cancellation, problems at a hotel, or unexpected illness, a travel professional can quickly jump in and assess the situation and then navigate all the roadblocks to find a solution. And that has never been more apparent than during this current crisis.”

Travel agents advocate for you

Travel advisors don’t just make bookings; they advocate for you. And now more than ever. “We are an advocate for our clients,” says Shelley Rempe, an agent for Concierge Travel. “In a sense, a travel agent is an insurance policy. We are also a human that you can actually talk to in order to have your needs met. We walk with you until you return home to ensure a successful trip.”

Travel agents leverage insider contacts to help you have a smoother trip

A competent travel advisor knows everyone. “We have relationships with hotel general managers to make sure our clients receive the best rooms and all the small details are taken care of,” says Lia Batkin, co-founder of In-the-Know-Experiences. Agents can work around cancellation policies to get a refund if your plans change — or get you a room upgrade.

Travel agents go the extra mile to get you home

Why you might want a travel agent for your next trip: old propeller plane

Travel advisors are offering services that go above and beyond at a time like this. For example, Jack Ezon’s agency, EMBARK Beyond, offers full risk management services to corporate clients. It allows company directors to instantly identify where all of their travelers are while also providing instantaneous alerts from around the world. “We also send a dedicated, trained camp counselor to escort families traveling together and execute on a daily camp program while setting up parents with a remote office to continue working in any destination across the Americas,” he says.

Travel agents are problem solvers

That’s never been more important than now. Will another airline go bankrupt? When is the next cruise line going under? “We’re problem solvers,” says Michael Johnson, executive vice president of Travel Edge. “The advisor’s ability to listen and to lead with empathy is unmatched by the transactional nature of online booking platforms. We firmly believe that people make travel better.” His agency has evacuated clients from places that seemed impossible, including chartering an aircraft and negotiating with a closed airport to reopen so that the aircraft could land.

Travel agents can help you get a no-hassle refund if necessary

You also need a travel agent because the best agents pay attention to the details. “It has never been a transaction for us,” says Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of Crossing Travel. “In the COVID situation, our expertise and attention to detail is of even more value. We took the pain of uncertainty from them by taking care of all their cancellations swiftly and putting their refund amount back in their bank.” That’s right, a good agent can make sure that you get your money back. No need to spend hours on hold with your airline, hoping to reach someone. The advisor has this covered.

How a travel agent saved me

I was stranded in France for two months during the pandemic. When the time came to get back to the United States, I faced an almost impossible problem: Flights back to the States were expensive and the routings were inconvenient and dangerous. (A one-day layover at JFK? No way!)

I called my travel agent at Valerie Wilson Travel, who patiently listened to my concerns and quickly found the best routing home — a more direct flight from Nice to Los Angeles via Paris. But she also gave me the best advice ever, which was to check my Medjet membership to see if I was covered for an evacuation. But that’s another story.

“Peace of mind is the biggest thing we can offer,” says Kim Gahm, an agent with Travel and Transport. “We are constantly monitoring our clients’ trips and reaching out to them with updates. We have resources and contacts that you won’t find when booking your vacation online, not to mention the fact that our clients can reach us via phone or email.”

That’s true. At a time like this, you want to have access to a real person 24/7 who knows the business inside out, can help you navigate a cancellation or another outbreak, and has the best connections. That’s why you need a travel agent for your post-pandemic trip.

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist who recently made his way back to the U.S. after having been stranded with his family in Europe at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. For help with consumer problems, including getting refunds for trips you can’t take, reach out to him at chris@elliott.org. This post first appeared in his weekly newsletter, Elliott’s E-mail.

When is it Safe to Travel Again?

Many thanks to consumer advocate and passionate traveler Christopher Elliott for this very helpful post.

When is it safe to travel again? That’s the $570 billion question.

When the experts say so, that’s when. But figuring out who those experts are during the coronavirus crisis may be as difficult as finding a vaccine.

When is it safe to book a trip again?

Here are three things that must happen for travelers to return:

The State Department must lift its Level 4 travel advisory

On March 19, the government issued a warning to avoid all international travel because of the pandemic. It will have to rescind the warning for travelers to feel comfortable booking any kind of trip again.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has to give the “all clear”

CDC normally doesn’t issue advisories or restrictions for travel within the United States. But it did for coronavirus. Once that advisory gets lifted, travelers can resume planning their summer vacations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) needs to give a thumbs-up to travel.

The meaning of WHO’s highly technical warnings are clear: Stay home. Monitor its website for a change. When you see WHO’s easing up, it may be time to plan your next trip.

It’s not enough for just one of these entities to rescind its warnings. To be safe, wait for all three to do it.

If you’re a nervous traveler, look for the Canadian government and British government to chime in, too. If everyone is in agreement, you can probably start to feel comfortable about traveling again.

By the way, that half-trillion dollars I mentioned a minute ago is the amount of tourism money at risk in North America this year after the coronavirus outbreak, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), a trade organization. All told, nearly 7 million tourism jobs are on the line.

“The travel and tourism sector faces an economic meltdown,” warned Gloria Guevara, WTTC’s president.

And that’s because your next vacation is history — at least, for now.

Here are other signs that it’s safe to travel

Schools and businesses reopen

When classes resume and you can sit down in restaurants again, things are returning to normal and that it may be safe to travel. China has already done that and at the time of this writing, Italy was scheduled to reopen its institutions in early April. “Once all these things are in place life should resume normally and travel will be safe again,” says Chantelle Kern, CEO of The Italian On Tour, a boutique Canadian tour operator.

Your travel agent will book the trip

Travel advisors will do almost anything for you, but more than anything they want you to come home alive. “The health and safety of our clients is our biggest concern,” says Betsy Ball, cofounder of Euro Travel Coach. She’s obsessing over a coronavirus outbreak map from Johns Hopkins University. And so far, she’s not ready to start booking again. “It will be quite some time before it is safe for people to travel again,” she says.

When you can buy travel insurance

Many travel insurance companies stopped selling policies after the outbreak. Some added new restrictions, especially on “cancel for any reason” policies. “That’s the canary in the coal mine,” says Phil Sylvester, a spokesman for World Nomads, a travel insurance company. When travel insurance providers resume allowing the purchase of policies, it means it’s safe to travel.

When will all of that happen? At least three months, according to the predictive models developed by the travel risk assessment team of G1G.com, an insurance technology company based in San Jose. “We’re telling our customers to avoid non-essential travel for the time being,” says spokeswoman Rachel Coen.

Stan Sandberg, the co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, says insurance purchases can also be a reliable bellwether. “We are seeing travel insurance purchases primarily for travel after August 1, and many travel insurance policies for travel in 2021,” he says.

Okay, so when is it safe for you to travel?

Travelers have their personal lists, too. Lee Richardson had planned to drive from Indianapolis to Tarpon Springs, Fla., on Easter. Her kids forbade her.

“I believe it’s payback for all the times I told them ‘no’,” says Richardson, a retired educator who lives in Indianapolis.

So what would make her go? Permission from her kids and a good word from Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, she says.

A lot of travelers will have their own litmus test for traveling again. “I expect there will be a delay between the removal of regulatory restrictions and broad-based comfort with travel,” says Chris Anderson, a professor at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. He thinks most travelers will be looking for reassurances that the travel industry has its act together when it comes to hygiene.

If none of that brings travelers back, then one thing will: a good deal. That’s right, nothing gets travelers back like a cheap fare or hotel rate. It won’t make much of a dent in the half-trillion-dollar loss. But travel companies can always raise prices later. And you know they will.

These are NOT signs that it’s safe to travel again

Reopening tourist attractions

“That has more to do with economics and profit anxiety rather than safety,” says Courtney Kansler, a senior health intelligence analyst at WorldAware. While these events may be greeted with fanfare, it doesn’t mean there’s no risk of infection.

No more coronavirus cases

Even if a particular destination country is reporting no additional cases, travelers are still transiting through airports with thousands of other people. You still could get infected.

When politicians say so

Instead, heed the words of health officials. “They are the experts,” says Alison Hickey, president of Kensington Tours. “When they feel the time is right, they will lift the restrictions on international travel.”

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist who found himself with his family in Europe at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. For help with consumer problems, including getting refunds for trips you can’t take, reach out to him at chris@elliott.org. This post first appeared in his weekly newsletter, Elliott’s E-mail.

Notes from an Unexpected Shut-In

Like all of you, we’re unexpected shut-ins, hunkering down at home. It’s not a bad thing, to slow down the usual hectic pace, although we would rather our downtime be by choice, rather than forced by a pandemic.

We’ve decided to use our unexpected time completely unproductively: tackle the stack of unread books, try out recipes with the canned goods and dry pasta we store for earthquakes, watch interesting-sounding TV shows we never get around to. Maybe get to the closets. Not worry about the trips we need to cancel. Definitely take walks in our neighborhood, leaving distance between us and people we encounter but remembering to smile and say hello. We all need a lot of smiles these days.

Please stay well and try to find something good in these unexpected and challenging times. We’ll be back! [Read more…] about Notes from an Unexpected Shut-In

Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

You’ve always wanted to to explore Peru’s bewitching Inca trail, and here you are in Lima! Your hotel is small, but it’s a lovely place to relax before joining your tour group in the morning.

buy travel insurance? woman sick in bed — By katemangostar / Freepik

But you never make it to Machu Picchu. You wake at 2 a.m. to find your stomach in violent disagreement with whatever you ate for dinner. Your tour group leaves without you and you spend the day in intestinal purgatory. The hotel doctor sends you to the emergency room where you stay overnight. Back at the hotel, you spend the next three days in bed, disappointed, and wondering whether you should have bought travel insurance to cover the extra costs.