Finally! The world is opening up, and we are all eager to travel again. It is a wonderful and exciting feeling to say the least. Patience, however, is still necessary while going through the planning and travel process. Naturally, a trusted travel advisor can help you navigate the choppy seas, and having the proper expectations before traveling will save you a lot of frustration. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Flights will change.
Airlines are in the process of restoring their flight schedule back to pre-covid levels. This is a complicated process that involves a lot of moving parts. The benefits of this change include more choices and thus possibly better pricing. But if you booked the perfect flights for your upcoming vacation, don’t be shocked if one of the flight legs changes significantly. A 7pm return might become a 9pm return, or vice versa. This is not always ideal but it’s something you should expect might happen. If a flight change is so drastic that you can no longer reasonably take the flight, the airline will usually cooperate to help you find an alternative with not additional fees.
Did you say, “fees?”
Yes! Fees are back. The days of covid-waivers are coming (or in most cases have come) to an end. Be prepared to pay the change fees again when you need to change a flight. Cancelation policies are back and in some cases, tougher than they used to be. For example, many hotels and resorts are requiring some payment beforehand and/or strict cancelation windows. What used to be a 24-hour cancelation has grown to 5, 7, and in some cases (think holidays) up to 30 days beforehand. Travel insurance can help with this in many, but not all, cases.
Pent-up demand has greatly decreased availability.
You know the age-old economics theory of supply and demand? Well that is in full effect right now. Hopefully you didn’t get used to thinking you can wait until November to book a week away over New Year’s Eve, or start planning a July 4th vacation in June. Many resorts are already booked for December holidays, February holidays, and spring break. Do not delay if you want to get away at a reasonable price!
Speaking of reasonable prices – do not expect “deals.” After taking a tremendous hit in 2020, the travel industry is barely keeping afloat with minimal staff, capacity limits, staffing shortages, and more. It is very difficult for all aspects of travel to perform at the levels of service to which you’ve been accustomed. They cannot afford to discount.
Good staff is hard to find.
Covid-19 knocked out the hospitality industry, as it did many others, and forced almost every hotel and restaurant to furlough or lay-off the staff. Some of these trusted staff members were hired by other companies, or went a different direction, among other reasons for not being able to return. The fact of the matter is, the industry operated for the past year with a very skeletal staff, and now as the demand as dramatically increased, they do not have the staff to support it. This might mean people are doing multiple jobs and/or doing the job of three people – even at the most upscale resorts. It might cause longer delays for service at meals. It might cause longer lines at check-in. It might cause shortages of food and drink. It most certainly will cause frustration to travelers. But, if you expect this going into your trip, it will not come as a surprise.
Keep that mask handy.
Until the world figures out a global way to prove vaccination, keep your mask handy. You will still need it (might even prefer to have it) on the airplane. Depending on where you’re traveling, different destinations still require masks in public or tight spaces. Don’t try to argue about it. If you are unwilling to go along with the many Covid protocols still in place, stay at home. Check the requirements for each destination because they are not created equal. Even if you are vaccinated, you will likely still need to show proof of a negative Covid test.
Check your passport!
When is the last time you checked the expiration date on your passport? Not only do passports expire, but we travel advisors always recommend at LEAST 6 months of validity from your trip return date, because many destinations require this. This means, if you are traveling from December 1st – 5th, your passport needs to be valid through June 5th of the following year. We cannot emphasize this enough. While we all spent a year cooped up, our passports did not freeze in time. Neither did TSA or Global Entry verifications. Please, please check the dates, even if you think you know, or you checked yesterday. Travel advisors everywhere have witnessed many trips get canceled over this detail. Also be prepared for the renewal process to take longer than normal.
In closing…
This is the current state of things, and you need to be willing to accept them if you want to travel. It goes without saying that it’s been a difficult year for all. I can tell you from the companies and contacts I deal with daily, that every hotel, airline and tour operator is doing their best to please us and come back better than ever. It’s in all of their collective best interest to have our best interests in mind. How much are you willing to sacrifice for a vacation? I don’t know about you, but I would rather travel with patience, compassion and understanding, than not travel at all.
Tumbleweed 
Such a wealth of information and great advice! Thanks!!
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