Traveling During Covid-19? 5 Mistakes to Avoid

USA has been paralyzed for over three months. I mean, quarantine. Really? It is something many people did not see coming; I know I didn’t see it coming. Many questions remain unanswered. However, with everything that is going on , airlines are still working and people continue to make travel plans. Regardless of whether you are traveling domestically (in the USA) or internationally, there are certain tips you should take into consideration to make your trip be a little more pleasant.

In this post you will find links that will take you to several items from Amazon I recommend for traveling. These are affiliate links, just products I have and find useful.

My Quarantine Travel Story:

This is the short version of my travel story.

I had been following quarantine rules by staying home unless it was absolutely necessary to go out. I tell you this fact so that you can understand how scared I was to travel. However, the purpose of my trip was very important, and I decided to go for it. The check-in process as well as the TSA process remained the same.

As soon as I got to the airplane, I noticed that every other seat was blocked to maintain social distance. On that same plane, the lady seating across from me asked if I could make sure her lap dog didn’t come out of its bag. The flight attendant and I looked at each other and it was like one look said everything. In case you are wondering, the puppy was sedated and wasn’t even aware of what was going on. Flight was smooth and we landed well.

On my way to the second plane, I noticed how empty the Chicago O’Hare airport was. (I was not able to take a picture of the Chicago airport, but it looked more or less like the picture I have added below of the Detroit Airport.) When I saw this, the reality of the effects of this pandemic hit me. Restaurants and stores closed, everyone wearing masks, and people looked scared. The flight was delayed by about one hour and I only had a 58-minute layover to get to the next plane. At this time I knew I wouldn’t have enough time and I needed to find another flight. I boarded the plane, and same as before, every other seat was blocked.

As soon as the plane landed, I had to go to the customer service kiosk to see when the next flight was since I had missed the one I needed to take. I was told there was a different route that could take me to my destination but I had to wait 5 hours for the next plane, or I could spend the night at the airport and take the same route I planned, but the day after. I went with the first one.

There are takeaways from my trip and I want to share them with you.

Mistakes to Avoid while Traveling During Covid-19

1. Not bringing your own food/snacks– I traveled in May, and I was amazed to see that the Chicago O’Hare airport had so many restaurants and stores closed. I did not pack any food, so finding what to eat was not easy. On top of that, with one exception being Delta airlines, who is providing snacks in pre-packaged bags, many airlines are not providing in-flight snacks at this time. Ideas: sandwiches, chips, raw veggies with ranch, popped popcorn
2. Not bringing hand sanitizer/sanitizing wipes– I ended up buying sanitizing wipes at the airport for $2.00 more than I would’ve purchased them outside of the airport. You will want to sanitize your seating station, as well as your bag handles, phone, and anything else that may have had exposure to high-contact surfaces. I recommend using THESE hand wipes.
3. Not bringing hand lotion– There are multiple sanitizing stations in the airport, but they don’t have moisturizers. Also, the soap in the bathrooms can make your hands very dry. To prevent dryness of skin, bring lotion. I recommend THIS Aveeno lotion for its silkiness and compact packaging.
4. Booking flights with short layover times- I was happy when I saw that one of my layovers was only 58 minutes. I quickly changed my mindset after one of the airplanes broke down and we had to change planes, which resulted in a 5 hour layover. There are not many connections, so I had to choose a different route to get to my destination on that same day, otherwise, I had to wait for the next day flight. Give yourself enough time between flights.
5. Not having a comfortable face mask– You are required to wear a face mask at all times. I was wearing a cloth mask that was not necessarily uncomfortable for everyday use, but traveling with it for over 9 hours, made my ears sore. At the airport, I saw many different masks, including one man who had the mask straps on top of over-head headphones. I thought that was a smart idea and one I would consider if I have to travel again soon.

The most important advice is to stay safe by avoiding crowded areas and washing your hands frequently. Whether or not you believe this pandemic is real or not, there are people at risk. It is worth trying to protect yourself and others during this time of uncertainty.

I hope these tips help make your travel plans a little easier.

Sincerely,