Travel in the time of Covid: New TSA Screening, what to expect when traveling, and more....
Like me, you may be finding it challenging to keep up with all the “rules” of Life with Covid- local rules, federal guidelines, etc. One thing I can stay on top of, however, are travel rules and changes, and I am here to breakdown the current state of Domestic travel and what you can expect. My conclusion from everything I am learning: things are different, you need to be prepared, you can still have fun, and the travel industry is doing EVERYTHING so you can travel with confidence about your safety!
First, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a few facts about the travel industry right now. During the Great Depression, the unemployment rate peaked at 25%. The current national unemployment rate is 14%, so we aren’t that close to the Depression rate. The current national unemployment rate for direct travel related jobs (travel advisors, hotels, airlines, etc) is 75%!!!! 1 in 10 jobs WORLDWIDE are tied to the travel industry. Travel makes up 10% of the world GDP. All this is to say, we will not experience an economic recovery until people start traveling again. But to do so? The safety of the travelers and the employees needs to be considered first. The travel industry knows this and are making great strides to encourage you to get back out there.
TSA GUIDELINES
For those who want to fly, you will see many changes with the TSA and the airlines. “In the interest of TSA frontline workers and traveler health, TSA is committed to making prudent changes to our screening processes to limit physical contact and increase physical distance as much as possible,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement on Thursday. Here are some of what you can expect:
Fliers will no longer be handing TSA officers a boarding pass. Passengers will be asked to scan their own boarding pass, both electronic or paper, instead of handing to the TSA officer. After scanning the pass, you will be asked to hold it up so the TSA Officer can visually inspect it.
Passenger will be asked to place any food from their carry-on bags into clear plastic bags, and those clear bags will be places into their own bins to go thru the x-ray screening. "Food items often trigger an alarm during the screening process," a TSA release says. "Separating the food from the carry-on bag lessens the likelihood that a TSA officer will need to open the carry-on bag and remove the food items for a closer inspection." (TSA PreCheck members, however, are exempt from this requirement.)
In the past, if something in your carry-on triggered an alarm, you were pulled aside and a TSA agent inspected your bag. In an effort to reduce human-to-human and human-to-object contact, you can now expect to be re-directed back outside of security to remove the items, and put the bag thru the x-ray screening again. As you can expect, this would take a lot of extra time, so you need to be VERY CAREFUL about following the rules.
TSA is recommending you put things like Keys, Phones, Belts, and wallets directly into your carry-on, so empty your pockets before going thru!
Passengers are encouraged to wear face masks. When going thru security, you can expect to be asked to adjust your face mask so the officer can verify your identity,
(THIS IS A BIG ONE PEOPLE) TSA is relaxing the 3 ox liquid rule when it comes to HAND SANITIZER. You can board a plane with 12 OZ of hand sanitizer, WOOHOO!!!
One aspect that is still undecided is temperature screening for passengers. Presently, the Aviation lobbies are asking that TSA officers perform temperature health screening, but this aspect has not yet been decided.
AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS
Airlines are adopting many changes to encourage people to feel safe flying. You will see these changes both in their boarding process and aboard your flight.
One really important thing I would like to note. A common myth about air travel is that if one person is sick on an airplane, all other passengers will get sick because they're breathing the same air, but thanks to air quality control onboard commercial airlines, this simply isn't true. MOST commercial airlines use the highest grade HEPA filters. In fact, because of the high-efficiency filters on most commercial airlines and the frequency the air is recirculated and filtered, the air you're breathing on your flight is likely much cleaner and less contaminated than most office buildings and is on par with the air in most hospitals.
Many of us find ourselves coughing and sneezing after flights, even when the air is clean. The culprit here is usually DRYNESS- the typical aircraft cabin is exceptionally dry, drier than most deserts! With dried out sinuses and nasal passages, you will feel more irritated and this might result in coughing and sneezing.
Here are some changes you can note:
When you check your bag or print a ticket? Expect to see plastic sneeze guards separating you from the ticketing agent.
In the airport, you can expect to see many shops, restaurants, and airline lounges closed, so BE PREPARED!
Many airlines have adjusted the boarding process, with some loading planes back to front to limit contact among passengers and others are boarding fewer people at a time to limit crowding at the gate or on the jet bridge.
Most major airlines now require passengers and flight crews to wear face masks. The enforcement of this rule, however, is not mandatory.
Food and beverage service has been restricted in many cases and, when available, meals are largely being replaced with snacks in sealed bags and boxes.
SPACING YOUR FLIGHT: Most flights, about three out of four, are more than half empty. But despite a stark decline in the number of people traveling, a small fraction of flights — about one out of every 12 — is more than 70 percent full. Each airline is taking a different approach! Here are some examples:
United said it would prevent middle seats from being purchased, though it might still assign them on fuller flights. It will also let customers re-book a flight if the one for which they are scheduled is more than 70 percent full
Delta said it would cap seating at 50 percent in first class and 60 percent elsewhere.
American Airlines has said it will block half of all middle seats on its planes.
Southwest Airlines, which does not assign seats, has said it will leave about a third of its seats empty through July.
SPACING IN THE AIRPORT: Across the world, our airports are vast, near empty spaces. While passenger numbers are so low, there is plenty of empty space within terminals, so it’s hardly a challenge to accommodate mandatory 2-metre spacing. And as demand for flights gradually ramps up, social distancing will remain easy to be maintain… for a while. The harder question is how to cope when passenger numbers are much higher, because extra space will not be easily, or cheaply, available. You can expect to see spacing guidelines within the airport and staff and travelers wearing masks. Beyond this, Airports are currently examining traffic patterns and how they can redirect people so that areas do not become over crowded. This will definitely be a challenge and as time goes on, more will be known.
Korean Air cleaning cabin between flights
CLEANING YOUR FLIGHT: Most airlines are cleaning planes regularly, sometimes between every flight, and offering passengers sanitizer, masks and other products to stay clean, too.
Delta, for example, is sanitizing every flight using an “electrostatic sprayer,” which releases a mist of disinfectant.
United is teaming with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic in an effort to ease passenger concerns. Clorox will advise the airline about its disinfection practices, and Cleveland Clinic experts will keep the airline up-to-date on the latest practices and technologies.
American Airlines and United Airlines said they are also using high-grade disinfectants and multipurpose cleaners on all touch points including window shades, armrests and tray tables. Aircraft that remain overnight at an airport receive an enhanced cleaning procedure.
Of course, you can bring your own wipes too. (if you can’t find them? You can make them!)
HOTEL TRAVEL
Like the airlines, the hotel industry is preparing to welcome back travelers in the world with Covid. The industry knows it must adapt to get people to travel again. Before this pandemic, few people gave a second thought to sleeping in a bed that hundreds of others had slept in, or touching door handles, faucets and television remotes. But after, people will be hyper-conscious of all the surfaces in a hotel room that are hosts for the virus.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has released guidelines for all hotels across the spectrum to follow to bolster their cleanliness and safety standards as well as to signal to guests that they’re safe to stay in.
And, some of the world’s major hotel chains, including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Wyndham, Sandals and more have communicated plans of their own to take additional cleaning and sanitization steps as well as to certify that their properties are indeed safe for guests to return to.
AHLA has employed “Stay Safe” guidelines and best practices:
Enhanced cleaning standards throughout the hotel, including guest rooms, meeting spaces, common areas, and back-of-house spaces
Superior cleaning products with a greater concentration of bacteria-killing ingredients, in accordance with CDC guidelines
Social distancing practices and reducing person-to-person contact
Increased transparency throughout the guest journey
So what will your stay look like?
SANITIZED ARRIVALS: At midrange or lower-end hotels, this could mean automatic sliding doors — which many already have — and bellhops wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at higher-end properties to open and close doors for guests. Hotels may require guests and visitors to be screened for temperature checks as they enter the hotel.
CHECK IN: Expect to see Front-desk agents equipped with face masks and gloves to complete check-in and checkout procedures as well as handle guest requests, signaling immediately the hotel is taking the safety of its employees and its guests seriously.
PAYMENT: You can expect to see a pause in guests handing over their credit card and ID, and payments may be limited to the card listed on the original reservation made online so cards don’t need to be exchanged and handled by multiple people.
ROOM CHANGES: There could also be a return to some old practices, like reinstating the use of single-use toiletries instead of multi-use bottles to minimize the spread of germs through contact between guests. We could even see a reduction in decorative pillows, bed runners, items stocked in minibars and even paper products like magazines and pamphlets. Some hotels are even have 24 hours between stays, so a room will be empty for at least 24 hours before you check in.
Dutch restaurant trying glass booths for social distancing
DINING: Many hotels are stepping up their in-room dining options with enhanced menus and more efficient service. You will most likely see a lot of plastic wrap on your food when it arrives to ensure it’s safe. Expect to see social distancing measures within hotel restaurants and bars for a while. One thing that you may no longer see: Buffets (I am totally ok with that!!)
POOL AND BEACH: As with dining, expect to see social distancing measures , like chairs spaced further apart. Pool attendants will be wearing gloves and masks and be less hands-on with setting up lounge chairs.
At the end of the day, travel in the time of Covid is a very personal choice. There is a wide range of emotions here, from “I AM NOT TRAVELING NOW” to “WHEN CAN I GET ON THE NEXT FLIGHT”., and that’s ok! It is my hope that travelers will decide from a place of fact and not emotions, because when you look at it closely? It seems safer than ever from a “germ” standpoint to travel.
As your trusted travel advisor, I will always provide as much detail as possible about the specific destinations and hotels and modes of transport so that you are well informed when making decisions. It is more important than ever to book with a trusted advisor, we have a lot of information to share with you and know the best practices being put in place.