By: Ana Alexander
Adventure, Uncategorized

Traveling During a Global Pandemic

Not something I ever thought I would be doing.

And yet, many of us have found ourselves doing things we never anticipated doing in these past few months – closing businesses, quarantining at home, social distancing, masking in public…and some of us have yet to find ourselves doing those things. But that’s a different story.

I recently traveled from Minnesota to Arizona to help take care of a family member who is going through a medical issue, and who needed someone to help take care of them. I documented my adventures, and tried a new thing! I made a YouTube video! I’m embedding the video below so you can hear my recap of what it’s like to travel during a global pandemic, and am including my tips on how to prepare for a flight if you need to travel below. I don’t suggest traveling for kicks by any means, but if you find yourself in similar shoes and needing to travel, some helpful tips are below.

This was my first time creating a video, and to be honest, it did not go as well as I wanted it to! From various technical difficulties to terrible lighting, I have realized I have a lot to improve upon, so please be kind and enjoy! 🙂

My tips on traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Travel with Delta.

I like to vote with my dollars. And when it comes to safe travel during the pandemic, Delta is leading the way. Other airlines are not taking the pandemic as seriously, and are clearly prioritizing their revenue over the safety of their customers. Delta, on the other hand, is emphasizing safe procedures. They’ve created an advisory committee with the reputable Mayo Clinic, and are taking action based on the recommendations of medical professionals. That should say it all. Love a good believer of science, which seems oddly hard to come by these days.

Delta is wiping down high-touch areas in each plane before boarding, spraying down the plane, requiring masking of all staff and customers, and keeping the middle seats empty (and thus, reducing the number of people you come into contact with). They’ve also changed their boarding process, so they’re boarding from the back of the plane, and folks aren’t walking past other people as they board. They’re also calling groups up in smaller numbers so as to encourage social distancing. They’ve set up their gates with social distancing stickers and sanitizing stations, as well.

When you board the plane, you’re given a small sanitization wipe, which you can use to wipe down your hands and your seat. Instead of offering a normal service during the flight, they hand out prepackaged bags with water, snacks, napkins, and a Purell packet to clean your hands with, so you can make sure your hands are clean before snacking.

Many of these things are not being done by other airlines, and while Delta is losing revenue by not fully filling their planes, I commend them for prioritizing the safety of their customers over their bottom line. They’ve definitely made a loyal customer out of me through their approach to this pandemic. It’s interesting how organizations and people are showing their true colors right now.

To read up on Delta’s most current COVID-19 updates, click here.

2. Bring your mask.

It’s a 2020 must have.

In addition to bringing your mask, wear it. Don’t be one of those people, okay? It’s easy to wear a mask, and more challenging sacrifices have been made for the safety of your community and nation than wearing a piece of fabric over your face. Studies continue to come out about the effectiveness of masks, and it’s simple to wear one. While there was initial confusion about masking, there has been a lot to learn about this virus, and it is now the recommendation of the CDC that persons mask indoors and when not able to social distance.

So wear your mask to help protect yourself, your loved ones, and your communities.

3. Bring a stash of sanitizer and wipes.

If you fly Delta, you’ll be offered a wipe and sanitizer packet, but I found that I needed additional wipes, so I kept a small travel-sized packet in my purse. I would recommend doing so to make traveling easier and more sanitary! Sadly, it’s difficult to trust that others will do the right things in regards to this pandemic, so I’ve found peace of mind in knowing that I have my own wipes to clean any surfaces I’m using or seats that I’m sitting in that are located in public areas.

4. Pack your own snacks and gum.

The regular stores you’d see in an airport are a bit more limited these days. You’ll still find basic convenience-style stores open, but it’s easier to pack your own snacks and gum and avoid the stores altogether, and you won’t have to worry about tracking anything down in the airport when things are a little less available. Don’t plan on eating at any restaurants, either, as most are closed. You’ll find that many fast food locations are still available, depending on the airport.

5. Social distance.

Do your best to stay 6 feet from others. At times, this will be hard, especially as travel begins to pick up. Stay masked, and stay as far away from others as you can. If you choose to sit in the waiting areas, seat yourself away from others. Those sanitization wipes will come in handy to wipe down your seat as you wait, as well!

6. Don’t travel if you’re ill.

This should be a no-brainer, but the pandemic and recent events have shown us that there are many more “no-brainers” walking around than we might have originally anticipated. If you’re showing symptoms of COVID-19, or have had recent exposure to someone who has, do not travel. The world does not revolve around you, and you should not revolve around it if you are ill. Stay home.

7. Be kind to the staff you encounter.

Employees have been and continue to experience significant and rapid change that can be difficult to keep up with. In addition to that stress, there is the added worry of picking up the virus from various customers they encounter. So be kind to them, and wear your mask. You never know what someone else’s story is – are they going home to someone who is immunocompromised? Have they lost a loved one to COVID? Do they have a family member in the medical field who is struggling? Was their partner laid off because of the pandemic? You don’t know the particular stress that they may be going through in addition to showing up at their job during a global pandemic, so be kind to them, and don’t make their lives more difficult in the short amount of time that you encounter them. Golden rule still applies, folks.

8. Read up on travel recommendations before you go.

Visit the CDC’s website and make sure you understand the most current best practices for safe and sanitary travel, as well as what areas may currently be COVID-19 hotspots. Things are rapidly changing, so plan accordingly!

 

Please be responsible and kind to others during this time. I know the responses to this pandemic have become political, but they don’t need to be. The precautions of washing your hands frequently, masking in public spaces, and social distancing are not tough asks. They are not challenges. We can all get through this together, but only if we put in the work to make the world safer first. If we continue to be selfish and spread this virus through our careless actions, it’s going to be challenging to reach any semblance of what we once knew as normal, and along the way, many people are going to get sick, to a potentially fatal degree. We still don’t know the effects of this virus down the road either, so writing off those who have gotten ill is a refusal to be forward-looking and compassionate. We can prevent additional damage from happening if we make these simple changes to our lives. So please, do the right thing.

Let’s continue to adventure together, safely.

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