What To Expect When Traveling in 2021
Know The Requirements
- Expect to wear mask at the airport and on the plane. Some airports may require a more specific (non-cloth) mask. Practice mask wearing with young kids beforehand. If your child isn't used to wearing a mask, the airport is not the place to try it out. Help your child get used to wearing it before your trip.
- Check destination requirements. Many policies have changed recently and require uploaded documents prior to travel. Some destinations require specific insurance, vaccination records and/or a negative Covid test. Your travel advisor can point you in the right direction for the destination website to upload documents and see the latest safety protocols.
- Expect passport processing delays. Even expedited passports can take 12 weeks. Check your passports and make sure they are valid for at least 6 months after your travel dates. Processing times are delayed for new applications as well as renewals.
Expect Long Airport Lines
- Arrive 2 hours before domestic flights, 3 hours for international flights. Wait times vary based on the airport, but it's always better to be early just in case.
- Avoid checking bags if possible. If you are traveling domestically and don't check bags you can skip the bag drop line and check in online. When traveling internationally, you will collect your bags at your first US stop. This means layovers need to be long enough to go through immigration, wait for your bag, go through customs, re-check your bag and get to your next flight.
- Use airline apps to upload necessary paperwork, vaccination records or Covid test results. These can be pre-approved to save you time and will alert you if you are missing something needed for travel.
Rental Car Shortage
- Expect less options and higher pricing. There is a national car rental shortage due to cut back and automotive parts shortages.
- Book early, consider non-airport locations. Airport locations (especially in top tourist destinations) may not have a rental car available. Consider booking at a neighborhood location and take an Uber or cab there from the airport.
Be Flexible and Patient
- Flight Cancellations and delays are more frequent. Don't cut it too close with layovers or choose the last flight of the day to your destination. Layovers returning from an international destination should be at least 2.5-3 hours if you are checking bags to account for potential delays and lines at immigration and customs. Factoring in a lunch break at an airport when you have some extra time is a lot better than factoring in an overnight if you miss your flight.
- Be patient with hotel staff and restaurant servers. Many are new and still learning. This is true in everywhere, but especially in popular resort destinations like Mexico. Many of the hotel staff come from other parts of the country. When Covid hit and hotels shut down a lot tourism workers went back home to their families. Many got other jobs and haven't returned to the hotels. The resorts are filling positions as they can, but training takes time. Also, keep in mind that hotels are working at reduced capacity, which means less staff and some dining options may not be open.
- Book early. Capacity limits and high demand have eliminated last-minute deals. Yes, there are still a few deals out there for last-minute vacations, but not like we used to see. Availability is very limited and planning ahead is a must if you want to get the best value and most selection. As always, travel insurance is highly recommended and it's important to know what your policy covers. I suggest choosing a plan with Cancel for Any Reason coverage. This gives you the flexibility to change your mind without needing to meet requirements.
