You already have a trip planned and have been waiting for months! Now the coronavirus is a pandemic. So what now?
Are you considering taking your trip?
The decision to continue with your planned vacation or not can be an emotional decision. As of the date of this post, it is highly recommended by many government officials to curtail your travel. But if have a trip planned sometime in April and beyond, there may still be a possibility that you can still go on your trip. As your departure date gets closer you question if you should still go. I am in that same predicament.
Dennis and I have a trip planned to Cancun in April and another to Boston in May!
Sometimes it is just not a decision that you can make on your own especially if your significant other and/or children are involved.
Here is some advice to help you make an informed decision.
Do some research first
It is important to gather information directly from the source. As the news about the coronavirus and its impact changes multiple times a day, it’s good to get up to date information.
- Visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site. The CDC keeps the public informed about diseases and their prevention.
- Visit the World Health Organization (WHO) site. This organization works to direct and coordinate international health within United Nations system.
- Check to State Department website to see if it is safe to travel to that region.
- One of the best ways to know what is going on locally is to check the local online news. Just google local news in and check local paper and look for any news related to the coronavirus. If the news is not in your primary language, you can change the language. Once on the website, right-click and select “Translate”.
- If you purchased tickets and accommodations from a third-party, contact them first.
- Check with the carrier for the change and cancellation policies. I find that I don’t always get the detailed information I need on a website, therefore if you have the time, call instead.
- Check with the hotel for the change and cancellation policies.
- Did you purchase travel insurance, or is some form of travel insurance provided by your credit card issuer? What is covered and what is not?
- Have you pre-paid for excursions or activities? What is their cancellation policy?
We were going to Aruba to attend the Soul Beach Music Festival. If we bought the tickets and decided not to go, we would have lost money on the tickets. - Lastly, if you go on vacation and are not able to return home, will your employer for you to use vacation days or non-paid days. Check with your employer to understand what happens if you are not able to leave the location. You may decide to bring your work computer, if possible, to not lose days. Check with the company policy to work remotely and internationally.
The information you gather may be fluid. Therefore, I recommend either bookmarking the sites, follow their Twitter or Facebook pages, or get an RSS feed sent to your newsreader like Feedly.
Now that you have the facts, what next?
- Is it safe to go?
- Is my flight still available
- Is my hotel still able to accommodate you?
- Am I in good health
- Am I comfortable traveling under these circumstances?
- Will I cause my family and friends too much worry and anxiety?
- Does it make financial sense?
- Will I be able to relax on this trip?
- Are my plans flexible enough to change?
- Am I okay not being able to return home upon my anticipated return date if there are no flights back on that day?
If you still decide to go...
If you are traveling internationally the first step you may want to do is to enroll in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) to receive the latest safety and information for your destination country. It also enables the US Embassy to contact you in case of an emergency.
Check out what local museums, parks, historical sites will be open as an alternative.
In your luggage:
- Pack extra clothes. Especially extra underwear.
- Comfortable shoes
- Extra toiletries
Before leaving, scan your passport, medical card, and travel itinerary. Email the scanned documents to yourself and a friend not traveling with you.
What if you decide not to go?
- Determine if you are canceling or rescheduling for a later date
- If you are working through a travel agent or a third party like Expedia, call their reservations number.
- Make sure you cancel your accommodations and any activities within the cancellation period without being penalized
- Any tickets you may have bought for excursions or activities may not be refunded. Look into selling online resellers like Stubhub.
- Be polite to the person on the phone. Remember the phrase “You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force”
- Ask for a cancellation confirmation number and the name of the person you spoke to
- Ask if they can email you the cancellation details
- If receiving a refund, ask how long it should take to receive the refund
If you are postponing your trip but not sure when you will reschedule, verify when you must book your carrier and accommodations by. We paid for a trip to Aruba but needed to reschedule. The reservation agent said we had until October to use the reservation.
To reiterate, the decision to go on vacation during the coronavirus pandemic is not one that can be taken lightly. There is a multitude of factors to consider which include family, location, directives, and flexibility.
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