Many of us long for a time when the pandemic will have claimed the health of its last patient, thereby ‘releasing’ everyone from their quarantine. For sure, things will never be the same after it. Many of the same regulations for avoiding the outbreak of disease will be in place, and people will have to follow most of these new rules.
One of the industries eagerly awaiting the end of the pandemic is travel. True, people can travel right now, but not on a level like it was before. Their physical fitness is questioned before they travel, as well as their age. You can’t just travel freely, and that’ll possibly stay in place well after the pandemic.
If you’re one of those who can’t wait to travel once restrictions are lifted, here are the possible changes that you may encounter during the first few days or weeks of post-pandemic travel.
Policies Concerning Tickets Are More Flexible
When the pandemic hit, lockdowns started to happen, and airlines suffered the most out of any travel business. Most trips were cancelled, and tickets either had to be rescheduled or refunded altogether. As a result, many airlines experienced big losses.
These days, they have learned to adjust to the new normal by reviewing their policies. Flight cancellations aren’t subject to a change fee; instead, most airline companies issue flight vouchers that can be used for up to two years from the original booking date.
Screening of Passengers Are Contactless
The pandemic grew almost out of control because of quick transmission. The virus can be transferred at the speed of touch, and many passengers and officials alike contracted it because they failed to account for hygiene by washing their hands or sanitising it.
Travel regulations were reviewed because of this. Screening procedures were looked at, and people have been screened without a touch being a part of the process. This is to lessen the contact with passengers, some of whom may be possible carriers. Airlines have also begun to temperature-screen their passengers like how they did in the past.
Masks are now a Mandatory Requirement
Another addition to the new normal of air travel is the wearing of masks. Before, there has been no provision for the usage of them. It was up to the discretion of people whether to wear these, especially if they were feeling unwell but had to travel.
Today, because of the nature of transmission of the pandemic, airlines have added that small rule to their requirements. Many airlines are now asking people to wear masks more as a policy than a request, for the safety of everyone on board.
Hotels May Offer Different Rates than Before
Hotels, before the pandemic, have rules in place for cancellation. They are generally very forgiving when it comes to these rates. Some hotels may even refund the nonrefundable, although these tend to be lower. Some packages are sold at lower packages, though these packages are the lower rates.
Consider that most hotels may not offer their pre-pandemic rates anymore. It would help if you also compensated for some of your favourite hotels coming back completely different from before or even not anymore. Hotel offerings may lean towards trying to make back some money they lost during the pandemic. Like spas, some amenities may even be removed entirely from packages, as they feature peer-to-peer contact.
The Cruise Industry Will Have to Adjust
The pandemic brought to light a lot of things that are wrong with the cruise industry. Call to mind the drama that happened on the “Diamond Princess,” where a lot of passengers remained stuck after one of them was declared positive with the virus. Travellers may not hurry up to come onboard these ocean cruises even after the pandemic.
Most ships will be following protocols handed out by the CDC, but post-pandemic, not all these vessels will be available. Cruise lines must first secure the OK from the government agency, but they won’t be able to roll out a full itinerary of their travels. Most cruise lines won’t even be at full capacity, at least until the end of 2021.
The pandemic has touched more of our lives than we ever thought it would. It changed the way you eat, the way you exercise, and the way you meet with your friends and colleagues. It will also inevitably change the way you travel either for business or for leisure, and we will have to live and cope with that truth under the new normal.
