Travel in a Post-COVID World
By Kevin Gibbons
For most of the United States, the light is visible at the end of the tunnel. Even though some states are still seeing increasing COVID cases, as US vaccinations increase, the nation is breathing a sigh of relief and eagerly planning its return to “normal.”
For many people, this means travel, whether for summer vacation, long-postponed family visits or “lockdown getaways.” But before you book that flight, cruise or road trip, here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Remember, the situation is fluid.
Check the CDC (and WHO for international travel), all the carriers and the states and countries at both your departure and destination (as well as any intermediate stopovers) for changing requirements and conditions.
There is talk of “vaccine passports” being required for travel in certain countries. As of post time, there is no national requirement in the United States for such documentation, but it is uncertain if specific states may require them. And some private venues are requiring proof of vaccination for entry to their events. While the legality of these requirement may be challenged, you don’t want to risk your travel plans on that uncertainty.
UPDATE: On April 20, the US State Department announced it was adding 130 countries to its “Do Not Travel” list.
2. Deals are available for Savvy Shoppers.
For deals on travel and lodging use sites like:
Use their tracking and alert functions to find the best deals. Some travel companies are eager for business to offset their lost revenue from the past year and have great deals. Others are looking at the pent-up demand and see no reason to offer discount prices at this time. You need to search to find out which are which.
3. Consider travel insurance.
In the past, we usually did not recommend travel insurance unless your trip was unusually expensive or you foresaw a risk. In the current environment, when so many things can change, from pandemic waves, to political and economic instability to business uncertainty, travel insurance bears extra thought.
InsureMyTrip is a good brokerage site for travel insurance. You can enter minimal information and get an immediate quote from a number of providers. Just make sure you look for a policy that has a “cancel for any reason” clause. This will give you the greatest coverage with the least restrictions.
If you have concerns about finding a good policy, plan your travel through a licensed travel agent. They can find the best deals on travel, lodging and insurance for you. As an added bonus, if you do run into any problems on your trip, you have a real live person you can contact who can be an advocate for you.
4. Prioritize what you want to do when.
Everybody wants to go to national parks and Disney theme parks. That is just reality. You can try to enter a lottery to be one of the masses admitted to these venues right when they open up. Or you can put those popular destinations off until next year and find a less crowded spot to get that break and recharge you so desperately need right now.
Whether you feel safe to travel in the next six months or want to wait until 2022 is a personal choice. If you do decide to travel, following these simple guidelines can help you get the most for your money.
Kevin Gibbons is a Cash Flow Planning Expert, the Vice President of The Savvy Life and co-author of the international bestseller Living The Savvy Life. For the past eight years, Kevin and Savvy Life Founder Melissa Tosetti have worked with over 625 individuals and families to create Spending Plans.
To learn about how Kevin and Melissa work with clients to create Spending Plans, visit The Savvy Life’s Home Page. If you’d like to learn about how they work with financial advisors and their clients visit: The Savvy Life Advisor’s Page.
