Trying to navigate your way to your dream vacation that you’ve been waiting to enjoy for years? Well, you’re not alone. Airline’s have been overwhelmed with antsy travellers who want to finally get out of the house for a long awaited vacation.
The pandemic has put a serious pause on global travel. And now the tourism industry is recovering, but can’t keep up with the high demand of people who’ve waited patiently to see the world.
This blog post will explore some major post-pandemic travel tips that will help you avoid some seriously unwanted situations domestically and internationally.
#1 Show up Extra Early to Flights
The travel & tourism industry is seeing an acute increase in people looking to vacation. CTV News reported that people looking to board airplanes are at an all time high. And most airports are struggling to keep up with the demand.
This means that lines are longer, security checks are taking hours, and people are missing their flights. We highly recommend that you show up to your flight 6 hours in advance to ensure you do not miss your flight. This might seem extreme, but people who show up 3 hours early have missed their flights due to this post-pandemic phenomenon.
#2 Prepare to Be Overbooked
Airlines overbook flights to confirm that every seat on the plane is sold to maximize profit. The pandemic has had some airplanes have only 1 passenger fly domestically to their desired destination. So brands are eager to recover the profits they lost within 2020, 2021, and early 2022.
This means flights are being overbooked. And not just some, nearly all of them! It’s recommended you research some motels & hotels around so you don’t get stranded for a day or two if you get put on the next available flight.
Getting overbooked and forced on a future flight is stressful, especially because it’s completely out of your control. This brings us to the next tip on our list.
#3 Read Your Airline’s Terms of Conditions
This tip can save you a lot of money. As well as getting you booked for a more cushy ticket versus what you originally purchased. When airline’s take you off a flight involuntarily. You have a lot of room to negotiate travel vouchers, money, and even a 1st class ticket!
Sometimes it’s worth being bumped off a flight. Although, this all depends on the airline you are flying with. So please check the terms of conditions after you purchase a ticket. Educating yourself on what you can negotiate in the instance you’re booted off will equip you with the knowledge to persuade customer service agents to give you some sweet silver-linings.
Getting booted off a plane can be a blessing in disguise. However, if you’re removed due to your poor behavior. You’ll want to pay attention to the next tip on our list.
#4 Be Polite In the Airport and on The Plane
If you know you have a temper or don’t have any consideration for the people around you. We highly suggest you listen up for this tip. Unruly passenger incidents have skyrocketed due to the pandemic, primarily over the mandatory use of facemasks.
In fact, in 2021 there was a 494% increase in unruly passenger incidents. Due to the surge in disrespectful people who’ve caused delays, assaults, and cancellations on planes. Airlines are beginning to not have any tolerance to any obnoxious behavior.
People are getting kicked off without hesitation for minor offenses that would normally land them with a warning pre-pandemic. There’s even incidents of passengers being put on the no-fly list for more serious cases of unruly incidents. Think twice the next time you want to let go of your temper. You might get kicked off your flight, or banned from flying all-together.
#5 Do Your Research On Mask Mandates
Each country around the world has different rules and regulations when it comes to facemasks. Some countries like Ireland and Sweden have no legal requirements to wear masks on public transportation or in crowded spaces.
Other nations like Canada have mask mandates that apply to some areas but not others. For example it’s only recommended to wear masks within public transportation within nearly each municipality. But cross regional transit like VIA rail have strict mask mandates.
Breaking these mask mandates in certain countries can get you in serious legal trouble. So it’s best to do your own research to see what countries have strict mandates. The last thing anyone wants is to get arrested during their long-awaited vacation!
#6 Research the Current State of Your Destinations Tourism Industry
If you plan on spending a couple thousand dollars on a vacation. It’s wise to plan ahead and see what current health and safety standards are currently in place in your desired destination. This is highly relevant to some of the most popular tourist destinations. For example, the island nation Japan.
There’s a strict packaged tours only protocol happening in Japan for people who have travel visas. This means absolutely no independent travel. You can only go where the tour guides lead you. This is incredibly discouraging to the majority of tourists given the lack of freedom you have on your vacation.
Not to worry, most nations now have made serious changes to end pandemic protocol and open their borders to tourists. It’s still strongly recommended to do your research and only purchase a ticket to countries that are fully accessible to travel visas. As well as independent tourism.
Conclusion
The travel & tourism industry has finally opened up and is giving a warm welcome to people who have been desperately waiting for an escape from their everyday life. Unfortunately, airports across the globe have not been able to keep up with the demand.
The tips that have been explored above will strongly prepare you for any issues that may arise during this new age of travel. Googling around to do your own research on the terms of conditions of your flights, mask mandates in other countries, and other countries’ tourism guidelines may just save you a lot of time and money.
Author Bio
Thanks to Jonathan Cohen for contributing this great article, he is a world traveler, SEO Specialist, and co-owner of travelling with abundance. A travel blog dedicated to providing realistic and affordable tips for vacationers.
