What to Expect When Traveling During COVID-19
With COVID-19 still very much a risk, you might be wondering “is it safe to travel yet?” For the record, I am not a doctor. And I by no means want this to come off insensitive to what’s going on around the world. I am simply here to share my recent experience… on a plane… traveling… what to expect and how to be safe/cautious while doing so.
Luckily, I am fortunate that I am a healthy young adult. Please know that I am not recommending travel to anybody that is high risk. I am not even sure if I am “recommending to travel”… But what I am saying is not to be “scared to travel”. If your company is currently letting you work remote - don’t be scared to get on a plane and check out a new city. If you’re really missing a loved one across the US, don’t be scared to make time for them. If we have learned anything in 2020, it is that life is too short and can change at any minute.
So now that you’re still here…
My boyfriend and I are very much travelers. We can’t sit still for too long. Last year, between work and pleasure, I was on a plane to a different city every other week. Needless to say, we had a serious travel bug… and when things started to feel a little bit more “normal” we booked a trip.
It had been nine months since either one of us had been on a plane… I was nervous and wondering if I made the right decision. And just like that we were packing our bags for Puerto Rico.
JUST JAC TIP: When booking your trip… Here are some things to keep in mind.
Check the refund/cancellation policy. I would suggest booking something with a 24-hour cancellation policy and/or allows payment at check-in.
Read about the safety precautions and cleaning procedures in effect at the property you are looking to stay at. Be sure to read the reviews.
Domestic travel > International travel; Although other islands and countries are starting to open their borders, I felt more comfortable knowing we were still in the U.S. (Puerto Rico is still the U.S. and no passport is required!)
Ok, now that I have you thinking about the idea of traveling, I will admit… It was definitely different.
BEFORE YOUR TRIP
DO YOU NEED TO GET TESTED: Does your destination require you to get a negative COVID-19 test prior to travelling? Puerto Rico indeed does! And within 72 hours. This usually means you need to get the ‘rapid’ test. DO IT. Don’t be naïve and think they won’t know or won’t check. Once you have your negative test results, you upload the information online and receive a QR code from the Department of Health. We needed this to get out of the San Juan airport!
DO YOU HAVE TO QUARANTINE WHEN YOU RETURN: As we are from New York, when we booked the trip, Puerto Rico was not “on the list” and by that meant we were not mandated to quarantine. By the time we were there, it was put back on the travel advisory list and considered to be a “high risk” location. We made sure we had no obligations upon our return and that we were safely able to quarantine.
AT THE AIRPORT/ON THE PLANE (For reference we flew out of JFK on Delta Airlines)
WEAR YOUR MASK: You will need to wear your mask the entire time in the airport and on the plane. It’s truly not that big of a deal and keeps us safe!
TSA PRE-CHECK: I have TSA Pre-Check and usually when I book flights for others they receive TSA Pre-Check since they are under my reservation. This seems to have changed so don’t expect this! And yes I left Logan and still went through the fast lane - HA!
MORE ROOM: Airlines are still operating with open middle seats. Let’s just say I wish it was like this all the time…We had the entire row to ourselves!
LESS SNACKS: To keep everything as simple as possible, there was limited snack and drink service. They handed out a plastic bag with a small Dasani water, a KIND snack bar, a classic Delta biscotti cookie, and hand sanitizer.
UPON ARRIVAL - WELCOME TO PUERTO RICO
KNOW THE CURFEWS: As of October 13th, Puerto Rico has a 10pm curfew. Everything will indeed be closed by 9:45pm. We would get alerts to our phone too!
TEMPERTURES/HAND SANITIZER: E v e r y w h e r e. Any time we entered and exited a restaurant, bar, gift shop, our temperatures were taken and we were given hand sanitizer to cleanse before entering. It felt safe and comforting.
MAKE A RESERVATION: Not just at bars and restaurants but double check on any excursions and even natural forests. (You needed a reservation at El Yunque National Forest … Yes, you read that right…a reservation to enter a national forest)
PLACES WILL BE CLOSED: Unfortunately, some places are still closed or have different operating hours then normal.
DEPARTING - RETURNING BACK TO NY
THERE IS MORE PAPERWORK: If you are traveling from a “high risk” location, as mentioned PR was, you need to fill out The Traveler Health Form - either online or exiting the gate. Definitely recommend filling this out online prior to landing. We did so right on our phones, while still on the plane waiting to disembark. You will show the screenshot of confirmation upon leaving the airport.
CALL FROM CONTACT TRACING: Now we’re in our 14 day quarantine. Expect a call from the NYS contact tracing team a day or two after your vacation. They will ask you a series of questions about how your feeling and medical conditions. You can then opt-in to a daily text which asks if you have had any symptoms. As long as you comply with filling out the form, answering the call, and agree to quarantine, you should be all set!
GET TESTED AGAIN: If you feel worried-some, go get tested! They recommend getting tested upon your return although it is not required.
All in all, we had so much fun, and it was definitely all worth it. But to be honest, it made me sad for the travel and hospitality industry - one that is near and dear to my heart. You can just tell how much these places are suffering and how empty hotels and airports feel. There is a way to travel smart and safe and I hope that we can get back to that soon!
If you’re thinking about travelling and want to pick my brain some more - Let’s chat!