It’s Thanksgiving week and time for our annual Top 5 Thanksgiving Travel Tips COVID Edition.
Travel
Traditionally, our Thanksgiving travel tips include advice on getting to the airport on time, traveling to your destination, then getting back home safely and with the least amount of hassle possible. However, in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic this year, everything is different.
So, if you’re planning to travel this week for the holiday, do yourself a favor and take a look at our Top 5 Thanksgiving Travel Tips COVID Edition.
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STAY HOME!
We recognize this is an extraordinary tip and one that might be a bit late to pull off — but if it’s at all possible, STAY HOME this year and DO NOT travel.
With coronavirus rates spiking off the charts across the entire country, the CDC has recommended that we all skip Thanksgiving this year and the mixing of households from various parts of the globe. Unknowingly taking the virus with you and infecting your elderly relatives at the dinner table, or getting infected during your trip and bringing COVID home with you are all very real possibilities we should all be avoiding. After all, Thanksgiving is merely a date on a calendar and can be celebrated on whatever day we want. We’re THISCLOSE to a vaccine. Now is not the time to traipse you and the kids through a crowded airport solely to honor a man-made holiday tradition. So, skip the big family gathering this year and plan to have a COVID-free family celebration in the coming months once the virus is over and behind us.
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LEAVE EARLY
If you absolutely MUST travel for Thanksgiving, get to the airport or train station or bus depot ONE HOUR EARLIER than you would under normal circumstances. Despite the risk of COVID, plenty of people are hell-bent on making the traditional trip home for the holidays so expect the transportation hubs to be packed! By the time you socially distance yourself and take other precautions, the lines will be LOONNNGG and the airports will be crowded. Don’t fight your way through the crowds only to end up missing your flight by 15 minutes. Save yourself the hassle and leave early.
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SAFETY FIRST
This should go without saying, but if you are not feeling well on the day of travel, DON’T GO. It’s better to rebook your trip for some other time than to take the risk to travel anyway and possibly infect others.
If you are traveling, make a safety plan NOW before you go. Have masks, gloves, eyewear (yes, COVID can infect you through the eyes), hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and everything you need for a SAFE trip. Wear a glove on your passive hand then use that hand to touch the TSA bins or any other public surfaces during your trip. Use a disinfectant cloth to wipe down the armrests at your seat, the fold-down table, the air vents, and any surface you might touch BEFORE you sit down. Keep your masks and eyewear on for the ENTIRE flight.
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SOCIAL DISTANCE
While traveling through the airport or transportation hub, make sure you socially distance yourself from others. Whenever possible, remember to maintain at least 6 feet distance from everyone at all times. If you see other travelers who are not wearing a mask, avoid them. Walk out of your way to avoid being in their airspace. Once on the plane/train/bus, try not to sit directly next to someone who is not a member of your travel group. If this is not possible, ask to be moved to a seat where it is possible.
Finally, once you arrive at your destination, CHANGE CLOTHES before sitting down anywhere. Wash your travel outfit as soon as possible and treat it as though you sat in a pile of dog poo. That way, you will avoid tracking germs, etc. into your final destination.
Oh, and skip the hugs and handshakes with the family — and wash your hands!
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SELF-QUARANTINE UPON RETURN
If at all possible, please plan to self-quarantine for 14 days upon your return home. A huge mistake most people make is believing that as long as they’re only around family or close friends, they are immune to getting the virus. However, this is simply not true. You could unknowingly infect someone during Thanksgiving, or they could unknowingly infect you. Taking the virus home with you and spreading it to your co-workers, neighbors, etc., would be horrible for everyone. Your lone Thanksgiving trip could end up infecting hundreds of other people. So, do your part for humanity and stay out of the public for 2 weeks once home.
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Once again, the best Thanksgiving 2020 plan is to NOT travel at all. However, if you simply MUST travel, we hope these Top 5 Thanksgiving Travel Tips COVID Edition will help get you there and back safely and in good health!
