DISCLOSURE: I do not in any way encourage flying at this time. However, if you’d like to do so, that is your decision. This article is simply outlining what the future of travel will look like as we adapt to a new normal.
After an incredibly sharp turn in the first 6 months of 2020 with COVID-19, travel is slowly coming back again. During this difficult period, thousands of employees were laid off by some of the biggest airlines, such as British Airways, United, and American. Furthermore, countries who rely on tourism such as the Maldives, Croatia, and Italy have been impacted substantially. While countries are starting to open up their borders for tourism again, it’s important to note that traveling in the future will never be the same as it once was. In a COVID-19 world, there’s no indication of when this virus will disappear. Because of this, we will have to adapt to new changes. Aircrafts will now have to abide by a new standard of hygiene and protocols. Here are some of my thoughts on what the future of travel will look like.
- Passengers Required to Wear Masks
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As you’ve probably guessed it, flyers will now be required to wear masks on airplanes at all times. It’s been proven around the world that masks DO slow the spread of COVID-19. Thus, wearing a mask will protect you, and the others around you when traveling, whether it’s domestic or international. I consider masks to be the new necessity when it comes to flying. From personal experience, even before COVID-19 existed, I was regularly wearing masks on flights to protect myself from illness.
- Hygiene
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Airlines have started taking extreme precautions before customers board. With electrostatic disinfecting sprays, they’ve been cleaning planes from top to bottom without a single piece of dust in sight. Furthermore, this will provide customers with an increase in safety, considering planes are notoriously known to be filled with germs! Additionally, passengers are now encouraged to disinfect their seats, tray tables, and armrests before taking off.
- Distanced Seating
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The slogan for 2020 has been “keep 6ft apart”, and that is what several airlines are enforcing. Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest are some of the many companies continuing to enforce the “Blocked middle-seat” rule, for added protection. However, others such as American, are now scrapping it in order to fill aircrafts to capacity and increase revenue. I’m disappointed because crowds lead to large amounts of exposure; and this is what we want to avoid. However, I do hope that distanced seating arrangements become mandatory on all flights as every-day life won’t be normal again.
- No More Overbooked Flights
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How many of you have had to wait in an airport to find out your flight was overbooked?! Airline companies like United are notoriously known for overbooking flights and then offering vouchers for those willing to fly within the next few days. I’ve actually had this happen to me twice! Once when flying to Paris, and more recently when I left Marrakech, as soon as lockdown began. Fortunately, for companies keeping strict distancing policies between passengers, there’s a less likelihood of a flight being overbooked.
- Booking & Cancellation Flexibility
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From personal experience, I’ve never seen booking and cancellation policies become ever so flexible than before! Especially a no change-fee policy for already booked flights! Because the travel industry is trying to bounce back from a devastating decline, customers are now given incredible flexibility when booking! Airlines are trying to give customers peace of mind because we have an unforeseeable future. This is a great advantage for them because you can change flights at short notice and still obtain the value of your flight through a credit or date change.