Travel August 2022

Donna and I have been continuing to travel with some international trips and some domestic this summer. We spent two weeks in Europe on a cruise of the Baltic Countries, a trip to Jamaica and a family trip to Phoenix, Arizona. While some things are getting better, in general travel and the World in general is broken at this point. It is still well worth getting out there are seeing the world but you have to be more prepared, and patient than ever before. Here is the state of travel in August of 2022.

Covid Restrictions

While Covid is still out there and people are coming down with is just like the past couple of years one positive change for travelers is Covid related restrictions are becoming a thing of the past in most places around the world. For our cruise we had to still provide a negative covid test for boarding but otherwise no country asked for Covid related paperwork or tests. The same can be said for our trip to Jamaica where no paperwork or tests were needed to enter the country. There are countries that still require tests and/or paperwork for entry but they are becoming much fewer than before. Even some cruise lines have now dropped Covid Testing for short sailings under 5 days and others have dropped testing completely (Virgin and Margaritaville Cruises). So in this area things are getting much better.

Airline and Airport Related Travel

One of the toughest areas now is flying to your destination. It used to be Covid but now for sure its the issues surrounding staffing for airlines and airports. The rapid growth in travel this year caught airlines and airports off guard and they are not nearly staffed enough to handle their flight loads. This is a world wide issue as flights are being canceled in record numbers. In Europe airports like London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol have capped the number of travelers that are allowed at their airports. Heathrow asked airlines to stop selling tickets for the summer so additional travelers can come in. In the US things are not too much better with flights being canceled every day or severe delays. We ran into this issue when flying back from Europe. I got a notice from British Airways there was a chance my Copenhagen to London Heathrow flight could be canceled due to the issues at Heathrow. Thankfully our flight was not canceled but once we got to Heathrow we dealt with that they are trying to alleviate with fewer people. We had a two hour layover before our flight to Houston and we ended up spending an hour and forty-five minutes of it in line for security in London. We ran to gate and we made it just in time for boarding but it was decently stressful. We have had a few delays as well on flights but so far that is more of an annoyance than a major issue.

Severe Weather

Weather continues to be wild worldwide with un-relenting heat even in places like Europe. In Finland and the Baltic countries they were having a heat wave that caused Finland at least to put out heat advisories while we were there. The heat was only in the 80s up to around 90 but for that far North is was high heat. Thunderstorms are causing an already fragile air travel system to buckle at times. Just this past week and weekend thunderstorms along the East Coast caused nationwide cancelations and delays. While in Phoenix a Monsoon dust storm followed by severe weather passed by and closed the airport for a time. We were not flying that day but it did cancel our escape room since the roads were flooding and visibility was poor due to the dust. With hurricane season heading towards the peak we will all have to watch the weather if traveling.

Strikes, War, lack of product and Inflation

There are other issues that are effecting travel and the world in general to watch out for if you are exploring out in the world. There have been some high profile strikes at major airlines in the past couple of months and some near strikes (called off at the last minute). Lufthansa and SAS (Scandinavian Air System) have had employees strike in the recent months that caused mass cancelation of their flights. With frustration mounting with employees and customers strikes are popping up from time to time so you should always watch to see if your flight might be effected so you can have a backup plan.

The war in Ukraine has effected the world adversely in general. Costs for nearly everything has increased and that effects prices for everything travel related as well including airline tickets and rental cars. The war has caused an already struggling world trying to recover from the Covid-19 Pandemic to encounter even more issues. Gasoline price are high worldwide. In Jamaica it was around $8 a gallon while we were there and in Europe it wasn’t too much cheaper. We noticed at the Buffalo Wild Wings at Hobby Airport that they had a sign saying they were closed due to not having enough food in stock to help people. Like in our daily lives, shortages are very common now days unfortunately. We are all hopeful for an end to this war and to all the inflation world wide but for now it is something to watch and mitigate where you can.

How to Mitigate Issues

While there is no guarantee ever and especially now with travel that things will go perfectly there are a few ways I have mentioned before you can maybe make things a little better.

1. Buy travel insurance: Donna and I always buy travel insurance for international flights in order to get health insurance as your US Medical Insurance will not cover you abroad, but this year we have been purchasing it for domestic trips as well. The insurance varies in cost but AIG Travel Guard for us in general might cost $30-$50 a person for a weekend trip. If your flight is canceled they cover the cost for hotel and food and will also help you onto another flight if you need it. Its basically having someone else to help you through a difficult situation.
2. When flying if you can choose morning flights: If you can choose a morning flight close to the first flight of the day as you minimize the risks of delay. A 15 minute delay in the morning could grow to much longer delays as they day goes on for a plane and its crew. Also, at least in the summer, Thunderstorms are usually in the afternoon or evening so the morning flights avoid this issue sometimes.
3. Try not to check bags: Bags have been lost much more often now than in the past so its recommended to try to only take carry on bags to avoid getting your bag lost. So far Donna and I have done just fine when checking bags but you never know. On our cruise in Europe we heard multiple people saying they had no bags for their entire cruise. This also saves you time at the airport when you arrive since you can bypass baggage claim.
4. Have Patience and be Kind: Lastly while it won’t help a canceled flight or delays being kind to the crew and other passengers is something we all should be doing always but especially now. Getting angry at an already tired and frustrated gate agent is not going to get you on your flight any faster and will cause them and you more stress. Your kindness might encourage you to get better help anyway.

In Conclusion

While Covid restrictions are going away pretty quickly things are still very difficult in the travel world and in the world in general. Lack of staffing, lack of product, strikes, war, inflation and severe weather are upending travel and people lives around the world. For travel analysts have been saying things won’t return to a more normal way of business until at least 2023. So until then we need to be ready for anything to happen as we travel and be prepared for possible difficult times ahead (in travel and in general life). We are going to keep traveling but with a watchful eye for problems as we finish out 2022.