Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Riding Out the Virus

This post is by Sue Tindell.

    I haven't been blogging lately, because I haven't been traveling. Hardly anybody has. Since the coronavirus pandemic reached America back in early March, almost everything was shut down for the duration. Fortunately, it appears that duration is now close to ending. At Travel Designers Travel Leaders in  Rice Lake, we've been working hard these past three months to help our clients sort out their travel issues and help them start planning for the day--hopefully soon--when it's safe to travel widely again.
    We've been putting out a weekly newsletter in these past few months, and to get this blog rolling again, I thought it might be helpful to go back and reprint the newsletters, starting with the one we issued on March 30. Looking back on them, it's hard to believe we've come this far in just two months' time. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, we'll be using this blog to give our readers and travel friends an idea of where we were, how our clients were doing and how we've coped. 
    So, let's go back in time to the early days. Unlike the old Lone Ranger TV show, we don't consider them "thrilling days of yesteryear." 

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March 30


  

    Hello, fellow travelers. It feels odd to write that, because nobody is traveling now, and we really don’t know when we’ll be able to start again. I’m confident that day will come, but in the meantime we have to deal with the disappointment of lost vacations, delayed dreams and fears that these chances to travel again might be a long time returning.
    As we work together to straighten out the myriad and often maddening web of cancellations, vouchers and refunds, we also have to deal with the grief of seeing our travel dreams deferred to some uncertain future date. And “grief” is exactly what it is, with stages that are familiar, because we’ve all experienced grief.

Stage 1: Denial
     
    We had all heard that the coronavirus was causing serious problems in China, but we tended to downplay the voices who warned that it would disrupt the entire world. Hysterical doom-sayers, we thought.
    But then it happened, and as we saw flights and cruises canceled and heard news of borders being closed, our denial quickly changed. We entered the next stage.

Stage 2: Anger
          
    By early March, it was getting very real. Athletic events and concerts were being canceled. I was traveling with some colleagues to South Asia, leading up to our scheduled International Summit in Jaipur, India. In the foothills of the Himalayas, we explored Nepal, but our planned visit to neighboring Bhutan was called off when that nation closed its borders. Within a couple days, India closed its borders and we were advised to come home. The conference was canceled and we were told to get the first available flight out of Kathmandu and hope for the best.
    We were tired, fearful and a little angry that we’d been unable to visit Bhutan and India, and when we returned to our offices the new reality sank in very quickly, as we went to work helping our clients alter or cancel their own travel plans. We heard the pain and frustration in their voices and much the same from our travel partners—airlines, cruise lines, tour companies, hotels—as we all struggled with the situation. Very quickly, we had to move out of Stage 2 and deal with what had to be done next.

Stage 3: Bargaining
          
    We’ve been able to secure travel vouchers for virtually every one of our clients. These vouchers are good for future trips, as the great majority of our vendors were confident of their ability to ride out the virus and resume full operations at some point. Some of our clients requested cash refunds, perhaps because of the uncertainty of future dates being available, or the desire to have cash available now. Every day, we are working diligently to ensure that all of our clients will be able to come out of this trying period with something.
    Horror stories have been rolling in almost daily about internet-based companies, such as BookIt.com, who have closed their virtual doors and left their clients literally stranded in foreign countries, in some cases with large tabs for hotels or airline tickets that they had already paid to the travel companies months ago. In other cases, these clients are stuck on hold for hours on end, if they can even get through to someone, in their desperate attempts to get relief. I have great empathy for travelers stuck in those situations, and our office has been working extra hard to make sure our own clients are served as quickly and as professionally as possible. And as we work together with clients, we begin to move into the next stage.

Stage 4: Depression
          
    We began to experience the same feelings our clients were having. Will this ever end? Will our business survive? When will things get back to normal? And what kind of “normal” will that be? We avoided looking at our retirement accounts. Every night we sat in front of the TV, trying to figure out what news could be trusted, whether our leaders were doing the right thing. As more and more of our town and area moved into quarantine, with school suspended, many businesses shuttered and even our churches closed, we started thinking, if only just a little bit, that the gloom-and-doom people might just turn out to be right after all.
    It was depressing to even think about it, and for what seemed like weeks but was actually only a few days, things looked bleak indeed. But then, we moved on to the next stage.

Stage 5: Acceptance

    The new reality, even if it is only temporary, is now upon us. We can’t travel—not only on flights or cruises, but not even by car across the state to visit relatives. We now know a lot about phrases like “social distancing” and “self-quarantine.” Our leaders have called upon us to be mindful of our neighbors and other members of our community, to help them, and us, avoid infection and illness.
    But we have also seen many hopeful signs. In some countries, the rate of infection has dropped. In our own country, the massive power of American industry is kicking in to supply our medical providers with vital equipment and supplies. Our scientific community is working hard to develop drugs to treat the disease and a vaccine to prevent its spread. Government on every level is responding with coordinated, non-partisan efforts. We’ve also been able to start gaining much-needed perspective. A hundred years ago, America suffered greatly from the Spanish flu, and yet here we are, thanks to the sacrifice and determination of our great-grandparents.
    We will get through this. Working together, caring for our loved ones and our neighbors, we will survive this. The planes will fly and the ships will sail, and we will be there to help our clients realize their dreams.



April 6




    We are now into April, and although it seems like the coronavirus pandemic has been disrupting our lives for months, it’s actually been only a couple weeks or so since schools and many stores closed down and we were forced to start changing or canceling our planned travel.
    How are you doing? Hopefully, you and your loved ones have been able to steer clear of the virus. Things might still get a little worse before they get better, but many projections now have us approaching the peak of the pandemic here in the U.S. Indeed, many countries that were hit hard early are now getting a handle on things and moving back toward normal life.
    It might be hard for us to remember what “normal” life was, even though it wasn’t that long ago. For most of us, dealing with things like social-distancing or self-quarantining are presenting us with new challenges. To meet them, maybe we can get some tips from our friends across the sea, in one of the countries hardest-hit by the virus.
    Italy has always been one of my favorite places, and one of the top European destinations for our clients. But the virus has hit the Italians harder than any other nation on that continent. There are signs that Italy is on the downside of their “curve,” and we join our Italian friends in hoping and praying that’s true, and that in a short time things will start getting back to normal over there. In the meantime, Italians are coping, and many of the ways in which they’re doing it can teach us a few lessons over here. Travel writer Natalie Beauregard writes about them on the site www.afar.com. She talked with Sophie Minchilli, operator of a food tour company based in Rome, who said it’s about dolce far niente.
    That translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing.” Minchilli notes that many Europeans, like Americans, live in a world where we have to constantly stay busy. Full schedules give us meaning and purpose. But, she says, “Italians have a different approach to life. They have figured out a way of being in the moment with such joy and blissfulness that they don’t need to ‘look forward’ to anything else.”
    How can Americans find “the sweetness of doing nothing” while we are home under quarantine, or at the least, very limited in what we can do if we leave home? Here are some tips:
    --  Make a schedule. Even if we’re staying home that day, it helps to get organized and have things to do, so we’re not overwhelmed with free time. Set some goals: start that book you’ve been meaning to get to, bake some bread, tackle a home-maintenance project that’s overdue.
    --  Get some exercise. You may not be able to go to your gym, but the internet is full of free classes, and you can always take a walk, stretch, and do exercises that don’t involve special equipment. Good physical health and emotional well-being go hand-in-hand.
    --  Take a technology break. The explosion of information can be overwhelming, so set aside a time where the phone is turned off and you stay away from the computer, especially before bedtime.
    --  Chat with friends, interact with family. When you use your phone, use it like a simple telephone. Give a friend or distant relative a call. Re-connect with people you haven’t talked to in a while. If the kids are home with you, set aside time for games, and not computer games, either; re-discover the joys of board games and puzzles. And now might be the time to spend more quality time with your spouse, too.
    --  Cook something. Anybody who’s been to Italy, or even to a good Italian restaurant in the U.S., knows that Italians know how to cook. Since we’re not going out to eat for the duration, the joy of cooking can return to our homes. Plan a menu for the week, so you can shop smartly, and involve family members with the cooking (and clean-up!) chores. Experiment with new recipes. Now’s the time to think outside the food box, literally. Cooking from scratch is not only emotionally rewarding, it provides healthier meals. (And it’s a lot more fun!)
    When things get back to normal, we’ll be helping our clients resume their travel dreams, and no doubt some of them will want to go to Italy. The history, the culture, the food…I might just go back myself! But in the meantime, while we’re still here at home, we can all enjoy a little dolce far niente.
    Arrivederci, my friends!
          


April 13



    The big question everybody has now is, “When will things start getting back to normal?” And for those who want to travel, and those of us who want to help them, it’s more specific: “When will I be able to travel again?”
    Those are questions that have no definite answers right now, but all indications are that we’re getting there. Nobody can put a date on it, but there are some things that must happen before we can start traveling:
·       
          --  The State Department must lift its Level 4 travel advisory, which has been in place since March 19.
·        --  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must give the “all clear.”
·        --  The World Health Organization (WHO) must give its all-clear, as well.

          Closer to home, we will be watching for when schools are allowed to open. Wisconsin schools closed on March 17, and the school year is scheduled to end during the first week of June. And, of course, we are all waiting to hear about the re-opening of businesses that have been forced to close their doors or drastically limit what they can offer their customers and clients, such as restaurants. China has already done that, and many European countries are either starting to re-open or are planning on doing so within the next couple weeks. Here in the U.S., several state governors are now discussing their options.
          Within the travel industry, one big indicator will be when travel insurance companies start selling insurance policies again. Many of them stopped when the outbreak began in March, and some added new restrictions. When the companies start offering policies again, that will be a strong indication that it’s safe to travel.
          We understand that our clients may not feel completely safe to travel, even when authorities are telling us that it’s okay. Many people will want assurances that airlines, cruise lines and hotels will be taking proper precautions with regard to hygiene. We will certainly be working with our travel partners as closely as possible so that we’ll be able to answer our clients’ questions with confidence.
          Tourist attractions will start re-opening eventually, but this may not necessarily be a completely reliable indicator that it’s safe to travel. It will undoubtedly be a combination of factors that will work together in helping you decide when it’s okay to travel, or even when it’s all right to book a vacation that might be several months down the road. Savvy travelers have been relying on us travel agents to help them for years, and we’ll be ready to help you again when the time is right. And, we all hope, that time isn’t too far away.



April 20





    As we make our way through the coronavirus pandemic, we’re starting to hear from clients who are wondering when they’ll be able to start traveling again. That’s a good question, and one of those that’s impossible to answer right now, at least as far as putting any kind of date on our calendar. But it will happen, of that we’re very confident. And when we start to fly and sail again, what changes will we have to deal with? Because change is coming, and we’re pretty confident about that, too.
    There are some things travelers can do right now that will help prepare for the coming re-opening of the travel industry:

·        --  Make a list of your travel vouchers and credits. Note their expiration dates, the companies’ names, original travel date, original confirmation code or itinerary number, and especially the amount of the credit. If you booked through our agency, we have records of your vouchers and can help you with getting things organized.
·        --  Check your passport expiration date. Although passports are good for ten years from the date of issue, most people don’t realize that, in essence, the passport expires six months in advance of the ten-year date. That’s because the country you intend to visit often requires you to have six months of passport validity remaining in order to enter the country. If you’re planning to go to Europe, for example, and your trip is scheduled with less than six months to go on your passport, you may not even be able to get on the plane. We advise our clients to begin the renewal process as soon as they pass the nine-year mark. And right now, no renewal applications are even being processed, because of the pandemic.
·        --  Be aware of the state of your destination country’s pandemic situation. Some countries may “re-open” ahead of others, but there are no guarantees that announced or predicted dates will actually happen. For example, you may hear in July that Italy will “re-open” as of September 1, but you will want to book your Italy trip for some time well after that date, just in case.

    When you do get ready to travel, will it be safe? During the current period, airlines are offering only a few flights, and most cruise lines are not operating at all. But planes and ships are not just sitting empty, and the airline and cruise line employees are not all staying at home. A lot of them are at work, making their planes and ships safe for their current and future customers.
    Delta Airlines is still flying a reduced schedule, and has already implemented safety procedures related to the virus. Middle seats are not sold or occupied. Total numbers of passengers allowed on any particular flight are reduced. Certain upgrades will only be processed at the gate, allowing gate agents to determine if social-distancing guidelines can accommodate the upgrade request. Delta has also instituted a new standard of cleanliness for each aircraft. In addition to frequently cleaning the cabin and other areas of the plane, Delta is streamlining its onboard food and beverage service to decrease touch points between passengers and crew, boarding only ten passengers at a time, and moving passengers about the cabin after takeoff in order to maintain proper distancing and weight distribution. Plus, Delta is giving passengers up to two years to re-book a canceled flight for which you have received credit. This last part may change fairly often, so we are making sure to stay on top of it so we can give our clients up-to-date advice.
    Cruise lines are using this time to thoroughly disinfect their ships and institute new sanitation and hygiene practices for when sailing resumes. Carnival, for instance, is greatly increasing the frequency that virtually all surfaces on its ships will be cleaned during a cruise. Among its extensive protocols, Carnival will make more hand sanitizers available, and passengers in buffet lines will not be able to serve themselves. The CDC regularly inspects cruise ships anyway, and certainly each ship will undergo inspection before it goes back into service.
    We are certainly looking forward to helping our clients travel again, and they’re certainly anxious to travel, too. But we’re all mindful now of safety, even more so than before. As our industry moves toward the day when the “All Clear” is signaled—and we all hope that day is soon—we’ll be working closely with our travel partners and our clients to make sure that each client’s travel experience is safe, secure and even more enjoyable than before.

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    A lot was sure going on in those early days, wasn't it? In our next posting, we'll finish with April and get into May, when light started to make its welcome presence known in the coronavirus tunnel. 

    
         


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