Travel is uncertain right now. Business trips are being canceled. Family summer plans are being put on hold. College students abroad are wondering if they will be sent home. Whether you have a trip already planned or are considering booking one, this is new ‘travel decision’ territory. Below are some resources on where to get information to make the most informed choice for your personal travel.
If you have already planned/paid for a trip:
- First stop before traveling should be the CDC COVID-19 traveler information site. This site gives up to the moment information about what countries fall in each of their ‘warning’ categories for travel, as well as a lot of additional information for travelers regarding the virus. Also, check the US State Department site for travel advisories. US citizens may enroll in the smart traveler program which has information and sends alerts and updates about safety conditions in your country of interest.
- If you want additional information, check the Travel Advice and Advisories for Canada as well, just to do a cross-check and gather further information. And if you want one more data point, the UK’s travel advisory site is another alternative.
- Look into the country you are visiting and see what policies or restrictions they currently have in place regarding the coronavirus.
- Find out what is a sunk cost and what is changeable/refundable. Deciding whether to travel or not is not solely a financial decision of course, but it’s good to have an understanding of what is refundable, changeable or a sunk cost.
- Contact your airlines to see what their policies are regarding refunds. Some airlines are offering refunds on flights booked to highly infected areas. United and American have waivers in place for travel to countries most affected by the virus and the links to their sites give the most up to date information on refunds, waive of change fees etc.
- If you have booked a trip via a tour group or travel agent, contact them directly to find out your specifics. Some cruise lines, for instance, are allowing cancelations and providing a credit to be used within a certain amount of time.
- For any additional tours/activities, you may have planned during your trip check with those vendors as well.
- If you bought trip insurance, check if it covers loss of travel due to the CDC advising against travel to a destination. If there’s no restriction to travel to an area it’s not likely you’ll get your money back as most providers don’t cover for ‘disinclination to travel’. Here is a good resource by InsureMyTrip detailing what insurance is likely to cover, depending on if it was purchased before or after 1/21/2020. Here is another good resource by SquareMouth insurance discussing both existing and new policies in relation to the coronavirus.
- If your trip is not cancellable and there isn’t a benefit to canceling (ie no refund available and it’s all a sunk cost) there may be no harm in waiting to see if things improve before your travel time or if additional airlines/vendors start offering refunds/vouchers.
- Consider what is right for you on a personal level. Evaluate your own risk factors should you be in a country that has coronavirus, in terms of your age, health and other risk factors determined by the CDC to put people more at risk. If you are in a high-risk group then take appropriate precautions.
- Consider your responsibilities at home should you be detained overseas – caring for children, caring for elderly parents, flexibility in getting back to work. Will you be able to enjoy yourself or would you be stressed being in that destination, whether you are detained or not?
If you are considering booking new travel:
In addition to checking the sites stated above to see if travel is currently advisable to the country/counties you are considering visiting:
- Check with airlines about their cancellation policy due to the virus. Evaluate the additional fees of cancellable/changeable flights and whether they are worth it or not.
- JetBlue just announced that they will suspend change and cancellation fees for any new flight bookings made from Feb 27 through March 11, 2020 for travel completed by June 1 – on any type of fares. This includes fares booked via Jet Blue vacations. It remains to be seen in other airlines will follow suit on this type of policy, but worth checking before you book a flight.
- Alaska Air has also suspended its change and cancellation fees due to coronavirus, from Feb 27 through March 12 for new flight bookings.
- Likewise, be sure to check the hotel and any activity vendor’s cancellation policy before booking, and opt for the more flexible options. Many companies are relaxing their refund/cancellation policies. Context Travel, for instance, has stated that they will offer a 100% refund on all new bookings made after March 2, 2020 for cancellations made more than 7 days prior to a tour.
- If you are considering travel insurance be sure to check the policy details regarding the virus situation coverage. “Cancel for any reason” policies are available, but come at a cost. In general, when looking for travel insurance I use insuremytrip.com which lets you easily compare policy offerings and pricing depending on what you want, choosing from a variety of companies/policies in one-stop shopping. Their article on how the virus impacts insurance is a good resource. Here is what SquareMouth says about new policies related to the coronavirus.
- If your insurance doesn’t cover medical coverage overseas, or if you want a policy that will get you back home vs getting local care while abroad, look into services such as Medjet. Their services, however, are currently restricted in those countries most affected by the virus where travel is restricted, such as China.
Be informed, be safe, wash your hands, cover your cough and make the best decision for you and your family.
If you decide to limit upcoming travel, have a look at our guide on Staycation Adventures – 10 Resources to Find Great Things to Do in Your Own Backyard
