the new normal for travel

Daily life, as we’ve come to know it, has been upended in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. People are working from home. Bars, restaurants and entertainment venues are all closed. People are practicing (and don’t yet seem to be proficient at) “social distancing” — a concept that didn’t even exist a few weeks ago. And travel worldwide has temporarily ground to a halt.

These disruptions to our routines—all of our routines—have become “the new normal.” And among those industries adjusting to this new way of operating, are the travel and tourism industries. As Verified Travel Advisors, we’re closely monitoring developments in the industry, while, at the same time, we’ve been working to ensure that our clients are safe and protected while they travel. That means that we’re in a pretty good position to draw some “takeaways” from the crisis, as they relate to “the new normal” for travel.

Travel is Disrupted Worldwide.

Borders have been closed. Airlines have sharply reduced their schedules, and some have stopped flying altogether. Hotels are laying off staff and, in some cases, shutting down operations. All cruise lines who are members of CLIA (the industry trade association for cruise companies) have stopped sailing for at least 30 days. Many tour operators have canceled or suspended all tours, world-wide, for the next several weeks.

If you had travel on the horizon, you’re likely not going to be traveling in the near future. If you need to cancel or postpone future travel plans, here’s what you need to know:

• If you booked your travel with Huckleberry Travel, we can fully administer all of your bookings, and we’ve already been in touch with you to discuss options for travel that we know will be impacted by the crisis. We’ll be canceling or rebooking your travel, without any additional fees from us. Almost all of the airlines, tour companies, cruise lines, hotels, and resorts that we work with are preferred partners suppliers for our company; because we work primarily with companies that we trust, we can say with certainty that our partners have adopted very generous and flexible policies with respect to changes and, in some cases, outright cancelations.

• If you booked travel on your own, you can expect longer-than-usual hold times. Cancel and change penalties will vary by supplier, but if you’re looking to make a change to avoid a cancelation penalty, most travel providers are prioritizing changes for travel that is departing within 72 hours. If you’re scheduled to travel a week or 10 days out, don’t be surprised if you’re told to call back 2 to 3 days before your trip. And even then, don’t be surprised if you don’t get confirmation of your change, cancelation or refund until just a few hours before your trip.

• Our first priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our clients. So, please be patient with us as we scramble to take care of those clients who are currently traveling and trying to get home safely. With millions of travelers flying on airplanes every day, the industry is inundated with change and cancelation requests at a time where airline capacity is severely reduced, borders are closed and travelers who are abroad are desperately trying to get home. At the time that we’re writing this, United Airlines is only operating six (6) long-haul flights in its entire system. American is down to only three long-haul flights. So, please be patient as we all try to get your arrangements sorted out. If you’re traveling in April or May, know that we’ll get to you—we’re just working on the situation that’s immediately in front of us.

Postpone. Don’t Cancel.

We know that with so much going on, the last thing most people are thinking about it rescheduling their travel—it’s much easier to simply demand the refund and focus on what’s immediately in front of you—staying healthy and staying home.

At the same time, the travel industry is in crisis, and it’s entirely possible that the industry won’t be able to bounce back quickly, without trips (and revenue) in the pipeline. By postponing your trip, you’re helping to get the travel and tourism industry back up on its feet more quickly, once we’re on the other side of the crisis.

For our small business, and other travel advisors like us, we generally aren’t paid our commission until after you travel. And if you cancel your trip entirely, we may not be paid at all. We, like other travel advisors, do have a nominal fee structure in place, but it’s still the case that commission from the suppliers our clients select for their travels, is a greater share of our revenue and income. With all of our clients’ travel canceled for the next few months, we’re looking forward to the future. Your rescheduled vacation—the one you didn’t cancel—puts us in a position to make it through this difficult time.

Think About Planning Your Next Trip Now.

Which brings us to our next point. We know that there’s a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, but we also know that this too shall pass. Eventually, we’ll be through the pandemic crisis, and when we are, it’ll be the best possible time to get out there and explore the world.

Right now, we’ve got plenty of time to plan your next great adventure for later this year, or even into 2021 and 2022. By planning travel with us, you’ll be able to take advantage of some of the terrific values that will be available as the industry bounces back, and you’ll be working with a professional travel advisor that can make sure that you’re safe, protected, and well-cared-for in the new normal for travel post-COVID-19.

We’re here for you, before, during and after your travel. So, if you need us, call us. We’re here for you.