Author: Kristin Freeman

Everything about the Year 2020 has been unprecedented. As the world gears up to celebrate COVID Holidays this year, awareness of Air Travel safety measures is significance. Planning air travel in the current times has become a tedious exercise that requires a plethora of careful considerations. Travelers are still confused and apprehensive of the Do’s and Do Not’s while at the airport or on board a flight. If you are one of them, planning air travel but worried about how to fly safely without losing out on all the fun, this article is for you!

Air travel remains the most convenient and quick mode of travel. However, airports are also places that attract a considerable crowd. With the onset of the festive season, many countries are lifting travel restrictions. Hence, long queues and crowded airport lounges could be a common sight. Though authorities and airline companies would follow hygiene and safety guidelines, it is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure personal safety and hygiene as they travel. Here are a few safety tips we wanted to share for you to keep in mind if you are flying this holiday season.

1. Follow the Undeniable rule of Wearing Masks:

Wear masks at all times while you are at the airport or inside the flight. It is crucial to follow extant guidelines on proper usage and disposal of masks after use. While people in the risk category and the elderly are advised to wear medical/surgical masks, travelers in the relatively less risk-prone category can opt for fabric masks. Ensure that you keep your mouth, nose, and chin covered while you wear the mask. Keep a stock of a good number of masks with you. Wear a new mask once you deboard the plane.

2. Wash, Sanitize, Repeat!

While wearing a mask is one of the means of protection, washing hands intermittently is necessary to maintain proper hygiene. Do not forget to keep a good hand sanitizer handy to use while on the flight when water is not readily available.

3. Social Distancing Is The New Norm!

While booking air tickets opt for airlines that follow administrative protocols. If you can, choose to fly with Airlines which restrict passenger capacity to limited numbers. Doing so can facilitate  social distancing during your flight. Keep yourself at a distance from persons who appear sick and avoid exposing yourself to droplets from coughing and sneezing by co-passengers. If possible, check out options to travel in business class to ensure personal space during travel.

4. Touching Your Face Is A Big “NO”!

Despite all the precautions, you could still be vulnerable to infection. Inadvertent contact with susceptible surfaces increases the risk of disease. Therefore, avoid touching your face, nose, and mask frequently. A face shield is an excellent way to prevent yourself from touching your face often. Wearing shades or goggles would help keep your hands off your eyes.

5. Web Check-Ins to Ebb the Queue!

Given the pandemic, most Airline companies have enabled online check-in process. You can opt for online check in to avoid standing in queues and crowded areas.  It is important to reach the airport at least 3 hours before flight time if possible, with increased steps in the process extra time is always helpful!  Remain cautious about practicing social Distancing while undergoing a security check. Sanitize yourself soon after security check.

6. Medical Fitness Is Mandatory!

Visit your GP and get yourself checked before travel to ensure you are fit to travel. Avoid travel by all means if you are sick or feel unwell. Keep an Oximeter and digital thermometer with you to check your temperature and oxygen levels regularly while traveling. Keep your regular medicines, if any, handy just if you need them while onboard the aircraft.

7. Pack Your Lunch!

In compliance with Covid Protocol, most Airlines do not provide food on board. It is advisable to carry homemade food, water, and cutlery and avoid food from outside while at the airport and on a flight. After all, home-cooked food is the best food!

8. Carry Blankets And Other Essentials:

Carry blankets, earphones, and other personal requirements to use while on the flight. Be mindful of where you touch while using common washrooms.

9. Keep yourself abreast of airline policies concerning travel:

During uncertain times, there is a high probability that travel policies might change at short notice. Remain aware and informed of the current pandemic status at your travel locations. Ensure clarity of refund policies of the airline company in the event of a last-minute cancellation.

The Show goes on but be watchful – nothing can be more refreshing than a getaway after months of lockdown and isolation. The excitement to explore new places and enjoy the outdoors would sure be palpable. Amidst all the gloom and ambiguity that the pandemic has brought in, life still goes on, and we find new ways to deal with the new normal. However, to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, remain cautious all the while during your vacation and stay watchful after you get back home.  Remain in self-quarantine for the prescribed period post-travel. Be aware and alert to every minute variation in your health.

Let this holiday season be one of care, caution, and celebration!

Sources used:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/travel-advice?gclid=CjwKCAiA-_L9BRBQEiwA-bm5fjaKLO7meWOY-JiWFEiGccTZFChEcFwweS0TbnRZ0BG1c4vTEYOlfxoCvkIQAvD_BwE

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html

https://www.businessinsider.in/insider-picks/news/7-tips-from-travel-writers-on-how-to-plan-safe-vacations-during-a-pandemic/slidelist/77861444.cms

https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/updated-who-recommendations-for-international-traffic-in-relation-to-covid-19-outbreak#:~:text=Recommendations%20for%20international%20travellers.,human%20in

https://www.goindigo.in/web-check-in.html https://medical.mit.edu/covid-19-updates/2020/09/how-safe-air-travel

Where do you start when it comes to planning your vacation?

Step 1 – choose the right travel agent to help!  With so many destinations, travel guidelines and restrictions, resort and tour options travel planning can be overwhelming – travel agents can help guide you in your decision making process by providing both experience and industry knowledge that can prove invaluable.

So how do you choose? Simply searching for a “travel agent near me” and picking the first result that pops up may not be the best solution. Here are some helpful hints you should consider when choosing a travel agent for your next adventure.

Why Choosing a Travel Agent is Tricky!

When you begin your search there are a huge number of options provided – the digital world we live in ensures vast amounts of information to be delivered to your fingertips!  Search engines automatically rank options based on their relevance – certainly this means the first result will almost always be the best travel agent or agency to help you with your trip?  Unfortunately that is not the case. While it would absolutely make life easier the search engine simply cannot provide you with all the answers you need!   Search engines are complex, based on data that may not be relevant or important to you and your needs and by all means cannot measure some of the most important aspects of having a trusted travel agent as a partner.

That being said, our digital world can provide you with some helpful information to include credentials, reviews and content and is worth the time it takes to do some investigation.

How to Pick!

Vacation are unique for each person, family or group and are an investment, even if it is local or only for a short period of time.  Aside from these factors your time is valuable and what you get you want to spend making the memories with family and friends during your vacation – not setting in front of a computer planning it.   Here are some important things to consider when making your choice!

Reputation

When choosing a travel agent or agency to help you with your next trip, we cannot stress highly enough how important it is that you check their reputation. In fact, this should always be one of the first things that you do.

Why is this? Well, in short, considering the agent’s past reviews and reputation can provide a lot of insight into the services that they provide. Indeed, any travel agent can claim to be the best – but are they really as good as they say? Are they all they’re cracked up to be? Reviews can help you understand this.

Reviews from a travel agent’s past customers are particularly beneficial to consider. After all, they’re an unbiased opinion of the agency’s services and professionalism!

When looking at past customer reviews, the following things are worth thinking about:

● What was the star rating for the review (usually on a 1- to 5-star basis)?

● Where did the customers travel to?

● How long was their trip?

● What was the customer service like with the travel agency?

● Did the customer have any issues with the travel agency?

Finding out this information is easy; you can usually get a good idea of the travel agency’s reputation by considering this. Always make sure you check both the high and low rated reviews, too; they may provide more insight when considered together than when considered separately from one another.

Make Sure the Reviews Are Legitimate!

When considering a company’s reputation, always think about the legitimacy of the reviews! Unfortunately, it is possible for companies to fake reviews – this is something that is happening increasingly often these days. However, there are normally a few signs that can indicate that a company’s seemingly stellar reviews may not be all they’re claiming!

● When were the reviews posted? A common mistake that fake reviewers make when reviewing a company is that all of the reviews appear to be posted at the same time, or notably close in time to each other. For example, if you notice that many of the reviews seem to all be posted on the same day, or if the reviews are being posted at seemingly regular intervals, you may want to consider the potential of the reviews being faked.

● Do the reviews sound similar? This is something else that’s important to consider when thinking about a company’s reputation. If the reviews sound quite similar to each other then there’s the chance that they may have been written by the same person! Think about it for a moment – everyone has their own unique way of speaking and their own unique way of writing, too. So, if the reviews all use the same sort of language there’s the chance that they could have been faked by someone looking to get more positive reviews for their travel agency.

● Do they go into detail? A final thing that you might want to consider is whether the reviews go into detail. Normally, with legitimate reviews, you will see a selection of long and short reviews. Some reviews may only have a star rating. Others might have a short, few-word response (for example, “great service” or “highly recommended travel agency!”) while others could go into much more detail. So, when checking the integrity of reviews, check to see if there are varying lengths – and for longer reviews, do the reviewers go into detail about their trip? If they do, it’s more likely the review is legitimate – and vice versa.

Industry Knowledge

Choosing a travel agent to help with your next trip can seem difficult, but one of the most important things is that you choose someone with extensive experience in the industry. There are so many complications which could impact your vacation, from canceled flights to forgotten aspects of the trip; having a skilled travel agency on your side for the holiday will mean that any such difficulties are easily resolved.

Customer Service

When you choose a travel agent to help with your next trip, you should always think about the customer service that is available from the team. As part of this, consider how you can get in touch with them, their working hours, and how fast they have responded to any messages so far. After all, if there’s ever any updates that you need to know about while stuck in another country, you want a travel agent who you can rely on to get the right info to you as soon as possible!

Where Can Agents Help Me Travel To?

If you think that your next vacation would benefit from having a travel agency on your side, then you may be wondering about where you can travel with their help. And in short, the answer to this question is – well, anywhere you want!

A travel agency may specialize in a specific destination, such as Europe or local vacations. You should always check, therefore, that your chosen travel agent can provide you with the level of support for your vacation that you want!

However, it’s safe to say that travel agencies can help you get anywhere you’ve dreamed of.  In fact, their expertise and connections in the industry may even allow you to travel to destinations that might not of ever dreamed of also.

By choosing a travel agent to help you with your vacation, you’ll benefit in numerous ways.  Spend your time enjoying your vacation, not planning it or worrying about the details or potential hiccups that may come up along the way.

About Our Team

If you’ve been trawling the search engines for a “travel agent near me” then our team here at Fly Over Travel by Beach Happy may be able to help. We are proud to be able to offer our clients a superior standard of service for all of their holiday needs.

Our team has the skills and experience in the travel industry to get you where you want to go for the most competitive prices. From the beaches of Caribbean to the awe-inspiring landscapes, sights, and culture of Europe, or any travel destination in mind then we are here to help you make it a reality.  We are a team of five that all have specialized in various destinations around the world – not “jacks of all trades” but true experts in our areas.  We work in unison to provide the best experience to our clients no matter where their adventure is taking them.

Don’t put the fate of your next trip at stake. Give our team the chance to organize the perfect vacation for you, your family and your friends; after all, you deserve the chance to get away and experience the many wonders of the world, and we are here to help you do exactly that.

We would love to hear form you!

Follow our adventures at:

www.facebook.com/BeachHappyTravel 

www.facebook.com/FlyOverTravel

Why should I use a travel advisor or agency?

As a professional travel agency, we have heard it all, “I like planning my own travel” or “What does a Travel Agency do” or “I thought working with a travel agent would cost me more”? These are very common for those who have not used a travel agency in the past and it is ok to ask!

Before I was in the industry and  I started the agency I too booked all of my family’s trips – it was my passion and what led me to this profession but candidly each trip I booked I was hoping I made the right choices and had all of the details correct, bottom line a lot of STRESS.   I spent countless hours researching and guessing on where we should travel, what resort was best, what would the weather be like, what excursions and tours were safe and worth the investment and then who to choose?

As a Travel Agency we have the experience of knowing destinations around the world that are great options for everyone. Our agents travel each year to identify additional options for you and we network with other professional travel agents, tour operators, resorts and tourism professionals around the world to give us many options to choose from when recommending travel trips to our clients.

We take travel seriously. We take customer service seriously. We believe in showing value before you commit.

Below are a few reasons we think you should consider when deciding to use a travel agency. Take a look and if you still have questions please feel free to reach out.

Thank you for considering FlyOver Travel by Beach Happy as an option for information and resources to learn about travel.

WHAT WE OFFER: 

Expertise: Professionally trained travel agents invest years in education and complete length certification exams to become experts. We also travel and inspect properties several times a year to become more knowledgeable and gain further insight. Our goal is to match your wants and needs to the perfect destination / resort, we collaborate with our clients.

Stress Free Planning and Travel: Why waste time combing through the overwhelming amount of options online? We cut through the clutter to find what works best for you and your unique vacation needs. Agents also have partnerships with properties and suppliers for special deals and extra values like room upgrades, resort credits and more.  All you need to do is pack and go!

Value:  Many people are unaware that when you book online through one of “those” vacation site, you’re paying a “gross” rate that already includes an agent commission, whether you benefit from our assistance or not. Why not get the extra service and attention that you paid for?  Our partners provide us with the commission, our pricing for you tends to be the same price you could have secured for yourself and sometimes even less!

Consumer Protection: Unlike big box stores or generic websites, we don’t go away once your invoice is paid. We solve problems and advocate on your behalf when help is needed with 24/7 support. We also work with you to insure your trip and protect your vacation investment.

Support: We are in your corner during the booking process, leading up to your departure and through your travel.  We answer your questions before you leave, help with any pesky changes that pop up prior to departure (it is alot right now) and are a resource if anything comes up while you are traveling.  No waiting endlessly on hold to get answers!

However you choose to plan your trip, know that using a travel professional can take a lot of work off of your plate. Enjoy the comfort and security of having a partner in your next travel trip.

We would love to work with you on your next adventure!

Welcome to the FlyOver by Beach Happy Travel Blog.  For years we have offered advice and comfort to our clients as they plan their adventures.  We have the experience and expertise to provide a seamless travel experience  for families, couples, corporate or special event group.

Our goal is always clients first.  Use this blog to find information on travel, hints and tips and fun experiences we have had over the years with our company and our clients.

Let us take the stress out of travel for you.  We want to continue help make memories of a lifetime for our clients.

This is our inaugural blog post and we hope you come along with us on this journey as we strive to help keep inform you on destinations and the travel industry.

If you have ideas or thoughts we always welcome input.  Follow us on Facebook to let us know what you want to hear about or destinations you want to travel to.

We think FlyOver Travel by Beach Happy is the best travel agency you can choose.  We hope you feel the same way after browsing our website and traveling with us.

Enjoy the Journey!