So, pandemic month 13 is about to end as we watch the vaccines rapidly roll out in many countries across the world. We are close to 30 percent fully vaccinated. We will be ready to travel soon as we see countries beginning to prepare to open and more or less return to some kind of new normal.
There’s talk everywhere of developing corridors of safe travel and in many cases, we see countries opening only to fully vaccinated travelers. And yet… the USA just over a week ago elevated most countries in the world to travel advisory Level 4. Essentially, “Do Not Travel.” So, while the USA is moving faster than every country in the world except Israel to vaccinate its entire “willing” population we are being encouraged to wait and hold. It’s not a bad move. We are nearly there. But there are hot spots and danger areas. Let’s vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated and then open up the borders. And, yes, we see Greece, Croatia and Iceland opening up their borders, albeit with strong caveats, but why not wait a few more weeks. Makes sense.
Our travel machinery is ramping up. Plane schedules are being filled and hotels are starting to take bookings after 1 year of hibernation. There will be a summer season of travel and from September we should see our skies full, and our favorite destinations back. Roma…Ci manca!
And what will the return look like. Some things will seem and feel different. Rental cars are scarce, and prices are higher. Uber takes longer and is less available. People are reluctant to take public transportation in general. Masks will be a feature, not mandatory, but as in Japan, a feature of everyday life. Restaurants will emphasize outdoor seating and slowly but surely expand their indoor potential. Although, many restaurants we love will not be returning. Casualties of the pandemic months.
Airlines are increasing their flights. But airlines are also more cautious and wary of losing even more money than they have experienced so far. Cheap flights will be available but less so than before. Transatlantic capacity will ramp up and group travel will almost certainly make fully vaccinated people the rule rather than a recommendation. Restaurants, airlines, and entry to sporting events and theatres will almost certainly demand a Vaccine ID type passport/card. In Europe it will be a matter of months before they introduce a card showing a vaccination. No card….No entry, No boarding, No go!
Will everything return as if this was a blip on the landscape. Will we be confronted by crowded museums and lines at places like Versailles and St. Peter’s as we phase back to the crazy days of a bygone era. I don’t think it will ever quite be the same. We will adapt and will do things differently and most importantly we will never take for granted the wonder of a crowded vaporetto in Venice or a pedestrian traffic jam along Oxford Street in London. Maybe we will have become more tolerant and more conscious of the things that drive our economy. Maybe we will be kinder to each other. Do things with a smile rather than a weary look of frustration. Remembering all those lost months of no travel and no business. Locked in and working remote. Zooming to places rather than being there! Good to hold those memories and never forget how grateful we are for busy people racing through those airline terminals, dashing for an Uber or the metro.
The pandemic days will remind us all that we have just lived through something that will change us forever. And honestly, it hopefully will make us better travelers and better ambassadors as we explore new places and touch the tip of possibility once more.
See you out there somewhere.
Peter
Finally, we are seeing the government recognizing that consolidation is creating an arrogance in service and in amenities. After deregulation in 1978, industry charges like baggage fees and bumping passengers have been pretty much left to the airlines. And 80% of USA domestic business is now in the frightening hands of four airlines. Power to the few and less power to the consumer.
money where their mouth is. Dragging a guy down the aisle sounds like a bad wedding arrangement. It nearly cost them their business. CEO Munoz stated that he is committed to making things better and now overbooking as a policy is going to be phased out. Southwest, the darling of consumers, actually has the highest overbooking of any airline. They were just smarter and nicer about it.
Now airports are moving into food and drink technology. Many airports have iPad ordering systems set up around bars and themed food restaurants. The deal is that you sit down, swipe your credit card, choose items from the iPad menu, and then food or drinks come flying out at you from places that you had no idea. Meanwhile, there are bartenders that you cannot order from and wait staff that appear randomly with your food in no apparent order. The basic problem with that system is that it’s not that good. Somebody has to keep coming in to manually assist and more often than not, the timing is all screwed up. Sometimes you get wine when you should’ve received coffee, or pizza when you were looking for dessert. It helps to pass the time and the idea is to simply centralize the operation center, but the problem is that it doesn’t work that well.
possibly canceled, one word of advice, pray to God that you are not stuck at LaGuardia Airport. It sucks. Watching delays unfold and getting bad updates and then inevitable cancellations are frustrating and bring out the worst in all of us. Airline staff is not helpful and nobody has a clue. Usually, they point to a gate complaint line that is a mile long and have you wait there. If you are really lucky, you get a snack voucher. As for a hotel, dream on! 
much better. It’s as if they have no training on what happens when stuff goes wrong. That’s the only time they have to worry and that’s when they can really overperform. We know the airline food is bad, the seats are cramped, and the service in general on the plane is very average, so how about excelling at this? Help passengers who are trying to figure out what to do, concentrate on the pre-
boarding service, calm people, assure people, and take a genuine interest in getting people into a good frame of mind. Maybe they should have yoga attendants at the gates helping passengers breath. It’s a shame. This is an area where you don’t have to do much. Just be service-oriented and kind. Is that too much to ask?
Boston, the loudspeaker message came over stating they were looking for passengers prepared to take an alternative flight for a credit voucher on the same airline. Let the buyer beware, as we know with 
just as bad as reading a magazine during a dental surgery knowing that almost certainly what happens inside is not going to be good.
operating the most basic system of all with no baggage surcharge if you check, is always considered the best system? It’s random, there’s no class distinction, you just line up in rows with numbers allocated and you cannot move until they tell you. And on the airplane, it’s a free for all so you choose your seat, have a nice day, and get over it. It works and that’s the way it goes. The domestic boarding experience is one of the most horrific experiences known in the airline industry and yet the glowing example of how to do it right is staring everybody in the face.
about a $25 ticket on a 1,000-mile route? On the other hand, American is charging big bucks for crap service. Get a load of this – American’s numbers actually improved over last year. Alaska, which has just acquired Virgin America, looks like it will further improve its network and grab some of its strong points and push it over to what was its Virgin competitor.
