What TravelKatz is telling our clients about traveling now

Today’s traveler is much more resilient than many were pre-pandemic. While the omicron variant of Covid-19 has been spreading rapidly around the world, travel advisors have reported that bookings remained intact.

Of course, as with any other Covid-related news, omicron has caused some cancellations and some rebooking headaches. But the good news is, most of the people who want to travel aren’t worried about the new variant.

However, travel restrictions and flight cancellations as airlines have smaller crews is impacting travel. And as a result, there have been some issues and those issues have caused some clients to become concerned.

With that said, they’re all very aware of travel restrictions because of how clearly TravelKatz has been communicating prior to their travels.

Thankfully, our clients are very flexible in making adjustments if that’s needed. For cases where we’re seeing travelers testing positive during their journey, we’ve worked with them on making sure they’re in a safe and comfortable environment while they ride out their quarantine.

Travel restrictions likely aren’t going anywhere, either, especially as omicron continues to spread. More leniency is expected – for instance, the CDC’s reduction of quarantine time for those found to be Covid-positive as an example — but in the meantime, TravelKatz has shared some sage advice:

• We set expectations up front as to the potential scenarios involved with international travel. We’ve provided resources and guidance to navigate these policies along with verbiage to share with our clients, so they’re not held responsible for Covid-related disruptions.
• We offer travel insurance to offset any potential costs in the event of quarantine, and have our clients sign a waiver if they decline.
• We are very mindful of cancellation terms and communicate them clearly. Insurance partners have generally been very accommodating, and our clients assume they’ll be able to receive a credit.

We also recommend the following to our clients:

• Take extra precautions in the week leading up to your trip to reduce the likelihood of a positive test before or during the journey.
• Diligently follow the health safety guidelines put in place by the hotel and airline carriers while you travel.
• Even if your destination doesn’t require a test prior to departure, take one anyway as you’ll need to test negative before arriving back in the U.S.
• Bring antigen test kits just in case there is a limited availability of tests in your destination. We recommend www.eMed.com – it’s virtually proctored, so it’s accepted as a formal antigen test.

As we’ve advised from the beginning of the pandemic, every person must decide their comfort level in navigating their life and travel based on personal and familial circumstances. There’s a new level of risk involved with the recent frequency of transmission, no doubt, but there are also measures that you can take to mitigate the impact of those risks, and that is why we’re here.

Contact TravelKatz at 352-277-7300 with any travel questions.  We’re here to help any way we can.