Should We Be Afraid to Travel?

Photo by Sam Lopez on Unsplash

With a pandemic in process, should we cancel any travel plans? Thankfully mine aren’t until the fall, and I’m fairly confident that by then this will be under control.

But for right now?Airlines are being more flexible. Hotels, though, are a YMMV. Most hotels have a 24 to 48 hour cancelation policy, but some may be difficult. If you booked through a third party, your reservation may be impossible to change. AirBnB is considering it an extenuating circumstance and requiring refunds — but only if the area you’re going is under an advisory.

Should you Cancel?

The answer is: It depends.

If you are over 60 or have an underlying condition known to cause a high risk of dying if you catch COVID-19, then cancel. Please. If you live in a household with somebody like that, please cancel.

If you’re young and healthy, then consider factors such as the number of cases both where you are going and where you are.

If you are right next to an outbreak, you should probably stay put so you don’t take the virus somewhere it currently isn’t.

Also, bear in mind that travel restrictions can pop up at any time. Now is not the time to book a trip unless it’s several months out. No, taking advantage of amazingly cheap fares isn’t a good idea if you…