Traveling During Pandemic – Some Guidelines

City of Love – Paris
July 13, 2021

Due to the pandemic traveling has been restricted in many areas. There are now several guidelines in place for traveling.  If you have not traveled since the pandemic began you may be unaware of some of the new guidelines that are in place.

All travelers must adhere to these guidelines as they have been put in place for the safety of all passengers on commercial flights. Here’s a look at what you need to know about traveling during a pandemic. These are guidelines and may subject to change per country and flight.

Face  Masks

All travelers are now required to wear face masks. You must wear your face mask at airport security checkpoints. Your masks must not be removed at any time when you are indoors or when you board the flight.

 You will need to remove your mask briefly for identification purposes. Masks are mandatory onboard flights, you may double up your mask if necessary to provide extra safety.

Practice Social Distancing

You will need to observe strict social distancing when going through the airport security checkpoints. There will be appropriate spacing markers on the floor to show you exactly where to stand.

Sanitization

You may bring one liquid sanitizer with you. However, it may not exceed 12 oz. Each passenger is allowed to carry a sanitizer in their carry-on bag. Liquids that were previously banned from travel are still not acceptable.

TSA officers will change their gloves each time they pat down someone for a security check. They may also change their gloves if you request it as well.

Frequently touched surfaces in the airport terminal are now constantly wiped down and sanitized to prevent cross-contamination. This includes equipment that is used for a security screening.

Physical Contact

Physical contact has now been severely reduced under the new guidelines. You are allowed to keep your IDs and your boarding pass; these will be placed on a reader. After it has been scanned by the reader you may then hold it up for a visual inspection.

Due to the minimizing of physical contact, you will be asked to remove your personal items. Personal items such as your keys, your phone, or your wallet, will be placed in your carry-on. These will then be scanned.

You should ensure that you wash your hands after the screening process and sanitize after you have gotten to the departure gate.

Be prepared to endure additional wait times as covid-19 operations have significantly slowed down the checkout process. It is important to note that TSA now offers a pre-check process that makes it easier for you to get through the checkpoints without delay.

Stay Safe

As you can see several protocols have been put in place to ensure your safety as you travel. If you are concerned about the safety of your flight you should call your airline and find out the measures that they have put in place for your safety.

For your own security, you can choose to double up your mask. Try to remove it as little as possible. This is why it is better to take shorter flights during the pandemic.

 This is because it’s unlikely that you will get hungry and have to remove your mask to eat. If possible try to take a flight with fewer passengers on board.