What to Know About International Travel During the Pandemic

Just because America and a few other places are doing super well right now in regards to Covid, we may get complacent thinking this is the norm everywhere. I have been putting off flying domestically, because the safety protocols don't really meet my specifications right now and I don't really trust strangers in an enclosed space, making me uncomfortable in an airplane despite being fully vaccinated. Since international travel involves Covid testing for the most part, I would be more likely to travel out of the country.

If you're like me, know there should be some things to think about if you're planning an international trip soon:

Know the numbers

Just because the U.S. has fairly good and rising number of vaccinated folx, it doesn't mean other countries are doing as well. Many places still can't get vaccinated and there are governments that aren't making the ones they have available as widely as they could/should. Look at the vaccination percentages and also the Covid numbers. Both are really important to know in order to feel safe in any given place. You also should keep in mind that even if you are okay with taking the chance, there are variants out there that you could still contract, and you could also unknowingly spread Covid to other people who may have been okay before. 

What if you get stranded

There's still a chance that Covid numbers boom wherever you go, so have a plan. What if they go back into lockdown and you're stranded there? Can you afford to get stuck in another country? Will your insurance cover you? Is there a way for you to get home if the country closes? What if you get sick with Covid and have to go to a foreign hospital? you may be stuck there for weeks or months while you recover. You may be putting undue strain on an already strained medical system. Do some research and think about how you might be affected if the worst happens. 

Follow the rules

Even if you're fully vaccinated (which should be a given if you're traveling internationally) that doesn't make you immune to rules. Wear your mask on the plane whenever you aren't eating or drinking. Don't pretend you are just so you don't have to wear it. If a place requires you to get tested or present your vaccination card, remember that it's not just about you and places are trying to keep their own people/guests/customers safe and healthy. Don't make their lives harder. If they request you wear a mask, even outside, either do it or go elsewhere. Pitching a fit isn't helpful to anyone and just makes you look like a jerk. If you don't like the rules, that's on you.

Be Kind

I know this may sound like a "duh" suggestion for you, but "air rage" has dramatically increased with the pandemic. Remember that everyone's in the same boat and travel can be stressful. You don't know what people are going through, so try to give them some slack. I try to remember this even when not traveling, but especially when dealing with those in the hospitality industry, flight crews, and customer service. They're stuck there doing their jobs and you making it harder just adds more stress they don't need. If something goes wrong, give them a chance to fix it before getting upset. Things happen and sometimes mistakes are unavoidable. What matters is how they're handled once it's brought to their attention.

Tip Better

In places where tipping is normal, I suggest tipping better than you usually do. This pandemic has been hard on a lot of people and people are struggling, trying to make up for the year plus of lost income. Remember that when you go out to eat, use Uber or a cab, go on a tour, or use other services. I even tip more than usual when I visit food trucks. In fact, I feel really good about helping people so much that I plan to continue doing so even after the pandemic is over. Even at home I have a snack/sanitizer/water bin in front of my house for delivery drivers and mail carriers. They've been doing a lot more with people being stuck at home and don't always have time to stop for snacks or water. It all goes back to being kind to people and realizing we are privileged to even be traveling during this time. 

If you aren't planning to travel out of the country, but still want to go somewhere - because we all do - check out my list of great domestic destinations. If you also aren't into flying right now, a road trip can be really fun and indulgent. Check out my tips on how to make your road trips better, and packing tips for your trip.

Are you planning to travel this year?

LGBT-Friendly Travel Brands

Happy Pride Month, you guys! I've been doing my best to be an ally and get some info out about great travel destinations, and now I'd love to talk about some awesome travel brands that have the LGBT community covered by contributing to great organizations, sponsoring Pride events, and making sure their companies are both inclusive and diverse, creating a safe space for all people, no matter their sexual orientation, identity, and gender. 

photo credit

This is by far not a complete list, but these are some of the most outstanding brands when it comes to inclusivity:

Aggregates

Expedia
From their inclusive television commercials to their destination overviews for gay and lesbian travels, they offer the chance to read up and then book right on the site.
Orbitz

Need a one-stop shop for LGBT-friendly hotels, resorts, destinations and events? Orbitz offers up their own guides to make your vacation the best ever.

Airlines

airberlin

A member of the IGLTA, an active member and contributor to LGBT nonprofits and community campaigns, airberlin takes pride in have a diverse and inclusive staff from over 60 countries.

Alaska

Pride flies nonstop with Alaska and they have a list of resources for great Pride celebrations in cities they fly in/out of, including an events calendar and special discounts. 

American

American is one of my favorite airlines, but they are also a fantastic company on the inside. They the first airline to include sexual orientation (1993) and gender identity (2000) in its nondiscrimination policies for employees, it has criticized anti-gay legislation, and scored 100 on the Human Rights Campaign index.

Delta

Pride Takes Flight Here at Delta and they offer plenty of resources for folx to find the perfect vacation destination for them and also tout their employee equality culture and denounce anti-gay legislation and discrimination.

JetBlue 

The first airline to allow same-sex couples to accrue airline points together also supports amazing non-profits like the Trevor Project, National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and sponsored the Pride events their HQ of Long Beach, CA.

Southwest

Southwest is the official airline of several LGBT organizations, including GLAAD. Their tagline is "we support the LGBTQ Community, because we are the LGBTQ Community." Learn more on their LGBTQ Outreach page. 

United

The only other airline to earn a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign index, United is a gold partner of IGLTA and airline partner for the Gay Games of Cleveland.

Virgin

The entire Virgin brand is headed by Richard Branson, a proud and loud ally. They are an official sponsor of San Francisco Pride.

Hotels

Airbnb

I love a good vacation rental, and I'm a big fan of Airbnb. They have Project Lighthouse to uncover and overcome discrimination throughout their community and rentals. They also offer lots of experiences for LGBT folx.

Caesars Entertainment Corp.

Not only do they partner with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and IGLTA, but they also have scored 100 on the Corporate Equality Index many years in a row and even have their own microsite for their LGBT travelers. 

Choice Hotels

In 2019 Choice Hotels was named "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality" for 9th consecutive year. With another perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index, they have a long list of resources for employees, including Choice PRIDE that aims help create and maintain a supportive work environment.

Commune Hotels

Commune has a brand called Joie de Vive that has sponsored the San Francisco Pride celebration for many years, their Thompson Hotels on the east coast offers specials for NYC's Pride celebration. Both brands are TAG-approved, an LGBTQ-owned and operated Travel Advocacy Group.

Hilton Hotels

Stay Hilton. Go Out. Like several other companies, Hilton received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and is a platinum partner of the IGLTA and an official partner of the Washington, DC Pride parade and GLAAD media awards. Check out their Hilton Pride microsite.

Hyatt Hotels

Not only does Hyatt celebrate equality, but they have a Facebook page dedicated to it entitled HyPride, that promotes their HyPride program and their LGBT initiatives.

IHG Hotels (Intercontinental Hotel Group)

While fighting for marriage equality and and against anti-gay legislature, IHG joined the Human Rights Campaign in their efforts for LGBTQ rights, and has sponsored Atlanta's Pride festival since 2011 (as that is where their headquarters are located).

Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group

The first hotel to sign on as the first national hotel sponsor for the Trevor Project, is also a member of IGLTA and is TAG-approved. All of their employees are given yearly trainig on how to make their hotels more gay-friendly and accepting.

Marriott International

In my photo above, I'm wearing one of Marriott's #LoveTravels shirts. I saw my friend Troy wearing one (Troy writes for a lot of travel sites and also runs The Gay Traveler, where he specializes in LGBT travel) in an Instagram post and I asked about it. He was kind enough to send me an extra. Not surprisingly, Marriott also received a 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. You can read more about #LoveTravels here.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Starwood's W Hotels were the first to offer same-sex marriage packages in New York, but also frequently support Pride events and LGBT organizations around the globe.
vrbo
The vacation rental booking site is owned by Expedia.

Transportation

Amtrak

You can Ride with Pride with Amtrak and they also want to help you Ride to Pride, by showing you all the great destinations with awesome Pride events that are worth traveling for. They even provide a great link for more LGBT education.

Carnival Cruises

Carnival Cruiselines strives to treat everyone equally and extend the FUN to every single cruiser. The earned a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and participate and sponsor both the Seattle Pride Parade and Southampton Pride.

Lyft

Lyft does their best to support and employ the LGBT community. With equality in the workplace, they also contribute money to important organizations like StoryCorps' Stonewall OutLoud campaign and the ACLU, and they put their commitments out there with LyftUp.

Uber

Not only do they get you to all the Pride events safely, they also sponsor Pride events in major cities in the US.

I hope you're all having a wonderful June and Pride Month, even if festivities are postponed this year. Just remember, Pride isn't cancelled, and you can find ways to support the community and also celebrate safely. And if you want to plan your trips beyond how to get there and where to stay, check out this list from journey of 12 LGBT+ monuments celebrating history and Budget Travel has the 10 best LGBT+ bars in the US. 

What are your favorite LGBT-friendly travel brands?

Where to Travel Domestically Right Now

Things are reopening and a lot more people are ready to travel, but aren't too interested in taking a long flight. In fact, many people are still wary of flying internationally and are looking to domestic destinations to satisfy their travel bug. So, if you're looking for places in the US that have high vaccination rates and are still taking the pandemic, and your safety, seriously. 

While we're fully vaxxed, we aren't interested in going anywhere that's going to be super crowded or popular, and we won't be traveling in the summer at all. Right now, restaurants, museums, national parks and the like are super busy. In fact, many national parks right now are closing to visitors very early in the day, due to how many visitors they're getting. So, where should you go instead?

Los Angeles

More than half of those 16+ in LA are fully vaccinated and the state is finally open with some restrictions. Cases are dropping and soon those attending events and large gatherings will be able to use CLEAR to show they have been vaccinated. The state overall is trying really hard to lure tourists back, especially with Disneyland and other theme parks open.

New York City

Not only is NYC getting back on track for their people, but they will also be vaccinating visitors who would like to get a shot via mobile vaxx sites. Broadway shows are reopening, and the food scene is bouncing back, and those getting vaccinated are eligible for a ton of freebies, like Knicks tickets and Shake Shack yums.

New Orleans

Though it looks like NoLa was going to be pretty behind in keeping their local healthy, they shut down things and cancelled regular Mardi Gras celebrations and told travelers to please stay home. Instead of getting risque, you can now get freebies around town by flashing your vaccination card at restaurants, bars, and other businesses.

Charlottesville, VA

Virginia has launched its WanderLove campaign, and you'll find a bunch of LOVE installations across the state for taking pics. You'll even be able to get free beers and other things if you can prove you've had at least your first Covid shot. 

Houston

Despite how badly Texas in general is doing in regards to Covid vaccines, including not reporting correct numbers, Houston seems to be doing much, much better than everywhere else. Open-air concerts are back, so enjoy the weather and nature out at Discovery Green. This park hosts free weekly music performances, a permanent art installation and even two restaurants, where you can indulge in some great Texas BBQ.

Chicago

With vaccine rates rising and Covid numbers falling, outdoor dining and drive-in movies are returning this summer and people are flocking to the beaches. If you're looking for more to do in Chicago, check out this post.

Honolulu

Hawaii has been a great travel destination throughout this pandemic, holding firm on their quarantine rules and then omitting them for those who are fully vaccinated. Travelers are required to Covid test before travel and on the way back to the mainland. It's been a while since I've been to Honolulu, but if you're looking for affordable things to do, I've got tips for visiting Molokai, Maui or Honolulu.

Washington, DC

With Covid restrictions finally lifted, most of the museums have reopened. The weather is generally nice during the summer and early fall, so eating outside will be pleasant, allowing you to dig in to the rich foodie scene. Here are some of the things we did on one of our previous trips.

Las Vegas

After a rough start with opening and closing and trying to figure out how to keep things going throughout the pandemic, Vegas finally got it together and has been welcoming visitors with extra precautions. Thought many things may have closed, new things have opened, making the city new in lots of ways for repeat visitors like me. We decided against NBA Summer League this year, but we will be road tripping there in late September/early October. 

Some states are doing much better when it comes to vaccinating its population than others. Here's how each stands a month or so ago, based on how many have gotten at least one dose. If you're doing a road trip, this might be important information for your route.

If you are looking into traveling outside of the country, here are some countries with high vaccination rates that might be on your list to visit.

Are you hoping to travel soon? If so, where are you planning to go?