What's Flying Like In A Pandemic?

Well, I did it. I finally got back on a plane. It had been 22 months since I did so, and I felt every day of that. Traveling is something that is a necessity in my life. Though we'd been doing Destination Date Nights, it only pushed off the wanderlust for so long. So, once we were all fully vaccinated and boosted, we booked a flight to Arizona to get away from the gross winter weather.

I had my doubts as to whether or not airlines would really enforce the mask rules, but I talked to several people on Twitter who travel for work and they all highly recommended Alaska Airlines, which is already my favorite airline, so I booked with them. I wasn't disappointed either. My favorite announcement from the pilot:

"You must wear your mask properly throughout the entire flight. Properly means over your nose and your mouth...at the same time. Once you are finished eating or drinking, you must put your mask back on. We are not doing this to make a political statement. It is for your safety. If this sounds too difficult for you, please let us know and we can get you off the plane and find you another way to get to your destination."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shereen Travels Cheap (@srayle)

So, what's it like flying now that masks are mandatory? It's surprisingly fine. On the way there we didn't have seats together. Eric and my mom both ended up with aisle seats and a middle seat between them and the other person in their row. I sat in between two business guys who read their books the whole flight, but who were very friendly. Aside from the one taking his mask down to eat a sandwich, they both kept their masks on and didn't bother me.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shereen Travels Cheap (@srayle)

We all sat together on the ride home and double-masked, only because there seemed to be quite a few people grumbling about flying with masks at the gate, and I actively heard some behind me talking about some anti-masker site that she was reading about and wanted to tell others about. We pulled our masks down to eat snacks, but kept them on in between bites, as requested. 

I always find the plane cold, so having a mask was nice for me. I only worried about the flight attendants being able to hear me when they came around asking if we wanted anything. Usually, you have speak loudly for them to hear you over the engine anyway, so it was about as annoying as it always is. 

The day after we came home, we made sure to test (I purchased at-home tests before we left) and then two days later, just in case. We knew we weren't sick before we traveled, but mostly only the tourists in Arizona were wearing masks wherever we went, unless it was enforced (literally nowhere), so we were being extra safe for family and my coworkers. You can still get tested for free and can make an appointment for when you return from your trip, but however you do it, testing should 100% be on the top of your to-do list. 

So, aside from masking and testing, travel is much the same as it was before, with the addition of social distancing when you can, bringing along hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes (which many of us were already doing), and having to contend with shorter open times when you get to your destination, waiting a little longer for service, and having to pay for most things with a credit or debit card - sometimes ahead of time, so you have a digital e-ticket to show. Planning ahead has never been more useful or necessary. 

Where will your next trip take you?

Free National Park Days

Last post we talked about National Plan for Vacation Day. It's pretty awesome that there's a day for it. If you don't have a lot of disposable money right now, you aren't alone, and perhaps a free trip to a National Park is an option for you. These do sometimes take planning, since the parks can get real busy. 

With winter dragging on and some places still getting fresh blankets of snow, you might be ready to get out of town. In preparation for the warmer temps, or for those of you who don't care how cold it is or how much snow is on the ground, let's talk about how you can get out and explore your national parks this year for absolutely free. Each year, the U.S. National Park Services open their gates to everyone and waive the daily entry fee to make getting outside cheaper and more fun.

• Jan 17 — Martin Luther King Jr Day (if you want to start planning for next year)
• April 16 — National Park Week kicks off
• Aug. 4 — Celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act
• Sept. 24 — National Public Lands Day
• Nov. 11 — Veterans Day

If you're an avid outdoors lover, then you may already have an annual pass, because you want to explore all the things. If you're like me, you only go to the parks when you're on a road trip, so you can't see the value of spending $80 for the year when you only spend maybe 3 days at a National Park. For you, save some money and plan your trips around these free days. The parks maybe be more crowded, but that can be part of the fun. Unfortunately, more people may mean fewer glimpses of wildlife, but it really depends on the park. 

Pack your cooler with some delicious foods, a blanket, and throw some clothes in an overnight bag if you plan to make a getaway of it (because, sometimes you aren't that close to a National Park), because getting outside just got easier:

Save some money on your pass

Did you know that seniors (age 62 and over) can buy a lifetime pass to the parks for just $10? Now that's a fantastic deal! Want to get a cheaper pass? Well, you might be able to. U.S. Military and permanently disabled citizens can get an annual pass for free. If you have a child in the fourth grade, with the Every Kid in a Park initiative, your whole family is eligible for a free pass. 

Split the pass with a friend and add $40 to your pass cost. Each pass can have two people as owner on it (and they don't need to be related), so if you have a a friend or family member who also wants to go to the parks, but doesn't necessarily want to spend full price, add both  your names to the annual pass and split the cost. You'll each pay just $60 that way and will only have to work out who gets it when (or go together). This is great for families, because the NPS has a lot of offer for kids, not least of which is the Junior Ranger program, where kids engage in different educational activities at each park and receive a stamp in their parks passports and often a badge for completing each one. 

When to skip a pass

If you only plan on visiting during the above times or you plan to visit the smaller parks that don't charge a fee. For the record, there's almost 300 of them. Here is the list of 120 parks that charge admission that you can get into free on fee free days. If you want to try to avoid the crowds, check out these "hidden" spots.

Visit Canada

Canada has National Parks of its own, and they were established before the U.S. NPS. With tons of open spaces, it's a great place to head to get outdoors, plus they also have fee-free deals for under 17s and new Canadian citizens at all 47 parks across the country. Once they are open to Americans again, it's a good excuse to visit and enjoy new outdoor spaces. 

Now that you have some options, all you need to do is plan your trips, find some awesome hiking boots/shoes, charge your camera and get out there. 

What's your favorite national park and why do you love it?

How to Celebrate National Plan For Vacation Day

January 25th is National Plan for Vacation Day. With January being the best month for booking travel and travel bouncing back from its two-year slump, you might want to definitely give it a go this year. Over the last 20+ months, many of us have found ourselves dreaming of big trips and longing for when we can get back out in the world. 

If this perfectly encapsulates your life right now, then perhaps now is the time to start planning your next trip and figuring out how to make it happen. With the holidays behind us, travel rates have dropped, because availability - on planes and hotels - has greatly opened up. Even if you're looking to travel during the high season (i.e. summer), flight prices right now will be lower than if you purchase closer to your travel date. You just have to plan in advance. 

Traveling Internationally

If you're looking to travel internationally and want to save, look to go in August, when flights can drop up to 20%. This may be because lots of countries in Europe go on holiday. This doesn't mean you won't have anything to do. Do some research into what things will be open and how many options you have. Generally, tourist attractions are available, but you'll find shorter hours, and many dining establishments will be closed. 

Be Loyal

Do you have a lot of frequent flyer miles or hotel points? This may be the time to use them. Save on either (or both) your flight or accommodation, so you can do more at your destination or eat in more desirable restaurants. (Not that there's anything wrong with those hole-in-the-wall places that are amazing and food carts and the like. Those are some of my favorite places to eat. Here are ways to save on dining.)

Cruising

Those of you wishing to finally take a cruise will find that "wave season", the first few months of the year, is when most of the great deals will be available and when most of the rooms are booked for the year ahead. In fact, travel advisors book 75% of their cruise business during this time.

Saving

I save in a variety of ways. If you're planning right now, then make a plan to also save money for your upcoming trip. There are so many ways to stuff your savings account a little bit at a time that don't really feel like that much work. 

When planning what you want to do on your trip, don't forget to look into the cheap and free activities to fill in your days between paid attractions and dining out.

Still thinking about where you want to go next? Maybe take inspiration from one of your (or my) Destination Date Nights

Soon you'll be hearing about my recent trip to Arizona. I'm also getting ready for a trip to Las Vegas for the Travel Goods Show. If things go well, we'll be taking a summer trip, and we have a vacation to Paris planned in the fall. I'll be doing everything as safely as possible and testing as often as I need to be able to do that. 

What are your hopes for 2022 travel?