What, Me Worry? Travels and Travails 2021-22

[genevieve]

I'm glad I am no longer forced to excessively sanitize my hands. The forced use of hand sanitizer is extremely rough on my hands.

I almost never used hand sanitizer through the whole pandemic I don’t miss the excessive hand washing in the office, which had really cheap/harsh soap.

So much in Indonesia is outside/open air and the island we’re on has very few foreigners. The region we visited the last week or so, no one wore masks except into convenience stores (sometimes). Flew yesterday - everyone masked except 2 white guys who live in Bali ) - and now in a larger city where it’s more masking. We even got our temperatures taken in a grocery store this am.

Very happy to be traveling before the masses arrive, and hope that all the tourism-focused businesses here get a ton of business in the next 2 months to help rebound from the last 2 years.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

It appears Viking Cruise line is no longer requiring/doing on board Covid testing. If testing is required prior to boarding is yet to be announced.

The only thing official I've seen is a letter posted by a current traveler, so it only reference on board testing.

We tested as we got on board, then every morning for the first three days, then they stopped testing. But it was nerve wracking until those results came back. Six people were led off our boat, but apparently the cruise before lost 40 people.

The return testing requirement was dropped while we were in the middle of the cruise, so that was a relief. (except for my sister who was hoping to test positive so she wouldn't have to go back to work )

 

[skatfan]

Airlines step up push to get U.S. to drop international COVID-19 testing rule

U.S. airlines are stepping up their efforts to get the Biden administration to end COVID-19 pre-departure testing requirements for international air travel.

www.reuters.com

Airlines continue to step up their lobbying efforts to get the international testing requirement dropped. In absence of that, I'm hoping there's a Trump-appointed justice somewhere who can restore our freedoms.

Yeah it will be so much better to have COVID + people on planes without masks. Plus, the airlines can’t handle the passengers they have now.

 

[skategal]

I hope no one is planning to go to/through Schippoll airport in Amsterdam anytime soon.

My husband is flying back today from his first work trip in 2.5 years.

Flew from Halifax-London-Brussels and then got train to Ghent.

This was a nightmare leg that included all airplanes and trains delayed or cancelled.

He finally arrived to his hotel in Ghent 24 hours after leaving our house. Total flying time 7 hours.

Then he flew to Amsterdam with 21 boxes of work stuff for an event and they didn’t arrive on time and Schipoll staff were pushing back saying they couldn’t get them the work stuff. Finally got it a day later after getting supervisors involved.

Now today he is flying out from Schipoll today and he told me his flight is two hours delayed.

The security line is 4 hours long if you don’t have Fastlane access.

Starbucks has 150 people in line and the moving sidewalk is broken causing seniors and people with disabilities to need assistance.

Fun times.

He’s actually on the flight to Toronto.

We will see if he makes his connection there but the flights to Halifax are about 2 hours late from Toronto everyday so he has a good chance.

What a mess.

I’m so glad I stayed home.

 

[Spikefan]

I hope no one is planning to go to/through Schippoll airport in Amsterdam anytime soon.

We are planning Italy next spring and one of the flight options is through there. I definitely will not select that one as I keep hearing of their issues.

 

[PRlady]

And yet DH flew round trip Basel-Amsterdam without delay. Of course with both airports in Schengen zone that probably cut down on passport control etc.

We are so glad we are driving and not flying for our next three trips. Even with the price of gas. Our sturdy little Crosstrek is finally going to earn its keep; most days it just loafs around in its parking spot.

 

[skategal]

And yet DH flew round trip Basel-Amsterdam without delay. Of course with both airports in Schengen zone that probably cut down on passport control etc.

We are so glad we are driving and not flying for our next three trips. Even with the price of gas. Our sturdy little Crosstrek is finally going to earn its keep; most days it just loafs around in its parking spot.

Yeah it’s weird how it works out.

Both ILs and us came through Toronto no problem two weeks apart with just a flight delay.

And Toronto airport is on the news
everyday for how bad the check-in, security, and customs lines are.

We aren’t flying again as a family until December. Hopefully it will be better by then.

 

[skategal]

We are planning Italy next spring and one of the flight options is through there. I definitely will not select that one as I keep hearing of their issues.

That are all bad right now but most likely will be fine by next Spring.

 

[made_in_canada]

That are all bad right now but most likely will be fine by next Spring.

I hope so. We have a trip to Mexico next spring and after a friend was left stranded for three days in Vancouver after a cancelled flight with two little kids I’m nervous about it. One thing is for sure, I’ll be investing in comprehensive travel insurance.

I’m also a little worried about my mil coming in September. She has major mobility problems and traveling that far is a lot for her at the best of times. They already tried to reschedule her for 24 hour layovers in both directions

 

[PRlady]

I hope so. We have a trip to Mexico next spring and after a friend was left stranded for three days in Vancouver after a cancelled flight with two little kids I’m nervous about it. One thing is for sure, I’ll be investing in comprehensive travel insurance.

I’m also a little worried about my mil coming in September. She has major mobility problems and traveling that far is a lot for her at the best of times. They already tried to reschedule her for 24 hour layovers in both directions

Isn’t your MIL in Newfoundland? That is a very long way to go between two places without major airport hubs.

 

[made_in_canada]

Isn’t your MIL in Newfoundland? That is a very long way to go between two places without major airport hubs.

Yeah, she is. There’s really no easy way to fly across Canada at the best of times. I just really hope that it’s not awful for her.

 

[skategal]

I hope no one is planning to go to/through Schippoll airport in Amsterdam anytime soon.

My husband is flying back today from his first work trip in 2.5 years.

Flew from Halifax-London-Brussels and then got train to Ghent.

This was a nightmare leg that included all airplanes and trains delayed or cancelled.

He finally arrived to his hotel in Ghent 24 hours after leaving our house. Total flying time 7 hours.

Then he flew to Amsterdam with 21 boxes of work stuff for an event and they didn’t arrive on time and Schipoll staff were pushing back saying they couldn’t get them the work stuff. Finally got it a day later after getting supervisors involved.

Now today he is flying out from Schipoll today and he told me his flight is two hours delayed.

The security line is 4 hours long if you don’t have Fastlane access.

Starbucks has 150 people in line and the moving sidewalk is broken causing seniors and people with disabilities to need assistance.

Fun times.

He’s actually on the flight to Toronto.

We will see if he makes his connection there but the flights to Halifax are about 2 hours late from Toronto everyday so he has a good chance.

What a mess.

I’m so glad I stayed home.

And just to finish it off, his flight from Toronto - Halifax is cancelled.

This trip will live in the annals forever of bad trips for DH.

 

[MacMadame]

This might interest people:

Air Travel Is a Disaster Right Now. Here’s Why.

The U.S. seems to suffer from chronic Nothing Works Syndrome.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[allezfred]

Why we should still be masking for the foreseeable future on flights.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1542599182711631872

People can’t be trusted to do the right thing.

 

[Louis]

Assuming the neighbor was C19 positive (not a safe assumption), did the person who posted this wear a KN95 mask for the entire flight, never taking it off once to eat or drink?

Because we can't assume anything about the neighbor, did the person posting this mask and social distance in the days before and after the flight, to be sure that the flight is the only possible place that they could have gotten C19? I'm dubious.

From the twitter profile, this guy seems like a serial complainer / attention getter. All scientific evidence points to the fact that your own KN95 mask protects you even if no one else is masking. If you're that paranoid about C19, don't fly. Demand is far exceeding supply; plenty of others were willing to pay for that seat and probably thankful that masks are no longer required.

 

[allezfred]

Assuming the neighbor was C19 positive (not a safe assumption), did the person who posted this wear a KN95 mask for the entire flight, never taking it off once to eat or drink?

Because we can't assume anything about the neighbor, did the person posting this mask and social distance in the days before and after the flight, to be sure that the flight is the only possible place that they could have gotten C19? I'm dubious.

From the twitter profile, this guy seems like a serial complainer / attention getter. All scientific evidence points to the fact that your own KN95 mask protects you even if no one else is masking. If you're that paranoid about C19, don't fly. Demand is far exceeding supply; plenty of others were willing to pay for that seat and probably thankful that masks are no longer required.

Sometimes people have no choice, but to travel whether it be for family or work reasons.

Even if the passenger was not the source of Covid, getting on a flight during a pandemic while you are coughing and spluttering all over the place is pig ignorant selfish behaviour. You are a bad person if you do it.

 

[allezfred]

Oh and airline staff getting Covid is one of the factors behind many of the flight cancellations. But I guess they are all getting Covid on their visits to the supermarket and not in an enclosed crowded space with hundreds of people for hours on end.

 

[genevieve]

This might interest people:

Air Travel Is a Disaster Right Now. Here’s Why.

The U.S. seems to suffer from chronic Nothing Works Syndrome.

www.theatlantic.com

Interesting that they don't mention anything about the impact of airline industry staff having covid or other health issues, only referring to "staffing shortages".

I just read a fascinating article in the New Yorker about the woman heading up the flight attendants' union in the US. Delta is the only one of the 4 major US airlines without a flight attendant union - and none of the other 3 were mentioned in the Atlantic article. Sounds like the AFA was able to work with CEOs of the 3 major (and some other union) airlines to negotiate a package as part of the CARES Act that helped those airlines keep staff on payroll so they are not facing the same staffing shortages (at least not health-related ones) as described in the Atlantic article.

Article from May 30, 2022: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/30/flight-attendants-fighting-back

ETA: I have my return flight on Thursday and am crossing fingers. Fortunately, it's a direct flight to Seattle, and I think coming from Singapore (vs Europe), on a non-US carrier, might give me better odds.

 

[MsZem]

Interesting that they don't mention anything about the impact of airline industry staff having covid or other health issues, only referring to "staffing shortages".

I just read a fascinating article in the New Yorker about the woman heading up the flight attendants' union in the US. Delta is the only one of the 4 major US airlines without a flight attendant union - and none of the other 3 were mentioned in the Atlantic article. Sounds like the AFA was able to work with CEOs of the 3 major (and some other union) airlines to negotiate a package as part of the CARES Act that helped those airlines keep staff on payroll so they are not facing the same staffing shortages (at least not health-related ones) as described in the Atlantic article.

I think that many of the staffing shortages - which are apparent not just in the US and involve airports as well as airlines - are due to people losing their jobs when air travel largely shut down in 2020. Even if they were kept on the payroll, they may have used the downtime to pursue other opportunities.

Not everyone is interested in coming back to jobs that are physically (and often emotionally) demanding, require work outside of normal hours, don't necessarily pay all that well, and can easily disappear again. And whether it's hiring new people for such jobs or retraining those who do want to return, ramping up to 2019 levels can't be done that quickly.

 

[once_upon]

We made it to the end of the runway . Parked for 20 minutes. I assume Chicago air space is full.

On a great adventure

 

[Louis]

Not sure if this is true beyond the U.K., but long delays in obtaining security clearances are another factor contributing to the lack of staff. Some of the newly hired have ended up leaving in frustration before they start as their start date keeps getting pushed back due to security clearance delays.

 

[skategal]

Not sure if this is true beyond the U.K., but long delays in obtaining security clearances are another factor contributing to the lack of staff. Some of the newly hired have ended up leaving in frustration before they start as their start date keeps getting pushed back due to security clearance delays.

This would be true in Canada for staff to process Passports and work at Customs and Border Services at airports.

I’m betting Customs staff would need Secret clearance which would take months.

Not sure how it works for Airport security staff as it is usually contracted out.

 

[once_upon]

Our plane to Spain is on the ground and I assume being clean. Closer and closer!

 

[allezfred]

No experience, no resume, you're hired! Hotels fight for staff

Top European hotel chains are hiring workers without experience or even a resume as executives admit years of underpaying staff have come back to bite, leaving them unable to meet post-pandemic travel demand.

www.reuters.com

 

[once_upon]

We had zero travel glitches on our way to Barcelona other than a 20.minute wait on tarmac pre take off from home airport. All flights went off, no begging for people to take incentives to change overbooked flights, luggage arrived with us. Got through customs with all the appropriate immunization cards/whatever needed.

Major sleep deprivation

One young man (probably in his late 20's) concerned me - he had nasal drainage, sneezing all flight. Will see if I get sick. He was 2 rows back and 1section over from me. Who knows?

 

[hanca]

Not sure if this is true beyond the U.K., but long delays in obtaining security clearances are another factor contributing to the lack of staff. Some of the newly hired have ended up leaving in frustration before they start as their start date keeps getting pushed back due to security clearance delays.

I read that too, but I am not sure why it should take so long to get security clearance for airport staff. DBS checks for teachers, social workers, foster carers and adopters are coming back quite quickly, so why should airport staff take so much longer?

 

[allezfred]

I read that too, but I am not sure why it should take so long to get security clearance for airport staff. DBS checks for teachers, social workers, foster carers and adopters are coming back quite quickly, so why should airport staff take so much longer?

Because of the volume of applications all at the same time.

 

[once_upon]

When we were waiting for fellow cruise travelers to join us for the bus, the cruise line staff said there were not enough customs personnel to handle the international travel needs. They said it was always a huge delay waiting for expected clients for that reason.

 

[KCC]

I flew all day today masked up with no issues at all. (I need to do everything that I can to be able to go back home on Sunday without delaying my return or infecting any innocent bystanders.) This is a family reunion, first time we were together in 5 years. Two people in our group have already tested positive and I expect more will be positive in another few days. Just hoping it is not me.

Is frigid air in the plane cabins part of the upgraded air filtration system? I wore long sleeves and was still freezing. On the positive side, all 3 flights were on time and my luggage arrived unharmed. My rental car was there, too, which was surprising since the rental car lot was about 75% empty.

 

[MacMadame]

Is frigid air in the plane cabins part of the upgraded air filtration system?

I always find the air frigid and the first thing I do on a plane is shut off the blowers.