Updates on various countries. Some of Europe is struggling but India is doing much better.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pandemic-travel-news-austria-lockdown-vaccine-mandate/index.html
Wonder if other countries will follow? Germany is considering lockdowns as well. And some Christmas markets have been canceled.
India did fine last winter too. Its major wave was in the spring.
The waves seem to follow the weather now - whichever season puts most people inside for a location. That and school starting for the US.
Yep - he’s still on the loose. It was a huge mess yesterday at and around the airport. THe guy driving us tomorrow wants to pick us up a half hour earlier just b/c it could still have issues. People who abandoned luggage and belongings outside of security are being told to contact the airport, and those who abandoned their belongings past security (on the trains or concourses) are being told to contact their airline. It was a huge mess for several hours with a ripple effect here and at other airports. Sigh…
Travel by air, is much less pleasant than before. Left for Memphis on Friday AM. First flight delayed then cancelled. Switched from F seats to coach. First flight delayed. When it left, mask compliances was low on the plane – lots of noseless masks and chin straps. Went to the Admiral’s Club in Charlotte – low ceilings, packed tightly, with virtually no one wearing a mask. On the next flight, they made me gate check a suitcase because I also had a garment sleeve. As a pretty elite flyer, the airline almost always let me take the garment sleeve on and hang it in the closet. Mask compliance again week and I’d say less than 30% in Memphis airport. No one is social distancing despite signs. I assume that, given the lack of compliance, the covid prevention behavior of a number of these folk is less than adequate so the chances someone is infected are relatively high relatively to a generally mask-compliant group. Generally, I sensed a fair bit of tension in the airport. Unhappy people for various reasons.
On the way back, the flight to Charlotte was also late but the FA and the pilot were very clear that they expected masks to be worn and that the FA’s were the representatives of the pilot who said that anyone who didn’t want to comply with FAA rules would be escorted off the plane and not allowed to fly this airline again. Mask compliance was high. At the gate waiting for the connecting flight, they called my name and boarded me and my wife first because of my elite status and no problem with hanging the garment sleeve.
On a previous trip, I reserved an uber to pick us up and it didn’t show. No warning. Just a no show. I had to summon another (rate was $145 instead of $55 or $60) car, this time on Lyft. It came on time and we made our flight.
International travel is a bit better because every one needs to show evidence of vaccination get a PCR test (going out) though the US only needs an antigen test. So, probably reduced odds of coming into contact with an infected person.
I arranged an Uber from Atlanta airport to hotel, $139. Little cousin did the same, $139. Other relatives called for ubers once at the airport, $44. When I arranged for the ride from my house to airport, there was an extra $10 charge. I don’t mind that, but the charges in Atlanta felt like a rip off. I just don’t get it.
They took the risk that there would be no cars available or at triple the price.
At the airport (unlike from one’s own house), there’s always the option to get a regular cab.
I am flying across the country on 12/31 and just me, back on 1/17. I am nervous because these flights coincide with the possible post-holiday surge. I bought an extra seat for 1/17 and am considering calling to somehow get a whole row for the two of us on 12/31. But the real risk is in line and boarding, not on the place, I gather. We will be in full PPE. We are both boosted.
What does that mean? Medical gown? Gloves? Goggles/face shield? Or just an N95 mask?
As you say, the plane itself is pretty safe.
When my D was working in the midst of COVID, she sent us a picture of her in full PPE. Booties, gloves, shield, gown, … . Not a single bit of skin showing (maybe through the mask). She looked a bit like a blue marshmallow. Cute.
@compmom, my D suggests not eating or drinking when others are eating/drinking – so stagger it. Other than that, she believes the risks are in the airport.
We are flying cross-country today. Will eat/drink off schedule.
If you are considering buying a whole row, it may be more economical to upgrade to first class where there is a bit more room.
I’m flying to Austin on December 16 and returning December 28. I hope it goes OK. I’m predicting our first big snowstorm will occur early on the day of the 16th because that always happens when I travel in the winter.
The private nurse I hired uses the term to refer to N95, face shield and gloves. I do have a Tyvek suit from early on, before I realized how porous they are 
I have become sensitive to hand sanitizer so when I visit my mother in a facility I put on gloves so yes, I include those.
My Tyvek suit has booties and hood but I don’t think I will do “full PPE” to that extent so apologies if I misused the term. We will protect ourselves to the reasonable max because we both have conditions that make us vulnerable.
Good tip about eating and drinking.
If there is a third person in our row, on the aisle, I am going to try to convince my daughter to take the window!
From here, it is usually about $45 to Uber to the airport. A cab from the airport (I don’t know about to the airport) can be $80. Of course Uber/Lyft is more depending on the weather and time period. I don’t think the cabs have surge pricing like Uber and Lyft do.
If you reserve an Uber for pickup at an airport, how much time do you allow for after the flight is scheduled to arrive?
If you buy the whole row on a flight, how do you ensure the airline won’t fill the empty seat with a standby passenger like they do at other times? Is there a guarantee they’ll fly empty (esp if they overbook the flight)?
Renting a car in the USVI for the month of Feb is going to cost us $2500… that’s definitely higher than we’ve paid before in other areas for Feb. This is our first time in the USVI, so I have no idea if that’s the norm or not, but of all the places we’ve checked with so far, that’s their price and they’re sticking to it.
I wish St Thomas had a better bus system, but it’s a really small island, so such is life I suppose - unless anyone here knows of any other option out there. I’ve read comments about how Uber and cabs are super expensive, so < $100/day seems like it would actually be cheaper even if it’s not a more common (for us) < $50/day.
We are looking at flights to Spain for the Christmas holidays and prices have definitely increased compared to what we have seen for the last 18 months or better. Given what is going on in Europe, we are holding off and hoping we can get better prices in a week or two.
I’ve done that before and they didn’t fill it. And before one of those flights I called the airline to double check and they said they wouldn’t fill it.