@MomofWildChild my niece, who grew up in St. Croix, is moving home for a while–she was beverage manager of a fancy NYC restaurant which will reopen eventually (so they say–restaurant group owns the building) but her lease was up 6/30. She’s been staying with me since last Tuesday and was scheduled to go home to her mom/my sister-in-law tomorrow but her reservation was on American Airlines, change planes in Miami, and the flight was packed. She just changed to JetBlue (middle seats blocked off), leaving on Thursday morning with change of plane in San Juan. She needs a negative COVID test within 72 hours of arrival so she will go to CityMD here in my neighborhood, which offers free tests, courtesy of NYC or NYS. Meanwhile I have loved having her here. I moved to this apartment/neighborhood on 3/31 to be closer to work but of course I have been working from home since 3/15. I know that she and her roommates were super-careful. The company has been fabulous and she’s helped me so much setting things up in my apartment.
In two weeks I will help my daughter move from Rochester, way upstate, to Middletown, near the Catskills and less than two hours from me, starting medical school 7/27. I see a trip to St. Croix in our future when it gets cold again but daughter cautions me that she may be too busy. Her last day of work as a patient care technician was today and her work team gave her a fabulous send-off party last week.
@Mom2jl sorry this is hanging over your head and I can appreciate you and your sister wanting to move things along.
I wonder if perhaps (PERHAPS) there will be a window of time - after the current increase in cases (God help that we get this in control) and before winter hits - when it seems safer to travel??? I mean for circumstances like yours. Purely speculating here - but like a September/October scenario??? Is it possible for you to consider one big longer trip to get most of your work done?
Right now the VI Governor hasn’t said what states of origination will require the 72 hour test. NY might not be one of them since it isn’t spiking. He mentioned TX and FL, but this week he will name more. I’m not sure where to get quick test results where I live. I’ve heard stories of a week or two to get results. We are on American flights and they will likely be pretty full, which I’m not happy about. I’m not at all sure this trip will happen.
@CountingDown I can’t imagine wanting to sleep 3 to a room now.
I hope you can do the retreat next year or the year after. But even then, I wouldn’t want to share a room like that–I think in the future, I’ll be pretty leery about even people with colds or the flu.
@Mom2jl and @momofsenior1 I’m sorry both of you have to deal with winding up your parents’ affairs during this pandemic. It is already sad enough to lose a parent, and it is already difficult enough to take care of what can really be a daunting task of dealing with the clean up. But I would categorize it as the kind of business that absolutely justifies travel. It’s just a judgement call about how and when to travel in the least risky way.
I think everyone needs to decide for themselves on the risk/benefit part of travel right now, and it really varies depending on how you will get there, where you’re coming from, where you’re going to, how easily you could postpone it, etc.
And now my husband is questioning whether we should be flying to Denver on August 13 for an August 15 wedding. We have until July 15 to make up our minds and let the bride and family know our decision. This just isn’t a good summer for a wedding.
By law, they have to have jury trials or dismiss the cases if there is no speedy trial. The DAs are trying to settle out every trial but the defense attorneys know they are in the driver’s seat on the speedy trial issue.
When American announced they weren’t going keep the middle seats empty, the head of United reminded us that if you are in an aisle seat, the person in the window seat is not 6 ft away, nor is the person in the aisle across from you, the person in front of you or behind you. He said, and I agree, the you have to depend on the other methods used to keep you safe - wearing a mask, cleaning the seat before you sit in it, keeping your hands clean throughout the flight, not traveling if YOU have symptoms.
And you have to decide on your risk acceptance. The middle seat is just one seat, and you should be equally concerned about the other 4 people surrounding you who are less than 6 ft away.
@twoinanddone I understand what you are saying but this also means there will be 1/3 more passengers in each plane with that % age more chance of an issue.
Frankly, when I made my reservation, I was told that middle seats would not be sold AND when I went to reserve my seats they were blocked off so they could not be chosen.
I realize the airlines are losing money…but I never will fly United again. The only reason we chose them this time was because it’s a direct flight and no other airline offered that. Never again. And I I know I’m not the only one.
Ditto American Airlines.
I also know if I choose not to take this trip, United will not refund my money and I’ll be stuck with a voucher that I will find challenging to use.
Filling the middle seats add more chances due to more people, but often passengers also physically touch each other. Much much harder to maintain your own personal space.
IMO, filling the middle seat does more than having more people. One thing I do when I fly, I point the air to my face hoping to blow away stale air. I am guessing the cone of air is about 2’ wide. Everyone else is more than 2’ away from you except the middle seats passenger. They practically breathe into your face.
I hate what American and united are doing. I have to weigh pros and cons of losing direct flight or losing unoccupied middle seat.
Compared to most European or other airlines outside of the US, American carriers do not provide reasonable customer service. Ultimately, when faced with the choice of paying the ticket prices, most customers continually decide to suffer through with the poor service and take the less expensive ticket. I think United and American realize that they can easily fill their planes by dropping the price and I will be surprised if many of us can avoid the temptation of flying with an airline when the next best alternative is $500 more.
@yearstogo I don’t see a drop in price on United or American. Plus we made our initial reservations in November for this wedding south of Denver. Round trip is $500 each and there was not a less expensive option.
I stand to lose $1000 or so because I seriously doubt I will ever use a United voucher.
Me, neither. I could fly Delta for about the same price but it will have a stop, not direct. With a stop, it will be a longer flight and longer time at airports.
We are hoping to fly to the Twin Cities to see D and SIL maybe in Sept/Oct. Thankfully the direct flights from here (we are very close to Washington Dulles) on United are smaller planes with 2x2 row seating. So H and I could sit together with no one else. In our experience these flights are not usually very crowded anyway.
Hoping to drive to Illinois to visit MIL in a few weeks (we haven’t told her in case we change our minds). I feel pretty comfortable with this, we can take our own food and just stop for restrooms. Waiting to see if Covid cases blow up here or where MIL lives in the next few weeks. If they do we won’t go.
Yes, you have to choose. You can even stay home. Other situations will require you to choose too. Do you pick the more expense restaurant with more room between tables or do you pick a cheaper options? The pilates class with only 5 people or the cheaper gym with 10 in the classes?
^Kinda no point other than being preachy? As thumper1 and I mentioned above, the price is the same with Delta and AA. The way airlines are routed, you often don’t have a choice. If you do, you won’t be complaining. Just choose something else. It sounds a bit uppity, like you are a cheap shot and you deserve a germy cheapo?
No one deserves a germy cheapo, but no one deserves an empty middle seat either. In fact, no one is entitled to fly anywhere. It’s a business and American is offering you one product and delta or Jet blue are offering you their products. You have to pick.
I have two friends who were traveling the first week of March, one to Mexico and one to India. Both came home very sick (and then complained no doctor would see them and they couldn’t get covid tests). Neither is leaving their homes now - oh, except when they want to but then they complain the other people are at places they want to go to like bird watching and Rocky Mtn National Park. They have the right to isolate all they want but they can’t expect everyone to clear out so that they can have the birds to themselves or hike their favorite trails without so many people wanting to do the same thing. Some people are willing to accept the risk of flying, of staying in hotels, of picking out their own groceries but others aren’t willing to take those risks. If you do take the risk, you can’t dictate how the businesses are run or if they sell the seat next to yours or rent the room the night before you are staying there.
A small group of us has been invited to a friend’s deck for brunch next week. I think it will be safe and those attending can maintain a physical distance that is safe but my two friends do not. That’s fine, their choice, but they can’t dictate how the host arranges the chairs or how many people can attend, they can only accept the invitation or decline. You can accept the United and American travel policies, choose another airline which might cost more or be less convenient, or choose not to fly.
Th reality is if you are flying then you are either not risk averse, or you are in a scenario where there is zero choice. All airlines will fill planes now the big airlines are doing it. Really, why shouldn’t they? The majority of the population is really not risk averse. We see that in action.
Aren’t you getting preachier! Yes, I will be choosing. Did I say otherwise? Not for fare since they are about the same. AA is direct. Delta is not. I will be weighing which poses a greater risk; sitting next to someone or going through extra airport and longer flight time. I don’t know what I dislike more about the virus; the disease itself or people suddenly feeling justified controlling.