I’ve spent the last two weeks driving with 2 of my sisters to help one with a cross country move. Everyone I saw was masked on the 6 hour coast to coast flight and I didn’t hear any reminders, so I gather everyone complied except for when they were eating.
Many states seemed to be good about masking. California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington required them. Louisiana was mask optional (except the city of New Orleans where masks are required). The majority of people we saw in these states were wearing masks.
The Southern States were very different. Florida and Texas were free for alls. They aren’t allowed to require masks, so some wore them but many didn’t. Georgia and the Carolinas seemed to be mask optional too. I didn’t see a lot of masks there.
We wore masks whenever we went out. We ate outdoors or got take out for most meals, but we did eat breakfast in the hotel dining room every morning in places with mask mandates. We ate in our room in the states without mandates. We ate dinner inside on Bourbon Street but masks were required, tables were distanced, and patrons had to show vaccination cards (for what they’re worth) before they were seated.
We’ve taken rapid tests twice so far and all have been negative. We’ll take one more rapid test after our return flight then will receive a PCR test before returning to work. We’re all vaccinated and boosted so I don’t expect that we’ll have any issues. But we’re still being as careful as we can.
I was on a flight from London to Catania in October that turned around on the runway because a man rather belligerently chose not to wear a mask. There were others wearing their masks as chin protectors, but this guy decided to be confrontational when asked by another passenger to wear a mask. Some rather burly policemen came on and took him off without a fight.
D1 is going away with 3 other couples to go skiing in the west coast. They are all going to work from home for a week. Do a PCR test before they go and then do rapid tests a few times after they get to their rental house. They are going to eat in or eat outdoor.
The best part is I am on duty for the grand baby while they are away. I am going to stay home for for a week before I babysit.
I think this may be a new norm.
I was on a domestic flight in October, 100% full, with a huge 350lb+ man next to me in the center seat (that is fodder for another thread – he should have purchased two seats). Mask under his nose. I asked politely, and he pulled it up. 1/2 hour later same deal. Finally I started nudging him with my knee like I do when my husband is snoring (he was taking up 1/3 of my seat anyway).
I think he was in front of me returning to US from Dublin 4 yrs ago—this guy FULLY reclined his seat, so I essentially had a 350+ lb man in my lap!!! Luckily when I politely pointed out what he had done he lifted his seat up SLIGHTLY–he was now hovering over my lap instead of his seat actually touching me.
Earlier, in a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, the prime minister said:
Mandatory Covid passports for entering nightclubs and large events would end, though organisations could choose to use the NHS Covid pass if they wished
People would no longer be advised to work from home and should discuss their return to offices with employers
Face masks will no longer be mandated, though people are still advised to wear coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces and when meeting strangers
From Thursday, secondary school pupils will no longer have to wear face masks in classrooms and government guidance on their use in communal areas would be removed “shortly”
Further announcements on the easing of travel rules and restrictions on care home visits in England are expected in the coming days, Boris Johnson added.
I’m having a lovely time in Ecuador. The flight was almost at capacity but was fine. Almost every one wears a mask and is going on about their business.
We are ready to start thinking about some trips for this year and next year. Domestic probably for this year and international next year. I usually love to plan trips but I am finding I don’t have energy right now to do it. Maybe because of pandemic fatigue and also knowing in the back of my mind that any plans could all be down the drain if covid flares during travel time. H suggested maybe we should look at tours where we don’t have to do all the planning. Anyone have recommendations for tour packages they have done and loved??
That seems an overly conventional view. International travel will be much slower to recover and so Europe will be much better this year than next. Conversely the US will be busier this year. We have friends who just went to Egypt on a lark because the prices were so cheap.
Thanks for your perspective, but we have both family reasons and business obligations that prevent us from planning anything overseas this year. Next year we will have more flexibility to plan 1 or 2 longer excursions that take us out of the country. Not sure why that is overly conventional - it’s life! Not all of us can just head overseas on a lark. But I get your point that now can be an attractive time to travel overseas if you are able.
DW and I are considering a two week trip to Buenos Aires. It looks like they require a PCR test 3 days after arrival though (apparently this was required previously, then dropped, but restarted a few weeks ago) and for a two week trip with the threat of quarrantine, probably skip it til they drop it.
We have never been to South America but Argentina looks wonderful and we are excited to go.
Friends of ours went to Argentina over New Years and had a wonderful time. I was nervous for them (the parents already went through a mandatory quarantine situation in Bermuda after she tested positive upon arrival - no symptoms), but they booked a private tour for their family and were pretty much alone most of the time - and it didn’t hurt that they have plenty of funds to quarantine if they had to.
Domestic traveling is going to be crowded and more expensive this year. I am going to schedule few overseas trips this year. One of those trips may be taking my mom back to Asia (maybe the last time for her) for her to see her siblings. They currently have a quarantine period, but hoping it would be lifted later this year.
We have four domestic trips planned this year…one to visit one of our kids, one for a wedding postponed from 2020, and a trip to see my family in another state. And another postponed wedding but thwt is a driving trip. We will also go to a Shore vacation for a week.
Last year we booked a trip to Vienna on BA leaving 4/19/22 and flying through LHR. We booked the flights and didn’t do much else because we didn’t want to get too invested in the trip in case we have to cancel. But now we’re getting close enough that we’re starting to think more seriously about it and hoping that maybe Omicron will have receded by then and it will be worth going. We don’t have a hotel yet but will use points for that. I’ve started looking at the Sherpa website for travel restrictions. I’m still a bit confused about some issues including: (1) proof of vaccination status, (2) what happens if you have to quarantine or isolate in Vienna, and (3) best use of travel insurance.
Are we crazy to consider going ahead with this? How do we prove our vaccination status? Do they accept our CDC paper cards? Any thoughts or tips about travel insurance? We’re not so much worried about cancellation coverage as we are about trip interruption, medical costs and being quarantined. We’re considering an annual Medjet policy since we have other trips planned later in the year. But do you have any other tips or recommendations?
I’m in the process of booking a trip to Portugal. The trip advisor forums are swarming with threads on vaxx and testing requirements and quarantine policies. Check out the Austria forum in there.