Apart from bringing travel to a standstill and causing massive job and revenue losses, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our travel plans altogether. Though vaccinations are being made available for everyone, we still have many pandemic-related travel problems. The changing travel restrictions and guidelines can constantly affect our travel plans. From travel restrictions to losses due to cancelations, there are thousands upon thousands of hurdles that we will have to overcome. If you are reading this, you probably might be dealing with one right now as well.
Don’t worry. There are always solutions. Here are some of the most common travel problems and how you can easily overcome them.
Getting visa extensions
If the number of Covid cases increases drastically, countries can immediately call for a lockdown. No flights will be coming in or going out and if you are visiting the place, you will probably end up staying there longer than planned. During the time of the second wave, I was visiting Dubai and there was a sudden lockdown. Unfortunately, my visa was about to expire and the uncertainty about how long I will have to stay there kept me worrying a lot. Luckily, Arabiers UAE, a highly rated tour operator in UAE was there to help me extend my visa in a day, with minimum documents. If you end up in such a condition, it is always best to go for a visa extension in advance.
Refunds for a canceled trips
Getting your trips canceled is one of the biggest travel-related problems of the pandemic. It is really hard to get refunds from travel companies. Most airlines are offering credits instead of refunds for flights they have canceled and many travelers are still waiting for their refunds. The best way to overcome this is to ask for a refund. Gentle and polite pressure usually does the trick. If it is taking more than six to eight weeks, then you can consider a credit card dispute.
Rescheduling
When you are traveling, any change in the plan means you will be losing money. With the pandemic, many uncertainties can affect your travel plans. So, make sure you talk to your travel company about these unexpected changes and find out how flexible your travel package is. Recently, many travel operators are allowing some form of free rescheduling and this can help you prevent losing more money.
Unexpected restrictions
With the pandemic around, you will never know what is going to happen next. So, the ideal thing to do is to plan for all possible scenarios. Do extra research and understand the current condition of your destination. Learn about the existing restrictions and guidelines. Keep an eye out for government alerts and notifications. It is always best to have multiple backup plans.
Protecting yourself
Keeping yourself safe from the Covid19 virus is perhaps the most important problem you will face on your travel. It may sound like an easy task. But, when you are moving from one place to another, it can get much more complicated. Always keep your mask up and practice social distancing. Look out for yourself. Do not hesitate to ask people kindly to give you your six feet.
Remember, never travel without travel insurance! And never overpay for travel insurance!
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Do you work remotely? Are you a digital nomad/blogger etc? You need to be insured too.
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