COLUMBUS, Ohio – When an Ohio couple booked their trip, they didn’t plan to quarantine half of their vacation, but new travel restrictions will force them to do so.
What you need to know
- Traveling this fall can be a challenge
- An Ohio travel agent said travelers can expect busy airports
- The travel agent also said travelers can also expect planes that are booked out and overbooked
“We received a notification from our airline within eight to ten hours of booking,” said Brett Goldstein.
Goldstein and his wife Josie booked their trip to the Netherlands and Amsterdam on September 2nd. As of September 4, Amsterdam required US travelers to quarantine 10 days, which decreased to five days with a negative COVID-19 test.
“On a trip of about nine days, we saw no reason to sit in our hotel for five days,” said Goldstein.
It’s a scenario that Tammy Krings, CEO of ATG Travel Worldwide BV, spends most of the time planning.
“Tracking COVID numbers has become quite normal for us,” said Krings. “We have a lot of resources to find out what is going on in an area and even make some predictions about what will happen in the next few days.”
She said that traveling this fall will come with challenges beyond COVID-19 restrictions.
“Travelers can expect very busy airports, very busy planes. You can expect the planes to be fully booked and overbooked, ”said Krings.
She said there is not that much financial risk involved in booking flights.
“The airlines have made great concessions when it comes to reimbursing and reusing airline tickets for international travel.”
When it comes to hotels, Goldstein suggests paying a little more for the “refundable” option.
Goldstein said she learned that lesson the hard way.
“We booked it through Airbnb,” said Goldstein. “We tried to get a refund as this is a last minute and they are unwilling to work with us.”
Krings suggests booking trips as usual and adapting them if there are any changes.
