Travel is always a little stressful, and especially so during this unprecedented year. Although Inspirato members have a special leg up when it comes to clean, safe travel (check out our Clean Vacation Commitment if you haven’t already), we thought it might be useful to compile a little more information, especially as holiday travel looms. Read on to learn how to best keep you and your loved ones safe on your next vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hand sanitizer
An in-demand and elusive item back in the spring, hand sanitizer is now everywhere, offering itself up at almost every checkout in the country. But do you know what percentage of alcohol is best for keeping COVID-19 at bay? According to the CDC, it should be at least 60%. And even if you are using sanitizer, it’s still the safest idea to avoid touching any part of your face as much as possible.
Limit your contact with others
We’ve been social distancing for months now, but in certain travel situations like in security lines, gas stations, bathrooms, and more, that gets a little more difficult to do. Try to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others as much as physically possible—following ground markers at the airport can be helpful to determine that distance. And upon arrival, Inspirato members have the option of choosing a contact-free check-in, orientation, and checkout process to limit in-person interaction, if it makes them feel more comfortable. Inspirato’s pre-arrival grocery stocking can help limit trips to the store, too.
(Looking to really get out there and away from others? We recently compiled some of our favorite isolated hotels: See our picks here.)
Don’t touch much
It’s impossible in some scenarios, but when you have the option, it’s best to touch as few things as you can. Use something else to touch the PIN pad when making a purchase—Amazon has plenty of stylus pens available that even work on touchscreens—and avoid touching railings or bars to steady yourself when navigating the airport, if you can manage it. If you can’t, try to cleanse immediately with a good, soapy handwashing or using sanitizer.
Mask up, but trust plane air
Although a steel and titanium tube rocketing through the air that’s completely sealed off to the outside seems like the perfect breeding ground for COVID-19, that’s not necessarily the case. According to Dr. Michael Barnish, an infectious diseases and travel medicine specialist, you can only get infected on a plane if the people sitting directly around you have the virus—and the chances of that happening are highly unlikely. Instead, Dr. Barnish thinks it’s best to be more vigilant throughout the airport, like when waiting to board, going through security, or using the restroom. With proper sanitization, mask-wearing, and distancing, you’ll greatly lower your risk and protect your fellow travelers, too.
