Travel in a Time of Covid - June 2022

It's an adventure! 

My good guy and I agreed that after retirement we would take a trip every year. We did fairly well until Covid 19 shut down the world. All told, we made four "big" trips (thrice to Ireland and once to NYC) while one trip to Ireland was canceled (March 2020).

Whenever things went wrong on previous trips I would always fall back on the phrase "It's an adventure." My DH hated that. I think his dad used to say it and, with his dad, it always involved a bus - DH HATED buses. I just tried to lighten the mood, but he never found it funny. He would have said this trip was more than an adventure. It was FUBAR.]

So with Covid numbers down and an opportunity to travel with friends, I got on a plane in June 2022 to visit Scotland (Note - Ancestry had just confirmed me Scottish at 53% rather than Irish at 11% - the numbers are constantly adjusted, but it is what it is). 

The tour would start in Edinburgh and end in the Highlands of Scotland. And I would learn something about the old country.

Even though the Covid rates had improved, I still planned to continue precautions -  carried sufficient masks, AND WORE THEM. 

After this travel nightmare I thought I would share my NEW RULES of travel in the off chance they might be useful to others.  The nightmare is summarized below (and explains the rules). 

You can just read the rules and skip the rest. 

You can skip it all. It is up to you. 

I will never know.

In any event - I'm writing it down so I do not forget because the hassle of travel almost ruined my trip. Murphy wasn't on this trip, but MacMurphy definitely was.

I'm still thinking about it, looking at photos, and hoping it becomes an experience like childbirth (a bit of a challenge, but worth it in the end).

One beautifully packed suitcase full of (mostly) unnecessary items.

NEW RULES (what did I learn): 

ALL of this is dependent upon vaccination. If you are not vaccinated I don't know if you can travel at all to some countries. Do your research. Vaccinate. Exercise precautions.

1. Wait to travel until the airlines and airports are able to rehire and train staff. It could take a year.

2. NEVER check a bag! 

3. If you do have to check a bag pack only pack the non-essentials in it...stuff you won't need immediately or that you can replace easily if your bag doesn't make it to you. ADD AN APPLE AIR TAG to track it. [https://www.apple.com/airtag/]

4. Pack your meds/passport/glasses/ashes-of-loved-one (anything so important you cannot lose it) IN YOUR CARRY-ON bag. More about that below.

5. Until further notice DO NOT FLY through Heathrow.

6. Never fly more than 2 connecting flights unless there is no other way.

7. GIVE YOURSELF LONG LAYOVERS - like 2-3 hours.

8. SERIOUSLY - GET TO THE AIRPORT VERY EARLY!!!!!!! It is better to be there and have to wait than to run through unfamiliar terminals (and up and down stairs).

7. Never fly on more than one airline unless there is no other way. They get confused easily.

8. If you are meeting a tour go a day early. It is cheaper to get a room for an extra night than to try and catch up with your tour.

8. If you miss a connection - any connection - and are rerouted, check and make sure your RETURN TRIP is still there. Check repeatedly.

9. Do not entertain visitors until you have been home for a couple of days and tested for Covid at least twice.

How did I learn these things, you ask. Well, here goes:

FLIGHTS:

In the 45 years I have been flying internationally I have never had the experiences with airlines and airports I had on this trip:

1. American Airlines had a two hour delay on the tarmac in Dallas. Even the pilot did not know why. It appears there were some baggage loading issues, but that was not the whole reason.

2. The delay caused a missed connection with a British Airways flight at Heathrow in London

3. I was rerouted by American to Belfast on Aer Lingus (and got to go to Ireland for a couple of hours and enjoyed supper with some lovely women from California who were in the same "fix") and then to Edinburgh on Emerald Airlines.

4. The missed connection at Heathrow resulted in a cancellation (unknown to me) of return flights.

5. In total I had a 12 hour delay arriving in Edinburgh. Thank heavens I went a day early (grateful for friends who recommended I do so).

6. Restoring my return flights required hours on hold with the airlines over two days. I was finally rebooked less than 12 hours before my flight. The clerk with American Airlines said, "I don't know how this happened!" I told her it was the missed connection. ALMOST EVERYONE I SPOKE TO WAS NEW. They don't know how things go wrong or how to fix them. Even after I found a human it took an hour for her to rebook.

7. NEVER HANG-UP UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION! I never received a confirmation of corrections of missing luggage files or my rebooked return flight. I just got lucky.

BAGGAGE:

1. A ridiculous amount of checked luggage went missing because of (1) delay, (2) lack of baggage handlers, and (3) inexperienced baggage handlers. Out of 14 people on the tour 6 did not have their luggage on arrival. Only 5 had their luggage found and returned before the trip ended.

2. There was NO ability to search for luggage in the online apps.

3. No humans were present at the Edinburgh Airport baggage area except confused travelers looking for suitcases.

4. It was impossible to find a human online to file information for return of luggage. When I finally filed a report they got all the information wrong (per an email they sent me) and I had to call (twice) back to correct it. I logged many hours on hold with the airlines.

5. My suitcase was delivered to the hotel AFTER we left for the next stop on the tour even though I gave them the dates I would be there. 

6. I received an email in the middle of all this from Edinburgh baggage staff (I had messaged them as the sign on the wall suggested) that said, "contact your airline about your luggage." I replied, "thanks for nothing" or something like that. They wrote back, somewhat insulted and I replied in great detail about "no staff" and using their contact information. By the time I received their email my luggage was at a hotel I had left the day before. Clearly they weren't paying attention.

6. My suitcase was back in my possession the evening before my flight home.

7. I waited 2 hours in the Austin Airport waiting for my checked luggage to be unloaded because inexperienced baggage loaders (at Heathrow) loaded a large item that jammed the luggage compartment door and they could not open it in Austin. 

Waiting in Austin

I arrived home with everything, including COVID (in spite of all my precautions).

Yup. It was an adventure alright. And one I don't plan to repeat...hence the rules.

Be safe. Be prepared!

Best Joke: When I finally had my suitcase I opened it up (to remove gifts for the folks who guided us and cooked for us) and exclaimed, "Who packed this bag? It's incredibly neat and organized! And it's full of totally non-essential stuff!" :-D

INSIGHT: What to pack in your carry-on: 

 

A. Your essentials – prescriptions (enough for the whole trip), glasses, passport, wallet, keys - anything that cannot be replaced.

B. 1 change of clothes at least – and an extra pair of undies and socks. Make sure the shirt won't scream "she's been wearing me for 3 days." I packed tie-dye :-(

C. 1 sweater or jacket (and a raincoat if you are going to a rainy climate)

D. 1 extra pair of shoes (I usually wear Sketchers on the plane and pack a pair of walking/hiking shoes. From now on I wear walking shoes and carry a pair of walking shoes.)

E. Toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste

F. Granola bars and/or packages of nuts (just a few)

G. Water bottle

H. Camera/batteries/extra photo card

I. Computer, Kindle (if you so travel) and ALL cords

J. Electrical converters if going overseas

K. Ashes [If you are planning to spread the ashes of a loved one you will need to research the country. Most require you to carry-on ashes in a container that can be x-rayed AND documentation of what they are. Some countries do not allow you to transport ashes. It's your call. A woman I traveled with never got her bag, although I think she has located it now. There were some precious ashes inside.] 

L. Apple Air Tag (as mentioned above).

 

[This list is subject to change as I unpack and think about the trip some more.]

Please don't get me wrong. Scotland is a wonderful country. There were special moments on the trip, there were amazing experiences, and I met some great Scots along the way...those tales will follow!