Things To Know Before You Travel This Holiday Season

Traveling home for Christmas is a little more complicated this year and unfortunately, there is greater potential for things to go awry. Before you pack your suitcase and head off to the airport, here are some of the key things you need to know before you travel this holiday season.

What happens if you miss a connecting flight because of a delay?

If your itinerary has multiple connections and one is delayed, it’s often the case that you’ll miss your next flight. This is not your fault and it can cause disruptive consequences during the holidays when flights are less frequent than normal. If you miss a flight and in case of a flight delay, you should see if you are entitled to a refund through Flightright. With over 10 years of experience, they can assist you in ascertaining whether you are entitled to flight delay compensation and whether your claim is worth pursuing.

More often than not, you can get a refund and compensation for the inconvenience the flight delay has caused you. Also remember that, if you are delayed for over 2 hours, the airline must provide you with food and drinks. Furthermore, if the layover lasts overnight, they must provide hotel accommodation. If your flight is delayed, be sure to keep all your receipts and to ask the airline for confirmation of the cause of any disruption.

How to claim flight delay compensation?

If you experience a flight delay, meaning you miss a connecting flight or are inconvenienced, you can often claim a refund. Under EU law, for example, passengers can claim between EUR 250 and EUR 600 in compensation for disruption of more than three hours. Your first stop would be to check with Flightright, inputting the details of your delayed flight, and following the guidance provided. They will take into account the length of the trip and the duration of the delay. The amount you receive is not based on the price you paid for your ticket.

What travel insurance should I get?

Having good travel insurance during a global pandemic is a must. Look for policies that cover cancellations due to contracting the virus, as well as medical expenses in the country you are visiting. If you are traveling to a place with less than optimum healthcare, it could be worth paying extra for extraction or airlift to a nearby country with better facilities. Also, it’s a good idea to aim to get coverage that will pay for medicine or prescriptions in your destination country, as these can be extremely costly.

What restrictions are there?

Every country and state has different restrictions, protocols, and guidelines in place and these are subject to frequent change. They will also depend on where you are traveling from and what nationality you are. Some destinations require a negative PCR test, others have mandatory quarantine periods and mandatory mask-wearing, some will even ask you to do a test at the airport upon arrival.

The best way to be 100% clear on restrictions is to check with the airport, the airline, and the government website of where you are traveling to. You can also find out information on your embassy or consulate website of the country you are traveling to, although this is not always updated as quickly. Be sure you contact all relevant stakeholders before departure so you’re clear on what to expect.

What COVID-19 precautions should I take?

Again, each airline and country will have different rules in place that you will be expected to adhere to. As a standard, you should wear a mask at all times, carry and use hand sanitizer, and maintain social distancing. You should be sure to wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your mouth and nose, and cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. Be sure to pack extra masks and small bottles of hand sanitizer in your luggage, just in case.

Remember, if you have any symptoms associated with COVID-19, you shouldn’t be traveling. Aside from that, by arming yourself with this knowledge, while we cannot predict everything will go to plan, at least you will be prepared.