How Air Travel Has Changed During COVID-19, According to the Points Guy
Air travel has changed a lot during the pandemic, according to Brian Kelly , better known as The Points Guy , CEO and founder of the eponymous travel website . Aside from travel restrictions, airline cuts in routes and number of flights, and concerns about the spread of the virus within airports and aircraft, flights in 2020 look very different from a year ago. But believe it or not, not all of these changes are bad, says Kelly to Lifehacker. Here are some of the ways COVID-19 has changed air travel for both the better and the worse.
Fares are exceptionally low
If you booked a flight during the pandemic – or at least searched for one – you probably noticed that the base fares were unusually low. The Points Guy teamed up with Hopper , a data-driven website that analyzes travel prices and advises users when to book tickets, and after analyzing billions of fares, found that U.S. domestic travel is 25% cheaper. year after year, ”Kelly tells Lifehacker.
But keep in mind that airline tickets are not necessarily cheaper in all markets. “The airlines are in the process of correctly identifying supply and demand,” he explains, “but overall it has been a good year for cheap fares.” Additionally, consumers should keep in mind that usually only the base fare is advertised – which means they are still responsible for paying baggage or priority boarding fees.
The number of trips within the country has increased significantly.
Domestic travel currently accounts for about 90% of travel in the United States, Kelly said. While this is partly due to the fact that we are still not allowed to travel to many countries around the world, it is also a matter of flexibility.
“All domestic tickets now have free replacements,” explains Kelly. “This is something I never thought would happen, simply because airlines just make so much money in fees. So the reason they do it is to instill confidence in shoppers to book in such a fast-paced environment. So this is a big win for consumers too – you can book with confidence. ” It also means that if the fare decreases, you can cancel your original tickets and rebook the cheaper flight and get a voucher for the difference in ticket prices on most airlines, he adds.
There are many new public health precautions
To date, about half of US carriers have taken social distancing steps before, during and after flights, Kelly said. For example, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines are currently blocking reservations for mid-sized seats – at least for the holiday season. And for now, all major domestic airlines require passengers and crew to wear masks during check-in, boarding and the flight itself – in addition to installing improved air filtration systems and more thorough cleaning of planes between flights.
In addition, most airlines now land in the rearward direction. “This is a big change from what it was before,” says Kelly, “because things were not so orderly.” The same goes for exiting the plane. “Before, people always went ahead, but now airlines actually land in rows and keep an eye on them — some better than others — so people don’t get over each other.”
Travel has become more civilized and humane
After traveling extensively during the pandemic – both domestically and internationally – Kelly says his experience has made air travel more civilized. “There are fewer people at airports and on planes: people are focused on compliance and courtesy,” says Kelly. “When I first started traveling [during the pandemic] I thought it was going to be crazy, but there are actually a few bright sides to it. Who knows if they will last, but in 2020 I have seen more people traveling. “
There has been a shift in travel coverage
Before the pandemic, The Points Guy’s website tended to be focused on luxury travel, but now Kelly says safety is their top concern. The purpose of their current coverage is to help reduce travel anxiety by providing information on topics such as aircraft safety and what happens if borders close while you are abroad and you are stuck in another country.
“I think our main focus was on how we responsibly get people to travel again and provide them with the right information,” says Kelly. “We are, of course, supporters of travel. But we are also very careful – we had doctors [contributing to travel safety] and we did a lot to make people feel comfortable while traveling. ”