This Holiday Season, Listen For The Tips Of Experts To Travel Safely

If you are planning on visiting your friends and family this holiday season, be prepared to find a safe way through crowded airports, burdened planes, and long baggage queues with thousands of travelers around you.

The Association of Flight Attendants’ president, Sara Nelson said that we all know how close we are going to be with other people while we are on the plane. This union represents flight attendants in the United States. Nelson added that considering how full the airports will be, there will be no space for social distancing.

This Holiday Season, Listen For The Tips Of Experts To Travel Safely

According to the estimates of the American Automobile Association, more than 4.2 million P

people are expected to fly for these holidays. But the good news is, most of these travelers will be vaccinated against COVID-19 along with all the international travelers entering America.

But the bad news is, there will be many people who will not be vaccinated by the holidays, including children who are not yet eligible to get the vaccine.

Nelson said that many people will be new to the mandates about masks imposed in February.

Nelson has been a flight attendant in United Airlines since 1996.

She said that people will need to understand that that is the policy imposed which starts at the doors of the airport and continues throughout the entire procedure until you reach your destination.

But there are a few things you can do to keep yourself and your family and friends safe from COVID-19 while traveling this season.

Recently, children above the age of five years are eligible to get a coronavirus vaccine but like adults, they are not fully protected against the virus until they take a second dose. But since the vaccines have been recently approved, there is no time for children to get a second dose before Thanksgiving.

The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health’s health policy and management professor and a medical analyst of CNN, Dr. Leana Wen that parents should treat their children who have taken one dose as unvaccinated.

Wen said that children and parents should continue to practice social distance and wear masks while traveling and get themselves tested from a rapid home test kit before attending a gathering.

She said that it is advisable for adults who have not yet taken the booster shots to do it soon.

Virginia Tech’s civil and environmental engineering professor Linsey Marr said that If possible, choose to travel on less busy days so you will encounter fewer passengers with you and will be able to successfully practice social distance.

Marr said that this is extremely important if you have children under the age of two years who cannot even wear masks to protect them. Try booking flights off-hours, like early morning or late evening to avoid crowds.

Experts say that it is advisable to book window seats for adults and children who are not vaccinated because of air vents. Marr said that they believe that the place with the lowest risk is the window seat as its circulation pattern is better.

Another benefit is that as it is not near the aisle, fewer people will pass by you.

For traveling, it is advisable to buy high-quality masks which can trap 95% of virus size particles. Wen said that she recommends masks like KF94, N95, and KN95. There are a variety of sizes available, and the quality is quite high.

Marr said that fit along with comfort is critical. Marr said to look for masks that fit you completely and you can comfortably wear for hours. Try different types of masks to find a perfect fit.