We’re halfway through 2021 and if you’re vaccinated you might already have or will travel again soon. But how has the pandemic changed traveling, and what should you consider before flying? This blog post is all about traveling during Covid – come with me on my trip from Korea to Europe to find out!
Traveling during COVID Step 1: PREPARATIONS
Traveling is never really something that you just “do” unprepared. But, traveling during covid feels like a whole other level of preparation compared to pre-pandemic life.
Thankfully, both governments and airlines provide convenient online tools to help you travel safely and prepared during the pandemic. Use these online tools to input your origin and destination and, like a charm, a full list of rules, regulations, and needed documentation appears!
The most important required documentation is a negative COVID test result. Prepare for this well in advance! Keep in mind that most countries require your test result to be less than 72 or 48 hours old—AND that most test centers take about 24 hours to provide you with your results and documentation. In other words, plan your time well! If you don’t, you might end up not being able to board your flight. (Yup, I saw it with my own eyes at the airport. Remember—advice from Facebook groups is NOT a reliable source in situations like this!)
And of course, prepare your skincare! During your whole flight, you’re more than likely to be required to wear a mask, even when you’re sleeping! Masks can take a toll on your skin and cause both acne and dryness, so pack no-fuss products that you can easily use in flight.
My favorites for this purpose are:
Celimax Jiwoogae Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad – BHA soaked pads that both remove sebum and dead skin cells, and soothe your skin with refreshing Heartleaf – all-in-one! Swipe these over your face when you feel like your skin is starting to feel stuffy under your mask.
Sioris Falling Into The Rose Mist – Travel-sized refreshing, sebum-controlling, AND deeply hydrating mist that’ll deliver light-weight hydration to dull and tired skin.
STEP 2: IN-FLIGHT
At the start of your flight, you’ll most likely be handed a little kit containing handy things like a little bottle of hand sanitizer. Use this bottle wisely! Don’t use it all instantly on your hands but carry it with you when using the plane facilities. Wipe off handles, armrests, and supplies handed to you by someone else.
After disinfecting your seat, lie back and take it easy. Due to the pandemic, airlines encourage you to stay in your seat as much as possible. The upside to this is that you’re likely to have at least two seats for yourself — the perfect time to get in some beauty sleep to wake up refreshed when landing! (I had a whole row for myself on my 11hr trip — a godsend!)
The best part of traveling – arriving safely at your destination airport!
STEP 3: ARRIVAL
On arrival, have your documentation ready and visible. Keep your distance and remember to ask or look for any mandatory testing on arrival that you should complete before exiting the airport. Airports won’t hound you down to complete testing. In most cases, it’s your responsibility to follow instructions and find the test centers on your own.
But don’t mistake the seemingly casual approach to these test centers—several countries impose heavy fines on travelers who forget or knowingly skip testing. Better safe than sorry!
After going through preparations, traveling, sleeping with a mask on, AND the hassle of providing documentation at the airport, you’ll be on your way to a well-deserved relaxing holiday – no matter where you’re going. Traveling during Covid doesn’t have to be all that bad – just follow these steps and you’ll be A-okay. Safe travels!
