Traveling this year for the holidays looks a lot different from most years. If you can, it’s best to stay put in your own home and celebrate with your family virtually. If you’ve opted to fly somewhere this winter, here are some guidelines to help you reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 while you’re traveling. 

Keep Your Distance And Wash Your Hands

This has been the best way to reduce the transmission of coronavirus outside of complete isolation. When you’re at the airport waiting for your flight, try to stay six feet away from other travelers. It’s okay to move away from others to an emptier spot if your gate is getting crowded. 

Research Your Airlines 

Keeping your distance from others while you’re traveling is crucial to lowering your risk of spreading COVID-19. You’ll find that some airlines have reduced their seating capacity to help mitigate potential spread. Before booking your flights, make sure the airlines you use are following guidelines that you feel comfortable with.  

Drive Yourself To The Airport

Instead of taking a rideshare or public transportation to the airport, minimize contact with others by driving yourself to the airport. You can save on the cost of airport parking by comparing costs of different parking lots on our website. 

Avoid Eating While In Air

Airplane air is cleaner than ever thanks to the rapid rate of filtration and circulation, but there’s no harm in being on the cautious side of things. Keep your nose, mouth and eyes covered by wearing a mask and protective glasses. Avoid eating or drinking if you’re sitting close to others to reduce the number of times your mask comes off. 

Isolate Before and After You Travel 

Try to keep your interactions limited before and after you travel. It’s even better if you’re able to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours before your flight and then again 3-5 days after you’ve landed. If you aren’t able to take a test, you can help reduce transmission risk by isolating before and after you travel. 

Follow CDC and State Guidelines

The CDC is continually updating their guidelines for virus prevention best practices. The CDC also has a list of questions to think through to consider how great your risk is in traveling. Once you’ve landed at your destination, be sure to follow the local guidelines and restrictions in terms of isolating and gathering with others. 

While we understand that non-essential travel must continue, we do encourage our readers to abstain from traveling when they can to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, the content of this article is for information purposes only.