Travel in general has changed since the last few years of the covid pandemic locked us all in our homes. Here are the major changes I discovered while traveling for the first time after covid. I traveled from Phoenix to Seattle for a long weekend.
Airlines
Travel has changed post covid, and until you experience it you don’t understand that statement. For me, it’s gone from a fun, lighthearted experience to one of a game of chance with lots of waiting. From the number of staff available at ticket counters, to the sheer number of passengers in airports, traveling has changed. The airlines have less crew, and it shows up in the wait for baggage and lines at check in counters. These shortages also affect the flights’ reliability.
If I had to do anything differently this recent trip, I would not check my bag. The wait at my destination seemed more than 25 minutes, and this was at 11:30PM. However, I did not want to drag my roller bag around the Sacramento airport during my layover. You need to decide how much time you are willing to wait and just be patient if you decide to check baggage.
Car Rental
The wait continued at the rental agency, who cancelled my reservation due to the flight being very late. Despite being a preferred member, I had to wait in a long line of grumpy travelers and rebook my car. Again, patience is the key to travel these days and having the flexibility to be late if your plane is delayed. My flight was 7 hours late; yes, practically a whole day! I’ll address losing that vacation time in my next article. Stay tuned.
Prices
Saying that prices have increased would be an understatement. From the food costs in airports to parking, it’s much more expensive to travel these days. I paid $50.00 to park all day in downtown Seattle (on a Sunday during a baseball playoff game.) All day was actually 5 hours, but you get the idea. Costs for labor, food, and most services including hospitality have increased. Travelers now pay a premium for products and services including new “resort” fees which we’ve not seen in years past.
My long weekend was a lot fun! I had a day on each end of the trip to make up for any delays, which I needed. Check out my next article on the saving tips I would recommend if you were traveling these days.
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