Where's Johnny Jet? Slow news week, eh? I mean, seriously, what the heck is going on in the world? It feels like every day, every hour, every minute there’s breaking news that would make the top story of any publication. The biggest travel story this week is of course Trump’s travel ban. I wrote a post about it here and went on CNN International shortly afterwards to talk about his surprise announcement that had everyone, myself included, shocked and confused.
As you hopefully read in the post above, the European travel ban makes no sense. Testing is what needs to happen and widespread testing should have started weeks ago. My buddy Lee Abbamonte flew back to the U.S. from Germany yesterday and he tweeted: “I just landed at #Newark from #Germany and I was through customs in a minute. Zero questions, zero signs, nobody taking temperatures, absolutely nothing related to #coronavirus. That’s kind of scary.” Where is the testing? This should have been implemented months ago and Lee’s not the only one I’ve heard making this observation. Many of my friends commented that they encountered the same thing including returning flights on from Italy and Asia! This is crazy.
So crazy that I’ve canceled all my travels for the month of March and early April. It’s just too risky. I was supposed to go see my dad next week in Florida but don’t want to take a chance of spreading germs in his senior living facility. So we’re reduced to FaceTiming multiple times a day (as we usually do). While in South Florida, I was also supposed to attend the christening of and spend the night aboard Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages’ first ship, the Scarlet Lady, but they rightly postponed that until the summer.
Why now is the best time to buy plane tickets
Even though I’m staying home, I do believe it’s still the best time to buy plane tickets for this summer/later on because prices are incredibly low and restrictions are incredibly loose (here’s my post with some examples). I know we'll get through this, even though it doesn’t feel like it at times (especially when watching the news and social media). But we will.
And don’t forget to check out and share my coronavirus resource page for travelers!
CVS waives fees for home delivery of prescription medications
Coronavirus is impacting people in many ways that affect daily life. So I was happy to hear that CVS is doing its part to help people who are sick get their medications. On Monday, CVS Health Corp announced that they would waive the fee for home delivery of prescription medications. This comes in response to the CDC’s advice that people who are at greater risk stay home and try to minimize contact with others. Read the story here.
Half-off Shipt annual membership
My wife recently got a Shipt membership and she loves it. This same-day delivery service (great for right now) makes life so much easier when she's too busy to run errands. Whether you need it for day-to-day errands or whether you're stocking up on essentials, Shipt can really help deliver whatever you need straight to your door within an hour. The annual membership is $99/year but with Natalie's referral code, you'll score a membership for just $49/year.
Companies I work with and recommend
Allianz (travel insurance), Amazon (travel gadgets and supplies), Blacklane (reliable car service), Bluffworks (wrinkle-free clothing), Booking.com (hotel deals), Hotspot Shield (VPN to protect your data and get cheaper travel deals), Medjet (medical evacuation and transport), Rail Europe (trains in Europe), Scottevest (travel clothes).
Follow us on social
If you're on social media, don't forget that you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter. You can follow my wife on Pinterest and Instagram. |
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Rashi Rohatgi lives in Arctic Norway. Her debut novel, "Where the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow," is about Indian teenage revolutionaries after the Russo-Japanese War.
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| With coronavirus on everyone's mind, actress Naomi Campbell's pre-flight routine, including how she wipes down her seat and uses a pink seat cover, is worth revisiting.
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| Fresh Flight’s disposable airplane seat cover ($8.99) is made for one-time use and helps to keep you and your clothes fresh and clean while you’re traveling.
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