There are loads of great deals in the second part of the year.
This isn’t exactly how we envisioned the year 2020, right?
Instead of flying cars, we’re figuring out what “the new normal” will be. Through the good and bad days, I continue to look ahead to the future; optimistic for what’s possible in the months ahead.
So, let’s hit pause on the daily stress for a minute and dream now… then fly later out of CVG Airport.
1. Fly Healthy
We’ve talked about personal safety when traveling in previous blog posts and it’s our number one priority on any trip we embark on. CVG is one of the safest and cleanest airports we’ve travelled through and there have been extra steps taken recently to keep passengers and employees safe.
- CVG is the first airport in the country to deploy autonomous floor scrubbing robots. And these things are serious about keeping every hard flooring surface of the airport spotless.
- There’s an entire section of the CVG webpage called Fly Healthy with updates on how the airport continues to do everything possible to keep our airport safe and healthy and our region connected to the world.
- Pack sanitizing wipes in your carry on and have one ready to go when you get to your seat during boarding. First, wipe down the headrest and armrest. After that, sit down to keep the boarding process moving and continue to wipe down window shades, tray tables and other surfaces you’ll come in contact with during your flight.
- Bring hand sanitizer as well (the TSA recently announced they are allowing hand sanitizer up to 12 oz to be carried in your carry-on – more info here.) In addition to washing your hands before getting on the plane, after using the restroom on a plane or just departing the plane, it would be helpful to have your own hand sanitizer ready for use.
- For any trip that includes international travel, bring your own pen. You’ll need it to fill out customs and immigration forms.
2. Booking early can save big bucks!
Around this time of year, my wife and I would normally be scoping out flight deals and planning our annual summer adventure to Europe. Instead, we’re focusing our travel efforts in the back half of 2020.
We love last-minute trips but planning early can have some big benefits. We’ve booked flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas nine months ahead of time because a great deal popped up. Keep an eye on my deals page and the CVG Travel Navigator.
Book with Confidence
Many airlines have special ticketing conditions, including risk-free waivers, no change fees, and more. Check out the deals from many of the carriers. Here’s a sampling of how some of the carriers are handling bookings and changes.
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- Southwest – no change fees are standard.
- Frontier
- Allegiant
- Alaska Airlines
- Air Canada
You can check out all airlines that fly out of CVG for their contact information, travel update pages, and social handles here.
There have been some terrific roundtrip deals for December 2020 – February 2021 to places like Orlando for $110 and Seattle for $269 (on the new Alaska Airlines flights!) International destinations have been on sale too including Barcelona, Spain for $555 and San Jose, Costa Rica for $350.
3. Use this time to get your REAL ID
You’ll soon need a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or other form of identification to travel on flights within the United States. The Department of Homeland Security has given a bit more time to get your REAL ID (now October 1, 2021), but don’t wait until the last minute.
Each state has a different method for obtaining your REAL ID. The details for each can be found here.
4. Plan an August vacation with the family before the kids go back to school.
Florida is a great option for an affordable family vacation. Some people are hesitant to visit the Sunshine State during the summer, but I have visited in both July and August. While it can be a little more humid than normal, it’s still a great time to visit and take advantage of lower flight, hotel, and rental car rates.
Grab some travel inspiration with these Four Fabulous Florida Finds.
5. Dream BIG and set your sights on at least one trip.
Many people I speak with about travel use phrases like “oh, that would be wonderful to visit”, “we’d love to go there someday”, and the ever popular “it’s on our bucket list.”
The Earth is a big place. Unless you’ve figured out a way you and your loved ones can travel full-time, (and believe it or not, some people like World Nate have!) you’ll have a limited amount of time to visit the spots you want to experience.
And, I think we can all agree after being quarantined in this unique time in our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, life really is precious. We want to make the most of it, realizing dreams and experiencing new places outside of our homes (thankfully!) and maybe even our comfort zones.
So, use this time to plan out at least one trip. It might be flying to a new state or exploring a new country. Set up a budget, figure out how to save a few bucks each week (my dad has a jar labeled The Malta Fund), and start looking at how you’ll get there, where you’ll stay, and what you’ll see. Use a site like TripAdvisor to get inspired and see what there is to do in each city. I recommend an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet to manage everything.
Once the Stay-at-Home orders are lifted, I’m eager to get back in the air and get back to seeing as many places on our planet as possible.
Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and use this time to gear up for your next adventure and be prepared to Fly Healthy!
-Jay
