I've taken 6 flights in a month throughout Asia as the coronavirus spreads - here's how the outbreak forced me to change how I travel
My trip started with a cancelation. I was supposed to fly to Seoul, South Korea on Air China in late January, but got a last-minute free refund due to the coronavirus.
It's lucky I changed my flight. Traveling through China could have barred me from entering a number of countries for at least 14 days, as more countries have added travel restrictions.
It also taught me my first lesson about traveling as the world battles an epidemic — be flexible and if a refund is offered, take it. It could mean things are going to get worse.
When I was trying to decide if I should get a refund and rebook a direct flight, China had been assigned a level two advisory, with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention telling travelers to "practice enhanced precautions." This was upgraded to the highest level of avoiding all nonessential travel the day I left the US.
If I had ignored the refund and accepted the level two warning, it would have been too late to switch when I was already in the air. So, I learned that if things seem to be escalating and there's a chance to get a refund, you should take it.
That brings me to the second coronavirus lesson learned: Always buy refundable flights, unless you're willing to eat the cost of a budget airline flight.
Korean Air — which was my savior after I got my refund on the Air China flight — is now infuriating some customers due to its refusal to offer refunds.
Korean Air announced on Tuesday that a flight attendant has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The CDC has advised that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to South Korea.
Korean Air is now allowing passengers from the US to change flights to South Korea free of charge, but customers still cannot get a full refund unless it was included in their original booking.
I ran into similar refund issues when planning to travel from Vietnam (my second stop after South Korea) to Cambodia.
I had delayed booking my flight until a week before, hoping that waiting would allow me to target a country that was coronavirus-free. Cambodia only had one confirmed case, so I was excited to chill out and not think about getting sick for a week.
Four days before I was supposed to fly to Cambodia, one of more than 1,400 passengers who disembarked a cruise ship in the country tested positive for coronavirus.
The New York Times ran an article with the headline "Cambodia's Coronavirus Complacency May Exact a Global Toll." My mother and my editors sent me several anxious texts. I canceled the non-refundable flight less than 48 hours before boarding began.
Source: The New York Times
Which brings me to my third lesson about traveling during the outbreak: The last second to make and change plans is later than you think it is going to be. The situation is changing on a daily and hourly basis, not a weekly basis. I ended up ditching Cambodia in favor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
And, while booking my ticket, I made sure to get a window seat. This was partially for the view, but also as a safety precaution. Booking a window seat reduces the likelihood that you will come in close contact with anyone who might be infected with the virus on your flight.
Source: National Geographic
2009 research into how the H1N1 flu spread on a plane found that sitting within two seats of someone with the flu doubled passengers' chances of contracting H1N1, compared to other coach passengers. So, if you can get more distance from fellow travelers, take it.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Once you work through booking a flight, you need to deal with the realities of flying when people are freaking out about coronavirus.
My packing list now includes things I wouldn't bring otherwise. The most important items are hand sanitizer and wipes. I usually feel embarrassed pulling my Lysol wipes out at the beginning of flights, but I am happy to have the peace of mind.
The other go-to item on my packing list is a mask. The masks I bought on Amazon before leaving the US are ill-fitting and I logically know they are not preventing me from getting sick. But, on crowded flights, I wear them to signal I'm trying not to accidentally spread any illness I might have to others.
Once my bags are packed and I've done a last-minute CDC travel advisory check, it's time for me to head to the airport.
My trips to airports have been filled with recommendations regarding handwashing and surgical masks, via signs on the subway in Seoul and pop-ups on the Grab ride-hailing app in Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur.
Many airports are recommending passengers arrive early, in case security takes longer due to coronavirus screening. In my experience, security moved just a quickly as it typically does. Still, I've learned to show up with plenty of time to spare — just in case.
When checking in, employees almost always asked me if I had traveled to China recently. Sometimes they would ask about other countries as well, including Cambodia and Singapore. I had not, but assume that answering affirmatively would lead to extra screening.
I was pulled aside a few times in airports to have my temperature taken. Even before the coronavirus outbreak, this was a more common practice in airports in Asia than the US as a way to prevent people from spreading diseases.
Airports have a higher concentration of people wearing masks than any of the cities I've visited. Nearly every flight attendant I've seen was wearing a mask, as were the majority of passengers.
Once I've navigated the airport, made it on the plane, and sanitized my seat, things have pretty much proceeded as usual from my window seats, with a bit more hand sanitizing.
I have not been seated next to someone who is coughing or visibly ill, but experts recommend asking to move seats if you are. With Asian tourism plummeting, my flights have not been full, but also were far from empty.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, CNBC
After landing, I've been asked about the countries I've visited while going through immigration, but have not faced any quarantines.
My biggest struggles with international air travel in Asia have been rebooking flights and getting refunds — not anything more serious. Despite that, I've tried to cut back on how often I'm flying.
In general, I am trying to avoid crowded areas. That includes airports, but more importantly includes major cities. For example, I canceled a flight to Bangkok in favor of island hopping in Thailand by boat.
Flying in Asia in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak requires a bit more flexibility, disinfecting, and time at the airport. Here are the six lessons I've learned:
- If you're offered a refund because a situation seems to be escalating, take the refund and rebook the flight.
- Book refundable tickets whenever possible.
- The situation is evolving on an hourly basis, meaning that you cannot plan ahead for more than a day or two.
- Book the window seat.
- Pack disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, as well as potentially a surgical mask.
- Give yourself time to spare at the airport.
- If you can avoid going to a crowded place — whether that is an airport or any busy, major city — consider skipping it.
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