TravelCommentator

Tagged: COVID-19

Opinion

After Four Years…

Yes, that’s how long it has been since my last international flight or for that matter any travel overseas. To be precise it was since November 2019 just before COVID-19 was officially announced. I have my personal and very strong opinion about COVID, the pandemic and the restrictions on travel. I won’t get into a discussion or detail here otherwise the post will not be about travel…I’ll say no more. How did I go? Better than I expected. I did stuff up a few minor things mostly due to stress rather than not remembering how to do things. My mind was always on matters happening back home. I had read an article a while back how COVID affected a travel writer who for a...

Air Travel / Opinion

Snippets: Have We Forgotten How To Travel?

…Flew to Europe and realised I’ve forgotten how to travel With mandates and restrictions easying or withdrawn and some normality coming back to travel after about two years, have we forgotten how to actually go about our favourite leisure passtime? The question was implied in a recent article with the writer going through the motions, feeling excited, nervous, anxious and confused. Forgetting how to pack when he was always ready at a moments notice, having bags pre-packed. He was trying to figure out what he needed. I don’t blame him especially for someone who travels to earn a crust. Packing is one of the most frustrating things. He didn’t need this extra aggravation. He goes on to explain he has forgotten how things were:...

Air Travel / Opinion

Snippets: Mask Mandates on Planes, Keep or Scrap?

Mask Mandates on Planes… The writer in this article explains which airlines are dropping the mask mandate and those that are continuing this requirement. He asks the question in a sub heading, “Does masking wearing on aircraft work?”, and then mentions HEPA filters and the airlines claim of 99.9% efficiency. So another question, “If so, then why bother with a mask?” No mention so far why anyone should wear a mask but the writer is implying they should and tries to back this up with several medical articles which he gives the links to. However none of these articles specifically mentions the efficacy of mask wearing but concentrate on whether there is transmission of COVID-19 in the airplane cabin. Which we know has been...

Air Travel / Opinion

Changi Airport COVID-19 Arrival Rules

I knew things wouldn’t be easy for international travellers with all the COVID restrictions, mandates and directives, which aren’t all the same everywhere, but after watching the YouTube video “Guide to on-arrival procedures at Changi Airport” released (on December 9) by Changi Airport, it truly demoralised me. It put me off travelling to Singapore, a place I love visiting. Now these are the rules required for entry into Singapore and not for those in transit at the airport which I understand are more relaxed, however there’s no mention what happens if someone tests positive and has to quarantine. Where will they do this, if it is a specified hotel(s) or in a purpose built facility and how long for and how much it is...

Opinion

Air Crew No Jab No Fly…No Work!

Airlines are now thinking about getting their staff vaccinated against COVID-19. In Australia QANTAS has already said it will require all its frontline staff to be fully vaccinated if they want to continue to be employed. Now it seems that Virgin Australia will follow suit. The question is who exactly should be vaccinated? When they say frontline staff I would assume this to mean the pilots and flight attendants. I’d also assume it will be all the workers that have contact with travellers such as, check-in and boarding gate staff and lounge attendants. I’m not a hundred percent sure if that includes baggage handlers. Logically speaking they do get their hands on the passengers’ property, which may or may not have traces of the...