MASTER Cancel Travel b/c of COVID-19 Questions Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD age 13.5 (a very mature kid) is scheduled to fly alone to Portland, OR in late March to visit family. She will stay at their house; no hotels. Nonstop flights to/from DCA/PDX.

She would be very careful about what she touched, washing hands, etc while on the plane and traveling. She's more meticulous than I am. Once she's there she'll mostly be outdoors, not doing much in the way of tourist sites or indoor spaces.

My biggest concern would be that if she was a on a plane with people who were discovered to be infected, she could be put in quarantine without one of her parents (since we aren't flying with her). Could they, would they, do that to a minor?

Generally I find the level of panic/ inclination toward canceling on this thread pretty ridiculous, but sending an unaccompanied minor under the circumstances would give me pause. In the worst case scenario that she was put into quarantine, I am sure the authorities would allow a close adult family member to voluntarily go into quarantine with her. The question is if you have someone on the receiving end ready and willing to do so if you or your husband weren’t able to get to her right away?

[Anonymous]

Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

Nope. Too close to Italy. Plus they have many cases popping up now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

I just asked about Spain. We live in Boston but our pediatrician told us to go. Be careful with hygiene but if there are no restrictions do not cancel. I would avoid all cruises or even resorts but our trip is through Madrid and Barcelona touring on our own. Summer is already booked up. We have three teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

Nope. Too close to Italy. Plus they have many cases popping up now.

cases will be EVERYWHERE within a month, no way around it. They probably already are just have not been identified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD age 13.5 (a very mature kid) is scheduled to fly alone to Portland, OR in late March to visit family. She will stay at their house; no hotels. Nonstop flights to/from DCA/PDX.

She would be very careful about what she touched, washing hands, etc while on the plane and traveling. She's more meticulous than I am. Once she's there she'll mostly be outdoors, not doing much in the way of tourist sites or indoor spaces.

My biggest concern would be that if she was a on a plane with people who were discovered to be infected, she could be put in quarantine without one of her parents (since we aren't flying with her). Could they, would they, do that to a minor?

Not to be off topic but they are separating parents from toddlers at the border. You really think they wouldn't put a 13 yo into quarantine by herself?
In practical terms, the likeliest thing is it will be fine, but I'd make sure I had rock-solid trust in the west coast family in case something happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

Nope. Too close to Italy. Plus they have many cases popping up now.

Berlin is about the same distance from Milan as DC is from Chicago or Atlanta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

Nope. Too close to Italy. Plus they have many cases popping up now.

Berlin is about the same distance from Milan as DC is from Chicago or Atlanta.

Germany has 670 cases now with 150 added during the past day. At this pace, they will have thousands identified in a few days. Much more in April.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany (flying into Berlin) in mid-April?

Nope. Too close to Italy. Plus they have many cases popping up now.

Berlin is about the same distance from Milan as DC is from Chicago or Atlanta.

Germany has 670 cases now with 150 added during the past day. At this pace, they will have thousands identified in a few days. Much more in April.

Only 19 in the state of Berlin. Out of a population of 3.75 million. But like you said, by April that could be much higher.

https://www.thelocal.de/20200305/map-the-parts-of-germany-most-affected-by-coronavirus-outbreak

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Healthrow Baggage Handlers test positive

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-06/london-heathrow-baggage-handlers-test-positive-for-virus

this was the nail in the coffin for our london/paris trip starting tomorrow.

We are supposed to fly to Heathrow in 10 days on United...

Was your airline accommodating ?

It is United - $300 change fee per ticket - so that's $1500 for five of us, plus any difference in fare. So no, not really accommodating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Healthrow Baggage Handlers test positive

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-06/london-heathrow-baggage-handlers-test-positive-for-virus

this was the nail in the coffin for our london/paris trip starting tomorrow.

We are supposed to fly to Heathrow in 10 days on United...

Was your airline accommodating ?

It is United - $300 change fee per ticket - so that's $1500 for five of us, plus any difference in fare. So no, not really accommodating.

Ugggg...I don’t even know when we could change to since summer could be dicey

[Anonymous]

Would you go or cancel? Large work conference, DC to Omaha, Nebraska, March 9-13. No international attendees.

Tickets are on Delta, so I can get a travel voucher with no change fees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you go or cancel? Large work conference, DC to Omaha, Nebraska, March 9-13. No international attendees.

Tickets are on Delta, so I can get a travel voucher with no change fees.

What does your work say? UNMC Omaha is a great hospital FWIW.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Going to present at a giant health conference in Orlando next week (40,000+ attendees). Scheduled to leave on Saturday, conference lasts a week. A bunch of major vendors have backed out, but apparently it's still on. Boss says I can back out if I want.

DH and toddler are supposed to come with and hang with my inlaws, but we're all reconsidering now.

40,000 attendees from all over? I'd cancel....and it's a health conference!

And the decision was made for me! Conference cancelled.

Yet they still haven't cancelled SXSW.

For the same reason most other things have no been cancelled. Corporate greed.

They're about to. Netflix and HBO just pulled out. Once the major vendors leave its lost.

As of yesterday's press conference they were not cancelling.

As of ONE HOUR AGO HBO and Netflix pulled out. They're making decisions hour-by-hour.

Wow, would you look at that. CANCELLED.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/sxsw-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus.html

[Anonymous]

Yay for Royal Caribbean. It’s my spring break cruise. Now I can cancel up to 48 hours and not lose money.

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/royal-caribbean-rolls-out-48-hour-cancellation-policy-amid-coronavirus-concerns/31262689