Search Travel Market Report

cruise planners
ALG Sponsored
ALG Sponsored
mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Tours & Packages
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Well-Being Travel
  • Training & Events
  • Who We Are
    • Anne Marie Moebes
    • Brian Israel
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Denise Caiazzo
    • Marilee Crocker
    • Paul M. Ruden
    • Dori Saltzman
ALG sponsored

Advising Clients in a Maskless Travel World

by Paul Ruden / April 20, 2022
Masks Not Required Airport Airplanes Travel

The new federal mask rules are now in effect. Photo: Shutterstock.com


By now everyone in travel is likely aware that a federal District Court has declared invalid the “mask mandate” for travel. While it remains possible that the Biden administration will appeal the decision, the briefing, argument, and opinion drafting will take considerable time. In the meantime, the District Court’s opinion stands, and travelers are no longer required to wear masks in airports and on aircraft.

This news will be welcomed by some and viewed with disdain by others. Some travelers may elect to cancel or defer their travel plans rather than take what they regard as unnecessary risks as COVID cases are now rising once again in many communities.

It also is possible that the new environment will change somewhat the questions that travelers have of their advisors. Before the decision, the question was “do I have to wear a mask?” and the correct answer was “yes.” Now travelers may expand the zone, so to speak, and start asking for more specific advice. If so, advisors need to be very careful about what they say. 

Travel advisors are not doctors or infectious disease experts and should avoid giving medical advice or risk-based advice about medical issues. On April 12, Dr. Leana Wen, a regular contributor to the Washington Post regarding COVID policy, argued against cities reinstating indoor mask mandates.

Her position was based on the fact that “Less than two months ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out new masking recommendations that changed the primary measurement from cases to hospitalizations and hospital capacity.” That change was based in part on the effects of vaccination among the population and the availability of new treatments that have limited the harmful impacts of COVID-19 on many people.

At the same time, COVID remains a threat to some classes of people, particularly those with compromised immune systems or other particular vulnerabilities to COVID. The generally accepted path forward now is based on individual decision-making about risk tolerance. That is a uniquely individual decision and one on which travel advisors should not engage.

The best advice, I believe, is to tell inquiring travelers that, considering the reality that many, perhaps most, travelers around them will be unmasked, they must decide about their personal level of comfort in traveling in such an environment. That decision should be made in consultation with their medical advisor(s) and their families.

If the client has already booked travel and wants to defer in light of the new ruling, certainly the advisor should try to assist in making changes while being sure the client understands the risks, including that pricing may change. I would hope that the airlines and other travel suppliers who have been lobbying for this change in national health policy, will be flexible and understanding if some travelers are no longer comfortable with previously made arrangements. As in the past, always be alert, and advise accordingly, regarding the uncertainty that refunds will be forthcoming promptly, as they should if flight plans are canceled completely.

Finally, as indicated in Travel Market Report’s summary of airline announcements on April 18, international travel is still affected by the rules of other countries. The court decision, therefore, has probably complicated the state of things rather than simplifying it. Travel advisors will remain critically important counselors for consumers trying to navigate the changing state of affairs inspired by COVID.

  44
  2
ALG Sponsored
Related Articles
European Union Will Drop Its Mask Mandate for Travel Next Week
CDC Upgrades British Virgin Islands’ COVID-19 Advisory Category
Japan Could Reopen to North Americans Next Month
U.S. Travel Industry: No Longer a Need for Vaccinated Travelers to Be Tested
U.S. Travel Wants An Extension for the 2023 REAL ID Deadline
ASTA: Inbound Testing Rule Still Biggest Barrier to Full Travel Recovery
U.S. Justice Department Says It Will Appeal the Lifting of the Travel Mask Mandate
U.S. Justice Department Will Appeal Mask Changes if CDC Says It's Necessary
Despite CDC News, Masks Still Required at New York Airports
Air Canada Hits 100,000 Daily Passengers for First Time Since March 2020

MOST VIEWED

Brought To You By
  1. European Union Will Drop Its Mask Mandate for Travel Next Week
  2. CDC Moves Four Destinations Into “High” Risk COVID-19 Level
  3. 5 Client Types You Can Immediately Disqualify for a Virgin Voyages Cruise
  4. Trivago Hit With Massive Fine from Australian Federal Court Because of “Misleading” Conduct
  5. How Is the War in Ukraine Affecting the European River Cruise 2022 Season?
  6. American Express Confirms End to its Franchise Program

MOST EMAILED

Brought To You By
  1. European Union Will Drop Its Mask Mandate for Travel Next Week
  2. Japan Could Reopen to North Americans Next Month
  3. Japan Confirms Plan to Start Its Travel Reopening This Month
  4. 5 Client Types You Can Immediately Disqualify for a Virgin Voyages Cruise
  5. CDC Moves Four Destinations Into “High” Risk COVID-19 Level
  6. Greece’s Vaccination Requirement for Inbound Travelers Ends Next Week
ALG sponsored
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

TMR Recommendations
Daniel Zim
Zim Travel Law, PLLC. Demystifying Complexity with Down to Earth Advice. Attorney Advertising.
hbar
Rodney Gould
Rodney E. Gould concentrates in travel and tour-operator litigation and regularly counsels travel-related entities worldwide.
hbar
Tom Carpenter
Carpenter Law Office - Representing clients in the travel and tourism industries. Attorney Advertising.
hbar
Top Stories
Travel A.L.L.I.E.S. Society Launches Advisor Mentorship Program
Travel A.L.L.I.E.S. Society Launches Advisor Mentorship Program

The six-month program is designed to develop, promote and inspire young travel professionals.

Read...
MasterAdvisor 51: What's Trending In The Cruise Industry?
MasterAdvisor 51: What's Trending In The Cruise Industry?

What are clients asking about before they sail away?

Read...
ASTA’s Legislative Day Is Just Weeks Away
ASTA’s Legislative Day Is Just Weeks Away

Scholarships are still available for U.S. advisors interested in attending in D.C. next month. 

Read...
More Consumers Interested in Travel Insurance than Pre-Pandemic
More Consumers Interested in Travel Insurance than Pre-Pandemic

Online searches for travel insurance have increased by 70% since 2019.

Read...
ALG Vacations Shows Its Amped-Up Appreciation to Travel Advisors
ALG Vacations Shows Its Amped-Up Appreciation to Travel Advisors

For the entire month of May during Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, ALG Vacations® is showing its appreciation to its travel advisor partners with “amped-up gratitude.”

Read...
Headquarter Happenings: Avenue Two Travel's First-Ever Collective
Headquarter Happenings: Avenue Two Travel's First-Ever Collective

“We have long dreamed about hosting an event like this. It's so incredible to think the dream has come true on the heels of some of the most devastating times of our lifetimes." 

Read...
TMR Outlooks
Multi-Gen Outlook
Distribution Outlook (1)
New to Cruise Outlook
Expedition 2020
Wellness Outlook
River Cruise Outlook 2019
View All
Advertiser's Voice
https://img.youtube.com/vi/87ira8MA_b8/0.jpg
MasterAdvisor: What's Trending in the Cruise Industry?
About Travel Market Report Mission Editorial Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News|Leisure Travel|Land Vacations|Cruise|Canada Retail Strategies|Well-Being|Luxury|Training
© 2005 - 2022 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy