The End of Travel?

We know that our lives will change due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We just don't know how much. For some of us, travel had been a big part of our lives; now, all of a sudden, it isn't. When will people return to travel for leisure and business? Will it be a matter of weeks, months, years, or lifetimes? My sense is that we'll be on the longer end of that timescale. I can't see people returning to travel in numbers until a vaccine is available to everyone on the planet.

Only a few short weeks ago, Lady Adventurer and I had five trips planned. One of them, a week in Norway followed by a two-week cruise of the Baltic Sea, was almost entirely paid for and would be underway now in late April 2020. The others were a week in Myrtle Beach with the kids, 10 days in Hawaii, a winter month in Panama City Beach, and a lengthy South Pacific cruise.

The Norway cruise was canceled, and we had a choice of obtaining a full refund or applying 125% of the cost toward a future cruise. We took the money, figuring that even though the cruise line said they're financially stable, having the money in hand would still be safer. We then waited until our flights on two airlines were canceled before requesting those refunds. One hotel and some tours had also been paid for, and we successfully received those refunds. The final reservation, a prepaid non-refundable one has finally, after much persistence, agreed to return that money. Thus virtually everything has been refunded or the money is "on the way." This is all good news, but getting that money has also been a nerve-racking royal pain in the patoot.

We were also successful in canceling and obtaining a refund for our condo in Myrtle Beach. The trip wasn't scheduled until late August, but I felt - and still feel - that it's far better to get refunds earlier than later. One doesn't want to be the last in line when they're hanging out money. This is especially the case for airlines, cruise ship companies, and hotels that may themselves not survive the pandemic.

There is no doubt that persistence and patience pay off. In many cases, we have had to wait until an airline, hotel, etc. does the cancelation before requesting a refund. Most preferred to provide a voucher for future travel instead. We politely but firmly pushed back, stating that a voucher would not be acceptable and that only a full refund would suffice.

Even though travel had been so important to us, I am not overly upset about its cessation. We and our loved ones are healthy and seemingly safe, and that's much more important. What's next? The other three trips are not yet canceled. Since they take place between December and next April, we've got some time. Even so, I have to ask: is this the end of travel?