With most COVID restrictions now behind us, we mentioned on Tuesday that AAA reports travel volumes will rebound and will be back to pre-pandemic levels. More than 47 million are expected to travel over the July 4th holiday. But with the large crowds, comes some big questions.
AAA reports more than 1.5 million Michigan residents are expected to travel over the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend… travel experts say travelers have asked -is it safe to fly now, especially with restrictions lifted? They say safety questions and now the cost of travel, are top of mind. Here’s Gagnon Travel owner, JoAnne Verboom.
“The passenger volumes are now at 74 %, of pre-pandemic numbers. No airlines are blocking middle seats any longer. Those are things people are thinking about, so some are thinking maybe this is the summer we’ll drive somewhere for vacation.”
In fact AAA reports 43.6 million Americans, 1.4 million being Michiganders, will drive to their destinations over the 4th of July holiday. But Verboom says if you make that choice, to drive, make sure you plan ahead before hitting your destination.
“Of any year that you’ve thought about getting in your car, this is not the summer to wing it; some hotels still have limited capacity and some of that is due to not having enough staff. So you don’t want to get in your car and drive for a few hours and hope that you can find a hotel room for the night.”
And that would apply to flying also. In addition, Verboom also advises that if you’re traveling, you may want to have some “Low Tech” comforts at the ready…
“It’s advisable to bring paper documents. I know some think that’s old fashioned. But you won’t have problems boarding your aircraft, or getting your rental car.”
And in case you have one of those electronic malfunctions, Verboom says it’s always a good idea to have non-electronic entertainment options on hand, such as a good book or magazine.
