travel after this

**cypher1** · 04-23-2020, 03:56 PM

Everyone's comfort level is different, but for me it will depend on where I'm going, and how confident states will be in the next 1-2 months. If businesses start opening up in mid May, I may do a road trip, since I'm canceling my euro trip and still have 10 days off. No businesses open, no trip. Plus my employer is encouraging us to start using up PTO, instead of waiting towards the end of the year. They project our workload will start picking up in the next couple of weeks, and onto the summer.

Otherwise for flying, probably not for at least 2 months. Again, it just depends on where our states comfort level for health safety. After that i will probably plan to fly again, but probably WFH for 2 -3 weeks afterwards to prevent risk of exposure to my peers. Unless a new test is available by then to determine if we've already had it, etc. As for the number of vacations, I could see travel remaining stagnant for the rest of this year. Maybe not for the people under 40.

**disneysteve** · 04-23-2020, 04:01 PM

I haven't given it a lot of thought. We don't fly often though DW and DD have a trip planned in June (which will likely get cancelled) and I have a trip planned in July (which may still happen). Both will involve flying. We haven't booked airfare yet. It's easy to cancel hotels. Cancelling airfare is more difficult.

I don't really think I'd have a problem flying. It's easy to stay away from people in the terminal. I'm sure they'll be wiping down the planes between flights and we can bring wipes to do it ourselves. And I'm fine wearing a mask the whole time.

I'm more concerned with large gatherings like Disney World where there are tens of thousands of people rather than a couple hundred. I'm concerned about restaurants where you can't wear a mask because you're eating. I'm concerned about attractions like museums with interactive displays where everybody is touching everything.

We certainly won't stop traveling. We'll fly when we need to fly. And we'll take every precaution we can take. Hopefully by the time travel is a thing again, we'll be able to easily buy wipes and hand sanitizer to keep with us when we do.

**disneysteve** · 04-23-2020, 04:04 PM

Originally posted by cypher1 View Post

my employer is encouraging us to start using up PTO, instead of waiting towards the end of the year.

I think this will be an issue for us. I actually sat down with the calendar the other day and picked a few PTO days but I still have a bunch of time to use before the end of the year. We don't get to carry anything over. It's use it or lose it. I think it's going to be really difficult to use all of my time this year because everyone is in the same boat so all of my peers will also be trying to squeeze in as much PTO as they can. It's normally tough to use it all anyway. This year it will be extra hard because of COVID and because we've hired more people so there are more of us needing to use our time. We have a limit of 3 people off at a time which complicates things.

**kork13** · 04-23-2020, 04:20 PM

I will travel regularly -- my family is planning to fly to Arizona in mid-May for a required training course of mine, before we move to Idaho in July/August (driving up). Frankly, I'm not overly concerned personally by COVID, because my family is young and healthy; by and large we only associate with other healthy, young people; and we follow basic healthy practices like handwashing, controlling coughing/sneezing, and I dunno... not licking other people? We'll certainly maintain appropriate transmission mitigation precautions based on current guidance. But life has to continue on, and I have every intention of doing that. I'm of the opinion that people (as always) need to be responsible for their own health, and manage their own risks of infection & infecting others. If I was 65 or 70 y/o with heart problems, I'd of course be staying home, ordering everything by delivery, and vigilantly distancing myself from others. It'll change the dynamic of our culture for a while, but I have every confidence that we'll get through it.

**kork13** · 04-23-2020, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I think this will be an issue for us. I actually sat down with the calendar the other day and picked a few PTO days but I still have a bunch of time to use before the end of the year. We don't get to carry anything over. It's use it or lose it. I think it's going to be really difficult to use all of my time this year because everyone is in the same boat so all of my peers will also be trying to squeeze in as much PTO as they can. It's normally tough to use it all anyway. This year it will be extra hard because of COVID and because we've hired more people so there are more of us needing to use our time. We have a limit of 3 people off at a time which complicates things.

Gratefully, the military has granted an exception DoD-wide allowing everyone to carryover double the amount of leave days (120 vs. 60), and can carry it over for the next 3 years. So losing my time off is gratefully not a concern right now.

**disneysteve** · 04-23-2020, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by kork13 View Post

Gratefully, the military has granted an exception DoD-wide allowing everyone to carryover double the amount of leave days (120 vs. 60), and can carry it over for the next 3 years. So losing my time off is gratefully not a concern right now.

I wish we could carry some over. Though it wouldn’t make it any easier to use. I get just over 7 weeks PTO which is a lot.

**cypher1** · 04-23-2020, 04:43 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I think this will be an issue for us. I actually sat down with the calendar the other day and picked a few PTO days but I still have a bunch of time to use before the end of the year. We don't get to carry anything over. It's use it or lose it. I think it's going to be really difficult to use all of my time this year because everyone is in the same boat so all of my peers will also be trying to squeeze in as much PTO as they can

I'm in the same boat of no rollover. I'm at 4 weeks of PTO this year from 3, so I'm definitely gonna it all throughout the year. Probably more for school workload in fall semester.

**ua_guy** · 04-23-2020, 07:34 PM

I haven’t taken a single day of PTO this year and had a week that was a rollover from last year. I’m eager to use it once we’re in the clear—for good.

I need to get back to the west coast to see family. Flights from the Midwest are cheap but I’d rather drive at this point. We’re thinking since we had to cancel our Jeep/RV trip to the southwest this spring that we might head west this summer to do a tour of seeing family. We’re pretty much self-contained in an RV so it’s probably one of the lowest-risk ways to travel long distance.

I really don’t want to get on a plane for a long time. Air travel sucks anyhow, and it’s downright scary for the time being.

**bjl584** · 04-24-2020, 04:06 AM

We are planning a trip in the fall. The planning started before all of this, but it was intended to be a driving trip. Guessing that it will be a go, but who knows.....

**riverwed070707** · 04-24-2020, 06:22 AM

There is rarely a time when I can take several weeks off together. I'm in the events industry so this summer will be SLOW. Thinking about taking 2-3 weeks for an extended road trip. Depending on the airbnb situation, might just throw a tent in the trunk and camp. This also assuming national parks and such have opened back up. As far as flying, probably not until next year. Seems like an unnecessary risk. I usually fly 1-2x/mo for work but we won't be holding any long distance events until at least Q1 2021, likely Q2.

**Like2Plan** · 04-24-2020, 06:28 AM

<sigh> I know there are much more important thing to contemplate at this time, but I fear this may have clipped DH and my wings for a little bit.
We already had over 110 nights booked through the end of the year and as I come to grips with the reality of the situation I am slowing unraveling our plans. I have cancelled everything through the end of May, so far.

I don't know what is reasonable to keep. Probably not Disneyland in June--even if they are open. What about the week long trip to the Adirondacks in the summer? We could potentially drive there. Seattle in the summer for a wedding?

DH was going to retire in May. But, he has postponed that decision....

**disneysteve** · 04-24-2020, 07:02 AM

Originally posted by Like2Plan View Post

DH was going to retire in May. But, he has postponed that decision....

How sad. That must have been a tough decision for you both. Unfortunately, he's probably got a lot of company from others who have had to make that very same decision. I hope he gets to hang it up soon.

**Like2Plan** · 04-24-2020, 07:19 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

How sad. That must have been a tough decision for you both. Unfortunately, he's probably got a lot of company from others who have had to make that very same decision. I hope he gets to hang it up soon.

Not being able to go anywhere was the biggest factor. DH told his boss that if Dr. Faucci comes up with a vaccine--he's going to retire immediately and we will be on the first plane that goes to Hawaii!

**disneysteve** · 04-24-2020, 07:21 AM

Originally posted by Like2Plan View Post

Not being able to go anywhere was the biggest factor.

I hadn't thought of that. Why retire just to stay in quarantine? You may as well keep working. Plus you get to pad the savings a bit more.

travel after this