So you are wondering what travel is going to be like when international flights begin again? We will take a look at possible scenarios later – let’s start with the present and assume you have decided to take a long-awaited break in another capital for a few days. Just a matter now of booking a hotel, getting over there, tossing a credit card to the receptionist and grabbing your room keys right? Sure that’s how it used to be – but not anymore. Expect to get an email from the hotel after you have booked explaining how the new world revolves. The Four Seasons in Sydney for instance has introduced Lead With Care, described as an enhanced global health and safety program.
At all times guests are required to adhere to the below:
– Please maintain a minimum physical distance of 6FT / 2M
– Please sanitise and wash your hands. Face masks or face coverings are required in all public areas
– Temperature will be taken daily. Any individual who tests at or above 37.5C will not be permitted entry to the property and the hotel recommends you seek the care of a medical professional.
Check-In: You will be required to provide government-issued identification showing your place of residence upon checking-in.
Changes to Service
– Turndown service upon your request only
– Housekeeping service is provided daily. To observe physical distancing, we provide service only when you are absent from your room – All staff will be practising contactless service and physical distancing
– Guests will be asked to wear masks in the vicinity of hotel public areas and for any in-room deliveries that are required
– Private Bar replenishment will be upon your request only.”
And you thought now that the state borders are open that life was going to be easy!
Now onto boarding an aircraft to go overseas – if that happens this year. I don’t know what the final arrangements will be in the main Australian airports but we can get some idea from Dubai Airport which was the busiest in the world and still boasts reasonable traffic. Emirates is the biggest airline in the world and a leader in just about everything including passenger safety in these difficult times.
To give you some idea, Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which aims to position Dubai as one of the first cities in the world to implement digital verification of traveller medical records related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
So let’s assume we are in Dubai about to take a flight to Sydney. You take your bag to a self-check-in kiosk and simply follow the step by step instructions on the touchscreen to check-in or drop your checked baggage without having to visit a desk.
Next, you will walk seamlessly through check-in, immigration and boarding through biometric facial recognition.
Wondering about dining and drinks options on the flight – simple – you go to your Trips on the Emirates app before you fly and open an offline version on board.
The plan is to make your trip to the aircraft as seamless and people free as possible. When onboard the food and drinks service in economy will be much the same – the most significant changes are in first and business class cabins. The dine on-demand service is still offered – however, the meal options and drinks have changed. All inflight service will be presented on trays, appetisers and mains are served on one tray, while dessert, and cheese/fruit on another tray. Most food will come pre-plated, and individual items will be wrapped in plastic, real cutlery is still used in premium cabins. Wine in business class has been reduced to one red/one white option, and in-seat minibars have been removed; instead, you can select an on-demand snack service. Finally, the airline insists you wear a mask at the airport, during boarding, and on the flight and when disembarking.
This is also available as a Podcast and can be heard here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Cb61cVzmRBrxIwikAVf6e
Written by Ian McIntosh
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