When will it be safe to travel is the million dollar question!

Since no one has a crystal ball, the best we can do is pay attention to new regulations and act upon them with our own level of comfort.

'Safe' is a relative term and what is right for one person may not be right for someone else. We all have different risk factors and tolerance, leading travel to be a very personal choice. In order to help my clients who are undecided, I have put together a list of questions that clients can ask themselves to help gauge their own personal readiness. If you decide to travel, please make an informed decision and follow all the proper protocols put in place for everyone's safety.

Questions to ask yourself when trying to decide when it will be safe to travel:

1. Which destinations are experiencing higher numbers and where are there lower incidences?
A destination with a lower number of cases of the virus poses less of a risk than a location that has high instances. These statistics are constantly changing so be sure to check for the most current information. One resource for information is https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

2. Are you (or a loved one) higher risk?
There is no way to know how the virus will affect you, however, older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions have a greater risk for severe illness if they are infected with covid-19. Given everyone's personal risk factor, you have to decide if the risk is worth the reward.

3. What are the restrictions?
It is important to understand the restrictions at each point of the trip. Regulations differ between countries, airlines, hotels and even states upon return.  Each component of your trip may have different regulations, so be sure to know what is required, before you go.

4. Does my trip require masks, testing and/or quarantine?
It is difficult to keep up with the requirements since they change so rapidly. You will need to be informed in order to be prepared ahead of time so you can bring the proper equipment (masks) and documentation (testing results) to avoid problems.

5. Does travel insurance help?
Be sure to talk to a licensed insurance agent to get the most accurate information about what is covered and what isn't. What if you get sick during your trip? What if you test positive in destination? Who will pay if you have to quarantine? These are all important questions to address when purchasing trip insurance.

If you have more questions or want to talk about your next vacation - click the button below!

Technology is incredible! Did you know that many hearing aids connect to a smartphone to help your overall experience? It can be very frustrating not to be able to hear on the phone and can lead to avoiding calls with family and friends. But don't let hearing loss get in the way, there are many things you can do when connecting your phone to your hearing aids.

Your hearing aids can essentially act as speakers for your phone, allowing you to listen to things like driving directions or music. You can answer phone calls, often with a simple touch in one ear, then enjoy an entire conversation without ever picking up your phone! 

Once connected, you can use your phone to control many aspects of your hearing aids. Looking at your phone, you can control the volume of each ear, locate your hearing aids if they have been misplaced, and check the status of the battery life.

The possibilities are tremendous! The features available to you depend on the type of hearing aid and the type of smartphone. Be sure to talk to your audiologist or doctor to find out more about how your hearing aid and your smartphone can be used together to enhance your experience! 

With the travel industry basically shut down, I have been immersing myself in other things, particularly focusing on what personally fills my bucket, helping seniors.

While facilitating zoom calls with seniors, I often talk about travel (see my blog post about Virtual Vacations) but also find myself giving little tutorials on how to make the most of a smartphone or tablet. Whether it's something my own kids are teaching me or something I am teaching my parents - there is always something new to learn when it comes to technology.

You may still be asking, "What does Tech Tip Tuesday have to do with Travel?" Besides being a fun alliteration, there is actually a lot of overlap between technology and travel services. In today's contactless world, travel companies are relying more heavily on apps and websites to keep customers informed as well as to enhance the customer experience. From checking in for a flight or hotel to making dining reservations to signing forms/documents, technology is increasingly showing up in the travel experience.

I have a perfect example, this happened way before covid was around...
I was doing a site inspection on a cruise ship, the Norwegian Encore. It was the inaugural sailing and my friends and I were the first people to be hosted onboard, very exciting! This particular ship has a race track where you can drive and race in a go kart. Lots of people were lined up to be among the first to experience the largest race track at sea. While standing in the crowd, my friends and I went online and made reservations. Sure enough, before long, the crew was calling out our names and we walked past all the other people, straight to the front of the line - we were literally the first guests to experience the new race track! No one understood why we got to go to the front of the line until we explained that we went on the app and made a reservation! 

Today, these experiences are even more prevalent. Another example is the 'Medallian class' on Princess Cruise Lines, in which you use the app for all kinds of experiences such as contactless boarding, finding a member of your party, dining reservations, activity reservations and even getting food delivered directly to you! It won't be long before people without the skills to navigate the technology will be left behind.

So, in order to be sure my clients (and prospective clients!) are comfortable with their technology, I am offering some simple tips that can be used for everyday life as well as to enhance their travel experiences.