How to Travel Safely During COVID-19 • The Blonde Abroad

This post was sponsored by App in the Air. As always, thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

As we navigate fluctuating COVID-19 restrictions around the world, it can be quite difficult to find accurate information about where and when we are allowed to travel.

Things are changing daily—which makes planning travel, both domestic and international, no walk in the park.

My favorite travel app, App in the Air, has been my go-to resource for travel for years, but it’s now essential for planning my future trips.

App in the Air has added some amazing new features to help navigate current COVID-19 travel restrictions around the world.

To ease the process of planning when and where to go, and how, they’ve created a new desktop site where you can research restrictions for different countries and airlines.

App in the Air’s latest range of tools makes air travel research simpler as we navigate this ‘new normal.’

Here’s how App in the Air is helping you do so safely and stay up to date!

Country-to-Country Travel Restrictions Guide

On App In the Air’s brand-new landing page—which is updated weekly—you’ll find information on restrictions for country-to-country travel, as well as safety filters for airlines on flight searches.

These searches are designed to give you the most up-to-date information with all you need to know.

You can type in where you’re from and where you want to go—and all the need-to-know info appears! That way there won’t be any surprises when you book a flight and can confidently book future travel.

When searching for destination information, all the details of the country you’re departing from and arriving into are displayed along with government restrictions on quarantines and health declarations, airline and airport rules, and everything in between!

Flight Search Health Filters

This works for airlines, too! When you do a flight search for a specific destination, you can turn on filters to only display airlines based on your health and safety requirements.

For instance, I would prefer to fly on an airline that requires masks and isn’t booking middle seats.

If I search using those filters, I can see that Alaska Airlines is avoiding booking middle seats, masks are required, and they offer free cancellations and changes at this time.

**NOTE: While many airlines are avoiding booking the middle seat on their flights, it may not be guaranteed. You’ll want to confirm the airline’s individual policy before booking.

In-App Reminders Throughout the Travel Journey

One of the best parts? Once you have chosen your flight, App in the Air sends you helpful in-app reminders about your journey.

Before you purchase your flight, a pop-up reminder will appear with details on health information and all the travel advisories—travel restrictions and requirements, personal protection equipment, and health assessment standards.

If something changes before your flight, users will immediately receive a notification of prohibited flights, changes, and cancellations.

So if the country you’re planning to fly to closes its borders, you’ll be alerted right away. And, if you are traveling while policies change, the app will notify you and provide suggestions for return routes.

What happens if there are no flights when you’re searching? The future flight notifications will keep you alerted when flights become available—simply check your inbox within the app!

Why It’s My Favorite Travel App

I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘country counter’ or someone that travels because I want to travel to every country in the world. But I will admit there’s something incredibly satisfying about keeping track of all of your flights — you can read all about why it’s my favorite travel app here.

If you’re new to App in the Air, it can take a little bit of time to import all of your past flight information, but what better time than now when you have a bit of free time?

I have imported every single flight I have taken since 2008 into the app (over 1 million air miles) and their technology creates a super cool map and breaks down your trips by airport, aircraft, and even stores your boarding passes.

Keeping track of future travels is seamless as the app will automatically import new bookings!