Drive or Fly to Your Favorite Summer Destination? Is THAT the Question?

Is it safer to fly or drive for vacation travel? CNN recently posted an article that explores this question. Of course, there are those who are reluctant to travel at all. The thing is, reality dictates that it is that time of the year when most are outside more and wanting to participate in outdoor recreational activities – at home or elsewhere. It’s time to go to the beach, play golf, ride bikes, go fishing or hiking.

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Some medical professionals stress that what an individual is willing and ready to do often depends on an individual’s rick tolerance including a willingness to adhere to recommended safety guidelines and cognizant of what others are doing, or not doing.

According to the CNN article, many people are sticking closer to home indicating a drive option. On the other hand, as one might suspect, air travel is on the rise.

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According to the article, more than 500,000 people crossed through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at US airports on June 11, the first time numbers have climbed above that mark since the coronavirus pandemic brought travel to a near standstill in March.

Still, there is reluctance to fly.

Bloomberg reported recently that research from the International Air Transport Association points to just 45 percent of travelers willing to return to airports within two months of restrictions lifting.

“If anything, consumers have actually got rather more cautious and we have a majority saying now that they would wait more than six months before traveling,” said IATA chief economist Brian Pearce, according to Bloomberg. “The survey is telling us that passengers are rather cautious.”

“The risks of travel are usually more dependent on the personal choices of the traveler rather than the means of transport,” said Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University Medical Center.Stops to eat, drink, use the bathroom and sleep on long car trips add risk. Air travel presents its own challenges.”Although the air in planes is filtered, the mask usage and hygiene of your fellow passengers may be less than ideal,” Griffin said.

Again, it is up to YOU to decide but awareness is key. The answers to a very unscientific question I posted on Facebook – “Are you Willing to Get on an Airplane Right Now?” – were surprisingly mixed. Thirty-one answered. Nineteen said no. Some said only in an emergency or for an important family gathering. Seven said they either had already booked an upcoming trip or had already taken a flight primarily for pleasure purposes,