The New Normal for Travel - How to Travel Safer and Smarter

After almost two years of disruption, international travel is finally starting to gain momentum in this part of the world again. Singapore will be expanding its Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with more countries and restoring quotas for existing ones. Previously announced VTLs with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were put on hold due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, but these arrangements will be restored from 25 February 2022. While it may be a great idea to start traveling internationally again, passengers who are planning to travel during this period should take extra precautions to protect themselves. Here are some tips on travelling safer and smarter during this period: 

Book Early to Secure Flights and Hotels 

Most travellers will be travelling via a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) where they must fulfill some basic requirements to enjoy quarantine-free travel. With that in mind, it is important to start planning for these trips as early as possible in order to meet all the conditions of travel in a timely manner. A seat in Business Class is comparatively safer than a seat in Economy Class as you are generally further away from other passengers for most parts of the flight. While it may be significantly more expensive, this can be mitigated by the use of miles for redemption flights (even though it should be noted that availability may be a lot lower during peak periods and certain days of the week). If you are planning to use your hard-earned KrisFlyer Miles for a redemption flight, booking early should give you the best chance at a Saver award (which requires significantly fewer miles than an Advantage award).

You should also try to lock in your hotel stays as quickly as possible to take advantage of generally lower rates. At the time of writing, OCBC customers can enjoy an exclusive 15% savings on all hotel bookings made on the Travel with OCBC platform with a minimum spend of S$250. OCBC credit and debit cardholders can also enjoy an additional S$30 off hotel bookings (min. spend of S$400) when they use the promo code ‘OCBC30’ upon check-out.

Compare Rates to Save More

Regardless of whether you have an exact flight or property in mind, you should compare these rates across different online travel agents (OTAs) to find the best price. OCBC Cardholders should take advantage of the Travel with OCBC platform to enjoy exclusive savings on accommodation - just remember to log in to the portal in order to unlock these savings. 

I am planning a tentative trip to Melbourne and a quick comparison of hotel prices on Travel with OCBC vis-a-vis a popular OTA reveals a significant price difference for the same dates of travel and cancellation policy. The Pan Pacific Melbourne (which I have stayed multiple times, even when it used to be the Hilton Melbourne South Wharf) is one of my favourite business hotels in the city, is priced at S$719 on Travel with OCBC as compared to S$801 on Expedia - this is an additional 6.5% discount on top of the best publicly available rate for this property.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance used to be an optional (but recommended) component of every international trip but it is now not uncommon to find it as a requirement and condition of entry for certain countries. A minimum coverage amount (typically estimated based on the COVID-19 bill sizes at private hospitals) is generally required, and this may differ from country to country.

Take the worry out of travel with the OCBC Explorer travel insurance as it comes with added COVID-19 coverage - vaccinated travellers will also enjoy 35% off when they purchase an eligible single-trip plan. Apart from the usual medical and travel coverage (click here for full coverage details), the Essential and Ultimate Plans will also cover eligible medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, and compassionate expenses, as well as travel inconveniences stemming from the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Packing Light but Packing Right 

In times like these, it is a good idea to pack extra hand sanitisers, disinfectant wipes, and even self-test kits in your luggage. If you are carrying hand sanitisers or alcohol-based disinfectants in your checked baggage, make sure that the weight does not exceed 500ml or 500g per item, and up to 2l or 2kg in total. It is advisable for you to carry a smaller bottle of hand sanitiser in your cabin bag, but do note that the usual 100ml per article limit for liquids apply. You should also consider packing an extra set of clothes in your carry-on baggage in case of accidents and emergencies.  

Book Your Pre-flight PCR 

One of the most common conditions of entry for countries these days is a negative test result from a COVID-19 Pre-Departure Test (PDT). In order to travel out of Singapore, you will be required to complete a PDT within 48 hours before your flight. Make an appointment via HealthPass by OCBC to enjoy an exclusive PDT rate of S$105 - testing is available at 37 Healthway Medical Clinics islandwide, and test certificates come with a corresponding QR code that links to the digital PDT certificate for ease of retrieval. 

Set Aside Ample Time to Check-in and to Board

Be sure to allocate sufficient time at the airport for you to check-in to your flight and board - travelling in a post-COVID world is different, and you should definitely set aside some time for you to get familiar with the new processes and procedures. Most major airport lounges in Changi Airport have also resumed service so this might also be a great time to take advantage of the lounge perks that come with your credit card(s) like the OCBC VOYAGE Card.  

#ShutterWipe Down High-touch Surfaces

If you do follow The Shutterwhale on Instagram, you must have seen the #ShutterWipe at some point. While it started as a novelty in a pre-COVID world, it has become increasingly important for travellers to seriously wipe down high-touch surfaces with a disinfecting wipe prior to settling down into a seat. It is recommended that you wipe down any hard surfaces that you will likely touch during the flight - arm and headrests, tray table, in-flight entertainment controller, as well as belt buckles, just to name a few.

Keep Your Mask On (As Much As Possible)

Make sure you put on a medical-grade mask (e.g. N95) that is tight-fitting (surgical masks, as well as cloth masks, do not work as well) for the duration of the flight. If you have to remove your mask to eat and drink, make sure to do it quickly and try not to prolong sipping that Champagne just to keep your mask off.  While it may be tempting to keep your mask off for as long as possible due to comfort, it does increase your risk of infection quite significantly.

Travelling in a post-pandemic world is tough and it does not seem like it will get easier anytime soon, but when you finally get to where you want to be, you will probably realise that everything is well worth the effort. Trip planning is definitely a lot more important right now than ever before so if you are toying with the idea of travelling in the months ahead, you should consider starting now.  

This post was created in collaboration with OCBC, but opinions remain those of The Shutterwhale.

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