Traveling for work?

[G-Man]

Like many of us, my job normally involves a lot of travel.

We're discussing resuming work travel - Continental USA, two people, and mostly suburban and rural areas (except major airports). In-person visits are technically and 'politically' critical for our business success.

The risks are not knowable. Most likely, nothing will happen. Slight chance of death. Slight chance of permanent damage. Some chance of awful sickness for 2-6 weeks. Some risk of infecting others.

What are y'all considering in your analyses?

Driving vs flying? (Commercial airlines, not general aviation)
Flying has more exposure, driving is more time (additional hotel nights) more meals, etc.
What about an RV/camper?

What are your companies saying?
What are they offering if you get sick?
Do you want hazard pay for travel?
Some other reward/incentive?

Any personal rules you want?
Changes in policies, like where you stay, etc.?
Can you decide not to take a commercial flight if it's full?

Thanks, and I anticipate a lively and informative discussion.

 

[Morgan3820]

DOD is still at mission essential only with flag approval, at least for my organization.

 

[Morgan3820]

Thanks, and I anticipate a lively and informative discussion.

 

[Ted]

We have very restricted travel currently at my job, I'm still working from home.

Conversely my wife is more or less business as as far as travel arrangements go - hopped on two airline flights (had to connect through Denver to get from KC to NYC), will be in the sim and then pick up a plane to get back to flying in a different hotel room every night (probably in a different time zone). She did get a notification that one of her flights "may be mostly full" and she had the option to switch. Of course none of the other flights met the schedule, so on the plane she went.

Driving vs. flying commercial - airplanes are getting fuller again (although not completely full). If I had to guess, the risk is similar.

RV - well you still have to pump gas (more of it), you probably won't be using the on-board bathroom all the time. Saves you the hotel exposure, but hotels are so empty these days I don't feel that's a substantial risk right now.

GA presents the best option in my opinion if you are concerned about exposure on all counts, albeit not without risks.

I think most of the COVID-related lockdowns have ended, at least unless/until a second wave hits. However the current protests and related curfews create, in my mind, larger concerns or challenges.

And lest anyone need the reminder, don't let the topic spin or the ban hammer shall be wielded mightily.

 

[Everskyward]

I'm doing some personal airline travel in a couple weeks. I know a couple other people who are doing so too. It seems as if individuals are personally more free to travel than institutions and businesses are. They all need to develop onerous procedures.

 

[champ driver]

If I want to be home after a days work then I have to use the airlines. Same with going back to work when I have to travel half way across the country. I fly from Minnesota to FL and AZ frequently, and driving is not a practical option for getting home. Some of us don't have choices.

 

[AlleyCat67]

I work for a Federal agency & we are still on mandatory telework except “mission critical” roles.

If $$ are no object you could book 1st class so there isn’t someone next to you coughing into your ear.

 

[cowman]

I just plan to avoid places with large numbers of people crowded together, especially indoors. Which I kind of do anyway but now there's a medical reason.

I don't need to travel for work but I will be traveling for fun in the coming months. In my opinion, the risks are low and this virus is probably going to be in the population potentially forever. I doubt I'm running much more of a risk standing in line at the burger stand by the beach than I am making the weekly grocery run anyway. Life has to continue at some point.

Ride in the big metal tube and go through the sea of miserable people at a commercial terminal though? I'd have to be desperate.

 

[86Aviator]

My job usually requires moderate travel (~10-15 nights away per month), but like about everyone else we pulled the plug when things started falling apart. Late last week was my first trip in almost 3 months (to a suburban office park off of a larger city). My flight there was around 40% full, back was about the same and social distancing wasn't an issue either way except maybe the TSA lines. First class wasn't empty but wasn't full - not sure if they're not filling each seat, but that can be a good idea to get away from people if you're inclined. IMHO, the plane itself was nothing worse than going to my local grocery store from a social distance standpoint. Uber was normal except for the masks they now require - friendly guys both ways who seemed happy to have a fare.

The hotel (Double Tree) was an odd experience - no room service, no maid service, no nothing, really. Very amateur front desk staff - or maybe just out of practice (dropping F bombs on his cell phone when I checked in and out). I thought the room would be just super incredibly clean with all the bragging HHonors has been doing about their Lysol partnership in my email inbox lately, but it was very typical - clean enough, but don't look too close . . . in other words, a typically crappy Hilton experience.

Restaurants were no more crowded than they are here in Atlanta (we've been going out since places began reopening about a month ago), so again, I didn't think things were that bad relatively speaking.

As far as the client site goes, they're still mostly work at home so it was just meeting with management in empty, non-climate controlled office buildings. Saw some moldy coffee cups that have obviously been undisturbed since March. The office restrooms definitely hadn't been cleaned since March.

All this to say - weird trip, but at no point did I feel more exposed to COVID than I choose to be on a daily basis at home. I volunteered for my trip, though - I could definitely see where people wouldn't be thrilled to travel right now. But I'm headed out again next week and I'm fine with it for the most part.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Travel is not banned in our company but it is restricted and we need higher level review and approvals. Strict visitor protocols are in effect and need to be adhered to. Company group meetings are still don’t look to be viable until at least September.

I am using it as an opportunity to NOT travel, and once restrictions are lifted, I’m going to be much more selective in what trips I do make. I realized how difficult it is to keep up with my daily work while traveling and meeting with others. I am more productive now.

 

[denverpilot]

RV - well you still have to pump gas (more of it), you probably won't be using the on-board bathroom all the time. Saves you the hotel exposure, but hotels are so empty these days I don't feel that's a substantial risk right now.

Likely not possible. Lots of RV full-timers and folks who needed out of shared housing — most RV commercial parks are full. And lots of States have closed or limited numbers. Federal last I heard most still closed with plans to open for tiny numbers of vehicles.

Ride in the big metal tube and go through the sea of miserable people at a commercial terminal though? I'd have to be desperate.

That’s how many of us felt long before Covid! LOL

But honestly when I flew early in this thing, the place that’ll get you killed is the TSA Checkpoint.

It’s a place everyone has to pass through, it’s a total mess of cross contamination from the bins to the conveyor belts to the rollers to whatever... and it makes the concourse look like a nothingburger.

Hell the airplane itself is better.

Company group meetings are still don’t look to be viable until at least September.

I’m always fascinated by these arbitrary dates and wonder how places come up with them.

Do they expect some sort of herd immunity or vaccine by the fall?

Neither are looking likely.

Or is it just random stuff they toss out?

And I don’t mean that in a negative way, just factual.

Some companies are back at it, most are making up months, a few tech giants have said no user group type large gatherings or company wide gatherings until 2022.

People have a really hard time with just saying, “I don’t know.” It’s weird.

 

[Ghery]

I have no idea what my previous employer is doing now. I retired 5 years ago. I am, however, still active in national and international standards bodies. Every planned trip (face to face meeting) between now and the end of the year has been cancelled. If they hadn't I'd be in Helsinki this week. And Turin, Italy the end of the month. Kista, Sweden in November. Not happening now. We'll see what happens next year.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

@denverpilot I think it’s just a way of saying “don’t expect to organize or travel to a team meeting prior to that time, and even then you may be at risk of it not happening”. Maybe they’re trying to be hopeful or optimistic. We do have a Crisis Management Team, so they look at data and trends and speak with outside authorities, but it’s as you say, a bit “random” I think.

 

[Brad W]

not travel related in my case, but similar in many of the same concerns.
myself and a few others were successful in getting reluctant permission to work from home for about two months
Effective June 1 we were ordered back. I strongly argued in favor of more time as I have a medical reason to be extra careful.
The state of FL is still under phase 1. Telework is strongly encouraged through phase 2 for everyone, and through phase 3 for "vulnerable" folks. When pushed for more time, the owner eventually reluctantly asked how much more time I would need to be comfortable... When I said through the end of the phases as per the note from my doctor, they were not at all interested in entertaining that. "Give me a date."
Anyway, it was clear to me that pushing for more time was doing nothing but causing friction but I was going to get a verbal extension for some period of time until I decided to go back. nothing on that in writing
so that if I get sick or bring it home to my family, it was my choice to come in.

so nothing offered if I get sick. no hazard pay

and I doubt if there are many companies that would do any of that.

Anyway, what really boils my goat in my case is that I was working more efficiently at home, longer hours, with a better set up (all computer based). I've not been as relaxed or happy in my career, ever. The excuse is that we can't collaborate as well remotely...but there's supposed to be a rule about not visiting in other folks offices, so we are emailing and calling just like I was at home! And I don't need to collaborate all that much anyway. There's a reason, but collaboration aint it!

only a few of us are wearing masks...only those that really need everyone else to wear them. Folks are being slightly more careful, a bit better cleaning, but freely huddling, meeting, etc... it's pretty much business as usual.

For travel...I'm not so sure driving would necessarily be better.... lots of prolonged chances for exposure at gas stations, restaurants, etc... kinda depends on distances and such I suppose.

 

[red4golf]

DOD is still at mission essential only with flag approval, at least for my organization.

Same here but once the ban is lifted I won't have any issues travelling either by commercial or car. Normal requirements are a week out every month to visit one of the 13 states in my region.

 

[CJones]

I work for a small (70ish employees) privately owned company. We currently don't have any official travel restrictions in place. We're at the whim of our customers - when they open the doors for us to come, we will come. My team in particular doesn't ever travel (other than me), so I haven't had to deal with it. I have heard from other teams that they were being lenient if someone said they didn't feel comfortable travelling to a customer site in New Jersey and were pushing on the customer to allow remote work.

I have a customer in New Hampshire that I need to get up to see and am seriously considering flying myself rather than taking airline into Boston or connecting through one of the NYC airports. COVID doesn't spook me around here close to home, but metro areas make me pause and think a bit - there's no way to get around having a ton of people within close proximity in the large metro areas.