Opinion – Maria Inês Dolci: Influenza and Covid do not go on vacation and affect flights

Hundreds of flights were canceled until this beginning of the week, by Azul and Latam, right in the summer vacation period, due to the cases of Covid-19 and influenza (and ‘flurona’, influenza plus coronavirus!) . Medical layoffs have also occurred in other activities, such as banks and restaurants. The dilemma is: is it worth taking the risk of contracting these diseases to travel, or would it be better to leave the holidays for a less critical period?

There are many factors to consider. If you have already purchased a tour package (airfare and accommodation), prepare yourself. It is quite possible that you will have to face changes in flight schedules and delays, in addition to running the risk of becoming infected. Cancellations are estimated to continue until the end of February.
If you decide to postpone the trip, negotiate with the airline, hotel or travel agency to reschedule or credit what was spent.

Procon-SP notified Azul, Gol and Latam this Monday (10), in order to obtain explanations about flight cancellations, material assistance to passengers and about how many requested reimbursement or rescheduling of the trip. In addition, it charged a contingency plan to minimize damages to consumers.

The suggestion for those who have not yet purchased tickets or made hotel reservations would be to postpone the trip. There is another option: staying behind the wheel for hours or days in your car, which would obviously reduce the risk of contagion. But that could bring other inconveniences, such as fatigue and possible traffic accidents on dangerous Brazilian roads.

By the way, if the decision is to hit the road with your vehicle, it is essential to carry out a thorough mechanical review beforehand. And in vacation trips, it is also necessary to consider the need for accommodation in a hotel or inn, as well as going to restaurants, bars, beaches and other very busy places. Perhaps the online hosting market is a less risky option.

Plan everything in detail, and find out about the health situation in your tourist destination. Unfortunately, the new threats (omicron and influenza variant) occur just when the pandemic seemed to give us a truce. The impression is that, too soon, we feel safe to gather.

It’s unpleasant, exhausting and frustrating, there’s no denying it. But above all there must be the health and safety of families. With them, there will be new opportunities for tours and vacations.