18 | JANUARY 20 • 2022 

F

light cancellations, changing travel 
rules and getting stuck abroad: These 
are just a few of the many issues trav-
elers are facing in recent weeks as the rapid-
ly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 
continues to impact the travel industry.
Having recently returned from a trip 
to Aruba, I faced all these issues and then 
some as Omicron quickly went from what 
felt like a small possibility in the back-
ground to the forefront of the news and, of 
course, our vacation.
Flying out to Aruba from Detroit in early 
December, the first officer on our flight 
didn’t show up. Luckily, another first officer 
was called in, who managed to drive to the 
airport in time for our flight to take off two 
hours late, but we still managed to make 
our connecting flight to Aruba.
Others, however, aren’t so lucky.
“People are calling in because they have 
Omicron and they’re getting 
sick, so [airlines] have staff 
shortages,
” Jewish travel expert 
David Fishman of Metro 
Detroit-based Cadillac Travel 
Group explains. “But what also 
happens in these situations is 
a lot of times, people who are
working will pick up more flights.
”
Airline staff will max out how many 
hours they’re allowed to fly, Fishman con-

tinues, contributing to the cancellations.
“It’s a big problem,
” he says.

FEAR OF GETTING STUCK ABROAD
Coming home on Christmas Eve, my two 
flights took off as planned — but many peo-
ple at my hotel were stuck, facing last-min-
ute and unexpected holiday cancellations.
It’s another hurdle travelers must be ready 
to face if traveling in the coming weeks.
“That’s another part of the problem, a 
fear of getting stuck somewhere,
” Fishman 
explains. 
While my family managed to come home 
in a timely manner with negative COVID-
19 tests, we narrowly avoided an Omicron 
spread at our hotel. One week after we left, 
33 rooms were on lockdown, and friends 
of ours faced 10 days of isolation in their 
rooms until they were able to present three 
negative COVID-19 tests in a row following 
the mandatory quarantine period.
This means people could miss work, get-
ting home in time to take care of their kids 
or other crucial matters that often have to 
be weighed out as real possibilities prior to 
planning a trip.
Fishman says travelers often wonder what 
will happen in the event that they contract 
the virus and get stuck, especially abroad. 
The key, he explains, is to do as much 
homework as possible to stay up to date 

on government restrictions and guidelines 
— even up to a day before leaving — and 
to secure travel insurance, which he recom-
mends as the smartest thing one can do.
“There are types of coverages that allow 
you to get home,
” Fishman explains. “Most 
people don’t know about it.
”
While these memberships can sometimes 
run on the more expensive side, Fishman 
says they offer peace of mind to travelers 
truly concerned about the possibility of get-
ting stranded.

HOW TO TRAVEL SAFELY
That’s why Farmington Hills-based Jewish 
family practice physician Dr. Jeffrey Soffa 
says travelers should consider the pros and 
cons of every trip.
“You have to be aware that you’re going 
to be around a lot of different people, and 
you’re not going to know what their status 
is regarding immunizations or illness,
” Soffa 
explains.
He recommends considering your own 
health, vaccination status, age and whether 
a trip falls into an essential 
category (such as taking care 
of a sick family member) or 
under the vacation umbrella, 
the latter of which could be 
postponed if needed.
Either way, Soffa says “you 
want to make sure that you’re 
wearing a mask right, that your immuniza-
tions are up to date and that you stay as far 
away from other people as possible.
”
Soffa suggests wearing an N95 or KN95 
mask, which offer higher levels of protec-
tion against COVID-19. Cloth masks, he 
says, will help keep a sneeze or cough from 
traveling, but often won’t do much else in 
preventing virus spread.
Yet when it comes to push or pull, any 
mask is better than not wearing one at all, 
Soffa adds.
He also suggests avoiding highly crowded 
places while traveling, like theaters or other 
indoor spaces where people sit or stand 
closely to one another for extended periods 
of time.
And if you do happen to get sick, Soffa 
says you can treat your symptoms while 
self-isolating, but to always get prompt 
medical attention at an urgent care or hos-
pital if you experience shortness of breath 
or other more severe symptoms.
“You don’t want to take a chance,
” he 
says. 

OUR COMMUNITY

Everything you need to know about 
traveling during Omicron.

Planning 
a Trip?

David 
Fishman

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dr. Jeffrey 
Soffa

