TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

TravelAbility Report: March 2019

Bright New Ideas For TravelAbility Summit October 12-14, 2020

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gorgeous handing lightbulb with bright pink background

It’s clear that our focus should be on offering the industry reliable, simple-to-follow resources in this new COVID-19 market. That’s what we’re doing. Our 2020 Virtual TravelAbility Summit and Launchpad will highlight items that you need to know now, including training staff, gaining trust, and learning lessons from peers. As the industry changes, for better or for worse, we’re proud to make ourselves of service.

Note: To be on top of the news, our program will change to reflect any new realities for the travel industry in this crisis. Stay safe.

Try Game Theory to Secure Your Preferred Airline Seat

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drawing of inside an airplay with three rows of 2 seats
It even comes with a game board!

Ultimate traveler John Morris of the blog wheelchairtravel.org found himself in 4A instead of his favorite, 4F on the last flight he was scheduled to take pre-pandemic. No problem, he masterminded a plan, “I decided to play a classic game of chicken with Mr. 4F, hoping that fear of coronavirus would cause him to surrender the seat.” Find the seat map, or game board, here.

 OUR TAKE: This is pure genius in a six-feet-apart world. John even gave readers the gameboard or seat plan, above.

Will a Digital Jigsaw Puzzle Leave Your Heart in San Francisco?

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a San Fran view made into a puzzle

Offering six jigsaw puzzles (free) for people sheltering in place, San Francisco Travel just put a lock on people’s focus—at least for a while.  Visitors to their site can ‘see’ PIER 39 sea lions, gaze upon the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square Park or the skyline at Dolores Park, take a ride on a cable car or enjoy views of The Golden Gate Bridge. They are available to try, here. 

OUR TAKE: The organization’s tagline is “by the time you’ve solved all these puzzles, it’ll be time to start planning your next trip to San Francisco.” This follows the common wisdom that positivity, paired with a few free experiences (puzzles!), keeps visitors coming to your site. They may also draw in new travel fans.

Now You Can See What I’m Talking About, Right? Inclusivity!

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two women in t shirts in back of a sewing machine wearing masks they made with clear plastic near the mouth

These masks were made for “For anyone who uses speech reading, lip reading, anybody like that,” Ashley Lawrence a senior studying education for the deaf and hard of hearing said in a Lex18 news report. “Also these are for people who are profoundly deaf who use ASL as their primary mode of communication. She and her mom are now making variations for people with hearing aids and over-the-ear fit concerns. 

OUR TAKE: There are so many ways to be accessible and so much time. Making good use of your ‘pause’ can actually be a pleasure.  

3 WAYS TO ACHIEVE A CLEAN NEW DEAL

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two hands waving with blue rubber gloves on

Ahhh, cleanliness, everyone’s favorite new word. If our industry follows the trends, it will go from a deal-breaker to a deal maker in the future. Start by learning the latest news, below.

  1. New Airline Regulations For COVID-19 and Beyond In a survey of aviation executives by consulting group ICF, 92 percent of respondents said 1. they expect to see enhanced aircraft hygiene requirements post-COVID-19. At least one U.S. airline—Delta—has said it plans to use its new extensive sanitizing procedures for the foreseeable future. Other carriers are likely to follow suit as a response to the crisis, according to CNTRAVELER.

    OUR TAKE: Who knew sanitizing procedures would be the new sexy must-have?  We joke, but we’re also pleased to see the level to which companies have promised to rise for safety’s sake. 

2. New Cleaning Protocols, New Cleanliness Advisory Council 
“We are living in a new age, with COVID-19 front and center for our guests and our associates,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president/CEO. “We are grateful for the trust our guests have shown us through the years. We want our guests to understand what we are doing today and planning for in the near future in the areas of cleanliness, hygiene, and social distancing, he told HotelManagement.net.

OUR TAKE: Trust is what will bring back travelers. That’s why the council is focused on developing global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms, and behaviors that are designed to minimize risk and enhance safety.

3. Learn What Is Level 3 Cleaning Entails  They tossed, bedding, mattresses, kitchen utensils, and hundreds and hundreds of towels. Then they barricaded each area to assure it remained uncontaminated. That’s only part of what a Level 3 cleaning requires, Shelden Yellen of  CEO of BELFOR Property Restoration told Travelpulse.com He was in charge of cleaning the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where 697 passengers tested positive and seven died. (The cruise had 2,666  guests and  1,045 crew on board, according to Reuters.) He spoke about the cleaning process of the ships in a Q&A with Fox News. A full write-up on Yellen from TravelPulse.com appears here.  

OUR TAKE: This particular cleaning job is called a Level 3, the highest standard there is. The company used all  Level 3 protocols to protect themselves and eradicate the virus. Such attention to detail will likely be on the minds of devoted cruise passengers when (not if) these beautiful boats sail again. 

PLUS: Cleanliness Standards All In One Place!
Sector-by-Sector COVID-19 Protocols and How Effective They Were

Covid-19 cleanliness protocols must be at a standard that meets the needs of our most vulnerable travelers: those with a disability or aging baby boomers (who now control over 70% of the discretionary income in the U.S.) At TravelAbility 2020 (virtual) Presenters from each of the following industry sectors will share their post- COVID-19 cleanliness protocols, how they were promoted, and how effective they were in attracting business.

  • Destination Marketing Organizations: State and CVB 
  • Hotels: Guests, staff, F&B and social distancing for meetings
  • Convention Centers: Cleaning and Social distancing protocols 
  • Airports: Cleaning & concessions protocols for disabled
  • Attractions: Cleaning and social distancing
  • Cruise Lines: Cleaning, food preparation, and social distancing
  • Rental Car: Cleaning and social distancing
  • Amtrak: Cleaning and social distancing
  • Airlines: Cleaning, boarding process, and distancing
  • Escorted Tours: Social Distancing