Being Smart About Your Travels During the Coronavirus
Jubel grew out of our love for travel. We send our beloved travelers to places they will remember for a lifetime. That being said, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has swept the globe. It is obviously hard to know how the situation will evolve, but there is only thing we know for certain, this too shall pass. For the time being, the best we can do is keep calm, follow health authorities’ advice, and use our own common-sense. We at Jubel are doing our best to assist our past, present, and future travelers and ride this wave out.
Traveling is usually a beautiful thing. Right now, even if the young and bold will most likely be fine in the face of COVID-19, we cannot abuse this privilege by putting others at risk. We all have a social responsibility in regard to others — let’s keep everyone safe.
Be kind to yourself and others. The faster this situation gets under control — which will happen much faster if we all follow medical advice — the faster we’ll be able to get back on the horse (or the plane). One of the most beautiful things about travel is the opportunity to experience the kindness of other nationalities and cultures. Right now, it’s time to apply this kindness at home, to share resources, and to look after one another.
SATISFY YOUR TRAVEL BUG FROM HOME
How We Are Helping Our Travelers
When you cancel your trip with Jubel, we work hard to get the maximum refund for you. We call and work with airlines on your behalf to inquire about refunds, credits, or fee-free changes to your itinerary. We also call and work with hotels and other accommodation providers, along with tour operators, car rental agencies, transfer vendors, and much more. Simply put, if a part of your trip is refundable to Jubel, it is refundable to you. You will get 100% of that money back.
Jubel does not charge any additional change or cancellation fees for its services. Individual vendors throughout the airline, hotel, car rental, and activity industries often do. But with our relationships with vendors around the world, we can cancel and offer significant cash refunds or change parts of your trip for free. And that is exactly what we have been doing since COVID-19 came into our lives. It is what we continue to do, and are ready to do in the future if need be.
Customer service lines across the whole travel industry are completely busy. It oftentimes takes six hours or more just to talk to a human being. These are interesting times. We at Jubel are, quite literally, working around the clock from four different time zones to make sure all of our travelers are being refunded as they should. We are doing our best to be in constant contact with all of our travelers to give updates on each aspect of their trips.
When you booked with Jubel, you booked with confidence. That’s why we pride ourselves on exemplary customer service throughout the whole process. The team at Jubel is working very hard to guide you and include you during every step of this unique time in travel.
A word from our travelers:
“I’m glad that we pulled the trigger. Jubel–and you, in particular–have been so wonderful in first planning the trip and now in postponing it. I’ve recommended all of my friends to you and I can’t wait to pick back up where we left off once this is all over.” — Caitlin C.
“Your time and energy does not go unnoticed. Thank you for all your help throughout this process and we can’t wait to work with Jubel again!” — Rebecca D.
“Thanks so much, David. Looking forward to going through the process again and planning another surprise trip with Jubel.” — Brendan Q.
“And also, please know that I appreciate your hard work on this. I can’t even imagine how long and difficult your days have been and will continue to be. Hang in there; we’ll get to the other side of this mess together.” — Suzanne C.
“Thanks for being so awesome!” — Valentina L.
“Working with you has been an immense pleasure, though, so we plan to sock the money away to try a mystery vacation with your agency at a later time when things have calmed down in the world and in our careers. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done to work with us!” — Alex R.
“David, you are the best. I have no words to describe how grateful we are for how amazing you have been this entire process. Thanks for letting us know and we look forward to hearing from you. Hopefully, we can work together again in August!” — McKenzie R.
“Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!” — Alex H.
“So sad our surprise trip was postponed but so thankful for Jodi who has been a treasure during all of this. We’ve rescheduled and extended the trip because of how wonderful your company is and how great Jodi has been. We still don’t know where we are going and still just as excited!” — Cinda L.
“Jodi, This is great news! Thank you for doing all of that!” — Joseph J.
Start Planning for the Future
While it’s not a good time to travel right now, it is an opportune moment to plan for future adventures several months out. Why now?
- Flexible cancellations
- Adaptable flights
- Free re-bookings
- Low costs!
Nothing can stop you from dreaming of your next adventure. We at Jubel love planning trips and are happy to help you come up with your most amazing travel experience yet — even if your departure date isn’t set in stone — so you can have something to look forward to, post-pandemic.
We’d love to get started on a trip for you that’s 6+ months out. With great deals, flexible booking, and free cancellations, this is the time to begin planning.
Protecting yourself with travel insurance
Let’s make this a learning experience. One thing you should always do when preparing for a trip abroad (pandemic or not) is get travel insurance. As current travelers can attest to, it pays off.
Most, if not all, travel insurance companies will not cover you if you travel to a country with a warning against all travel. If a warning is emitted while you are abroad, you will be expected to come back ASAP.
World Nomads is a great insurance provider and is keeping well up to date with the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel Guard and IMGlobal are also good options. As always, it’s best to go straight to the source and contact these providers directly for current policy specifics.
REACH OUT TO US AND WE’LL WALK YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP
How to Satiate Your Travel Bug from Home
Social distancing might be rough for a born and bred adventurer, but it’s a small price to pay to keep others safe.
If you truly must get out, rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere (reachable by car) and wait it out there. Just pack your car up with some disinfectant and get ready to ride out the worst of it far from everyone, in nature. Self-isolating in the forest far from everyone seems like a great plan. Read, meditate, take some walks, do yoga, or just watch Netflix somewhere much better than a cramped home.
And, if all else fails, the internet is packed with information about the world — read about far off lands, watch travel videos and documentaries, or all of the above! Looking for other ways to pass the time while cozied up at home? Here are some of our favorites:
THIS IS TEMPORARY. FOR NOW, SEEK INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE TRAVEL!
Some Good News to Keep You Going
Let’s steer away from the hellish news cycle and lift our spirits up with some good news. Yes, the situation isn’t great right now, but there’s still some good ‘ol heartwarming stuff out there — or at the very least, some reassuring news.
In regards to the coronavirus
- There is a new treatment using anti-malarial medication.
- China has been closing its makeshift COVID-19 hospitals as the numbers of new cases are now down to almost none.
- People in Italy are keeping their hopes up by throwing parties from their balconies.
- In Wuhan, China thousands of residents chanted “jiayou” from their windows, encouraging one another to stay strong.
- In Seville, Spain an entire apartment building was led through a balcony/window exercise session by a fitness instructor.
- The University of Saskatchewan in Canada is testing vaccines!
- Doctors in India are using a mix of anti-HIV drugs and getting some promising results in treating patients!
- A 103-year-old grandma from China has fully recovered from the disease!
- Plasma from freshly recovered patients could treat the infected.
- Dogs can’t get COVID-19!
- A study on nine pregnant women showed that the virus is not transmitted from mother to child.
- So many people are working on cures and vaccines.
- Luxury perfume companies are now making hand sanitizer.
- And countless other inspiring stories .
Other good stuff
- You can visit museums through Google Maps! Explore the Guggenheim in New York, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, and plenty of others. If museums aren’t your style, try Machu Picchu, Peru!
- A new kind of contact lens has been created that can correct certain types of color blindness.
- This website pairs hand-washing with your favorite song!
- We have a unicorn puppy!!
- Wonder From Home with Atlas Obscura’s series.
- Plenty of (very new) movies are being released online.
- Chicago’s aquarium let the penguin roam free since the building is closed to humans!
- Plenty of people are giving us faith in humanity with little gestures that mean a lot.
“Panic” and “pandemic” seem pretty synonymous at this point. It’s entirely normal and expected for us to feel bewildered by the current state of the world — but now is not the time for sensationalism or terror. We must strive for unity, understanding, and kindness. Keep your eyes open and use your judgement to make good, educated choices based on the advice of actual experts — not social media posts. This too shall pass.
Looking to let your mind wander to other destinations while in self-isolation? Get in touch! We’re happy to help you plan the perfect post-pandemic trip. With unprecedented flexibility, we’re here to offer some peace of mind in these stressful times. Easily get started here.
