We’re now nine months into a major global pandemic. One that has had a dramatic impact on the entire travel industry, including my own business. In the early days, with most of us under some form of quarantine, I stayed home and encouraged my friends and followers to do the same. Unfortunately, I still ended up contracting COVID-19.

Given that I now have the antibodies, I wanted to start traveling again, albeit cautiously and responsibly. No matter your reason for travel, flying can be scary right now. I’ve taken a few flights post-COVID and wanted to share my best tips for staying safe while traveling during this pandemic.

Before I get into each tip for staying safe while traveling, I want to emphasize that you have to be your own advocate. Airlines and hotels are doing everything they can to keep you safe, but they are overwhelmed and understaffed. There are new and changing guidelines every day and it’s ultimately up to you to ensure your own safety.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself, and don’t be afraid to weigh the risks against the rewards of traveling right now. Only you can decide what’s right for you. If you don’t want to travel now, that’s okay, too. But, it is possible to travel responsibly if you take proper precautions and use common courtesy.

Wear a Mask

It should be fairly obvious by now that masks are one of the best ways to help slow the spread of germs and viruses. Masks are now readily available at nearly every convenience store, grocery store, and retailer. However, most makes are designed to protect others from your germs.

If you want to ensure you are protected from others’ germs, you need to get an N95 mask. N95 masks are the best ones for protecting the person wearing the mask. While most public spaces now require everyone to wear masks, you simply can’t put your health into the hands of others. By the time someone is removed from your flight for not wearing a mask, it can already be too late.

N95 masks were previously used only in the healthcare industry. They are classified as medical devices and regulated by the FDA. They are designed to protect the wearer from harmful germs and chemicals. KN95 masks are made in China and are intended for the same uses as an N95 mask. While N95 masks are considered ultimately better, they can be hard to find, so I consider a KN95 mask a suitable alternative.

Wear a Face Shield

To really protect yourself and others, I recommend wearing a face shield. A shield adds an extra layer of protection by covering your forehead and your eyes. Wearing a mask for an extended period of time, like on a flight, can be hard not to fidget with the mask and scratch your nose or face. The shield stops that from happening.

Also, when it’s time to eat or drink, you can leave your face shield on. You don’t have to remove it like you would with a mask. Wearing a mask under your face shield offers double protection for yourself and those around you.

Maintain Social Distance

It’s generally accepted that we should all be standing at least six feet apart from each other. Most businesses have even placed markers on the floors to help us maintain that six-foot distance. However, some people just can’t resist crowding together at the gate, at baggage claim, and everywhere else in the airport.

If someone is standing too close to you, don’t be afraid to ask them to step back and respect your space. If you’re not comfortable doing that, you can try to flag down a flight attendant or gate agent for help. Again, only you can ensure your safety, so you have to be able to speak up when you are not comfortable.

Social distancing doesn’t have to end once you board the plane. In fact, I recommend keeping an eye on the seating chart frequently before your flight. While most of us frequent flyers always opt for an upgrade, sometimes sitting in the back of the airplane makes more sense if there are fewer people back there. First-class and business classes are always going to be full, so consider giving up your favorite spot in favor of safety. Even your choice of an airline can help, as airlines like Delta have committed to operating at 60% capacity for the foreseeable future so that passengers feel safer.

Clean Your Area

Most travelers would agree that airplanes are cleaner than ever before right now. But I still make a point to thoroughly clean my seat and the entire area around me. I used to always get sick when flying, so I started carrying disinfecting wipes many years ago. I flew over 200,000 miles in 2019 and never got sick. I credit this with my airplane cleaning ritual.

Prefer a window seat? Make sure you wipe down the wall and the window, too, especially if you’ll be resting your head for a mid-flight nap. Lysol brand wipes have been confirmed to kill Coronavirus, so I try to use those whenever possible.

Avoid Eating and Drinking on the Plane

The feasibility of this will depend on the length of your flight, but I try to avoid eating and drinking as much as I can. I consider my mask a seal from the outside world and I feel safer if I can maintain that seal throughout my trip until I’m no longer in public. I try to eat and drink before leaving my house so that I don’t feel the need to eat while on board the plane.

If you can’t avoid eating or drinking on the plane, be very careful not to touch your face. (You might even consider putting on gloves for the duration of your meal.) If you are going to drink, stick to bottled water that you can keep the lid on when you’re not drinking. This will keep germs from sneaking into your drink.

Keep in mind that everyone will be eating at the same time on your flight, which means everyone will be removing their masks at the same time. On a recent long flight, I asked to have my meal served later in the flight so that I wasn’t removing my mask at the same time as everyone else. Realize there are going to be passengers who take advantage of this “loophole” to remove their masks, so it’s another great reason to sit in the least populated area of the plane.

Wash Your Hands!

This seems obvious, but you should be washing your hands like your life depends on it, because it really does. Wash your hands at every opportunity you have, for a full 30 seconds each time. When you can’t wash your hands, use a strong hand sanitizer as needed.

Use Gloves Carefully

Gloves can be another great way to protect yourself, but they have to be used correctly in order to be effective. There is a proper way to put gloves on and take them off. I like to wear them during the boarding process, as that’s when you’ll likely have the most contact with others. A fresh pair can be useful to avoid touching your face while eating or sleeping. If used improperly, gloves can create a false sense of security and can do more harm than good.

Choose Your Ground Transportation Carefully

Rideshare services and taxis are usually my go-to when landing at a destination. But in these times, you just never know how clean these cars will be. There’s no telling who has ridden before you, and whether they might have sneezed or coughed all over the back seat.

These days, I use Blacklane because I feel they are taking extra cleanliness precautions to ensure my safety. They’ve been very dependable with social distancing, mask usage, and cleaning. Additionally, I try to sit in the very back of the SUV and keep all of the windows open during my ride.

Ditch The Germs on Arrival

Tips for Flying Safely during a global health pandemic

Even if you’ve taken all of these precautions, your clothes and mask are probably still covered in germs. As soon as I arrive at my hotel or back home, I put all of my clothes and mask in a garbage bag, or dump them straight into the laundry so I’m not shedding germs all over my environment. I also pack Lysol in my checked bag so I can spray my shoes and my luggage. Then I take a hot shower ASAP, making sure I wash my hair and any skin that’s been exposed extra well.

Choose Your Hotel Carefully

If you are not staying with friends or family or quarantining before visiting them, your trip will likely include a hotel stay. It would be pretty awful to take all of these precautions above only to stay at a hotel that’s not taking your safety seriously. Most major hotel brands have new brand standards for COVID-safety, so it’s important to research this before you make your selection.

My first post-COVID trip included a stay at the Conrad New York Downtown. I was nervous about staying in a hotel for the first time, but they did an amazing job making me feel safe and secure. When I checked in, I received a travel pack of Lysol wipes, some disposable masks, as well as hand sanitizer.

Most recently, I spent some time at the JW Marriott Cancun for my first post-COVID international trip. They also did a fantastic job of making me feel safe at their property. My welcome gift charcuterie board had every ingredient individually wrapped, and my beach cabana was well-distanced from the next occupied cabana.

You may be wondering if you should travel during this pandemic. I’ve obviously decided that it’s possible to travel safely, and the precautions I’m taking mean I’m probably being safer than many people who are going about their everyday lives at home. Travel shaming has become the new thing, so I wanted to share my perspective as someone who has had COVID and chooses to travel responsibly.