Well, I wasn’t going to do it, but what the heck? Unless you live under a rock, you’re probably aware that the world is dealing with a not-so-little problem called the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

To date, the outbreak of said virus has resulted in more than 139,000 confirmed cases worldwide, as well as more than 5,000 deaths (though, it should also be noted that over 70,000 people have recovered). The countries seeing the worst of it are China — where it first appeared — South Korea, Italy, and Iran.

But COVID-19 has also popped up here in the U.S., where we have nearly 2,000 cases. Partly due to a botched response from the current occupant of the White House, the virus has sent many ripples throughout the country already. The NBA suspended the remainder of its 2019-2020 season, the NCAA cancelled all remaining winter and spring sports championships (including March Madness), and several states have decided to temporarily shutter schools.

Of course, such a widespread public health crisis also reaches its dirty paws into economic affairs — and that includes the business of travel. Regardless of the tool you prefer, a search for most any flight right now will likely turn up fares that are far less expensive than you’re accustomed to.

The natural question becomes: should you take advantage of this at a time when non-essential travel is being discouraged? The answer depends on a number of factors.

For starters, it depends how old you are, and how healthy you feel overall. Older people with weaker immune systems are the most likely to face severe symptoms if infected, but kids seem to be virtually untouched so far. If you’re on the younger side, that’s obviously good news for you. It doesn’t mean you’re immune necessarily, just that even if you got sick, the illness wouldn’t be as bad as it is for those who are already over the hill.

So let’s say you are a spritely fellow or gal, raring to book a cheap flight to the suddenly-affordable destination of your dreams (or maybe the fourth or fifth option on your travel bucket list). What else is there to consider?

Screenshot of interactive map found on Aljazeera.com, Friday, March 13 (find the most up-to-date version here)

Well, who do you come in contact with on a regular basis? Are your grandparents still around/in your life? Do you work somewhere that elderly folks frequent or reside, such as a nursing home or a senior center? Who might you pass the virus onto, if you were to contract it while traveling?

After you’ve considered those questions, it’s time to examine the destination you have in mind. If we’re talking international travel, you’ll want to check out this map from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention which provides a country by country COVID-19 risk assessment profile.

If you’re talking domestic travel within the U.S., there are still plenty of questions to consider before pulling the trigger. Is the virus spreading where you’ll visit? Will you be exposing yourself to crowds more than necessary? Are you able to take off work or school in the case that you contract the virus and must self-quarantine for at least 14 days? Check out the CDC’s advice on domestic travel right here.

After reading through all of this, the answer to the question — should you take advantage of cheap flights during a global health crisis? — should be fairly clear. I’m not telling you what to do one way or the other; it’s all about your own level of comfortability with possible exposure. If you’ve properly educated yourself on the potential risks, and you still want to go for it, that’s totally your call.

One last piece of advice I would like to impart, however? While no one can predict how long this pandemic will continue, it could be advantageous to look ahead at flights you were planning to book later this year, or early next year, and see where the prices are at on those suckers right now.

Six months from now, when things have potentially calmed down, you could be looking at those very same flight prices and be very, very glad that you bought those tickets so far in advance.

-LTH

Should You Take Advantage of Cheap Flights During a Global Health Crisis?