Peggy Drexler is a research psychologist, documentary producer and author of “Our Fathers, Ourselves: Daughters, Fathers, and the Changing American Family” and “Raising Boys Without Men”. She is an executive producer, most recently, on “My Name is Pauli Murray,” a film that premiered at Sundance, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The opinions expressed in this comment are her own. See more opinion on CNN.
(CNN) Going somewhere fun this summer? Hmm, well, with all these travel interruptions, that was the idea anyway. Having missed further trips for the better part of the last couple of years, many of us assumed we would finally get the summer we’ve been waiting for. The mask’s federal term ended in April. Many international borders have reopened with few restrictions. Traveling — before new subvariants appeared on the scene, at least — felt relatively safe again, given immunity to Covid-19 through vaccines, previous infection, or both. Europe, here we come!
And yet, as anyone who has traveled – or tried – in the last few months can attest, it hasn’t been an easy journey. Consumer interest in air travel reached pre-pandemic levels for the first time in two years, and airlines and airports struggled to keep up.
The shortage of labor and the high incidence of workers falling ill have created problems both in the air and on the ground. There are fewer pilots, flight attendants, service desk staff, security officers, technicians and other support staff than there were before 2020, but the same number of travelers.
Inflation has also increased costs for travelers and travel providers, while market shortages and supply chain problems have created much less slack for airlines when something goes wrong. All of this has resulted in record numbers of flight delays and cancellations for many carriers and record levels of anxiety and frustration. To top it off, Covid-19 cases are on the rise in many parts of the world, with the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants appearing to evade antibody responses between boosted and vaccinated people and those who were previously infected.
On a recent weekday at Heathrow Airport, nearly a third of scheduled flights were delayed; about 2% of all scheduled flights were cancelled. (As of the same day in 2019, according to the Wall Street Journal, about 23% of flights were delayed and 0.5% were cancelled.) The airport has now asked airlines to stop selling more tickets this summer.
The problem is global: this week, the German airline Lufthansa announced that it would cancel 2,000 flights this summer. Meanwhile, US airlines have dropped service in several smaller markets due to pilot shortages. Everyone knows someone, it seems, who was stuck at an airport, still waiting for lost luggage or both.
All of which means that suddenly what felt like one of our only respites – the classic summer stroll – feels as stressful as being stuck at home for another summer.
So, other than canceling the summer and squatting down again, how are we going to handle it?
The key to overcoming the challenge of summer travel – if you choose to take it on – will be managing your expectations, knowing where you fall on the risk/reward spectrum (i.e. understanding whether the benefits of travel outweigh the very real risks). ), learning what you can control yourself and knowing if you can let go of the rest.
One very important thing you can control: your decision to take the risk which is the current state of air travel. One way to reduce incident-related stress is to assume in advance that there will be an incident. It is likely that something will go wrong. This is OK; this year at least will be par for the course.
When things go wrong, it’s easy to get frustrated. You’ll want to get mad at the airlines, or the bad service at the hotel, or the misbehaving passengers – that’s understandable. In these moments, remember: you made the decision to travel. You can also make a different one.
What you can’t control: Your flight is delayed or cancelled. The bad attitude of the hotel’s poorly equipped, probably overworked, concierge. Long lines at the airport. These fellow passengers, or how (and if) flight attendants respond to them. These are things that are out of your hands.
Deciding to travel is accepting these truths in advance and resigning yourself to the fact that you can’t do anything about them – at least not at the moment. You can use these experiences to make different decisions later, but for now, this is your reality.
You also cannot control how airlines will respond to delays and cancellations, how they seek to make accommodations and concessions for passengers, or whether staff strive to ensure the comfort of all passengers. But you can certainly control your decision to fly with that carrier again.
The best way to approach summer travel, then? Plan well. This could mean doing your research on the airlines with the most delayed or canceled flights, keeping customer service numbers handy, reconfirming your flights a few days in advance, and knowing what you would do if you ended up stranded at your destination. . Be prepared for delayed (or lost) luggage by packing a change of clothes and essentials in your carry-on. From there, know that you did your best.
See the trip as an experience that will be exactly as it is. In summer travel, as in life, you can control your expectations and your response, but not the outcome itself.
If you think you can face whatever comes and goes, knowing you’ve set yourself up for success in the best possible way, you might be able to take the psychological and emotional risks of the trip.
If you feel like you can’t handle an unforeseen event like a delay or cancellation, you might want to stay closer to home. Opt for a drivable destination or simply stay put with an intentional stay where you block out relaxation time, disconnect from digital technology and plan fun outings beyond your normal routine.
