Queensland Outback Vacations

The COVID-19 pandemic may have changed how we travel, but it hasn't curbed our desire to explore. Here are a few tips on how to navigate travel's new challenges:

• Find out if any travel restrictions apply to your destination and origin before booking. Also check if there are any conditions you'll have to follow on arrival, such as installing a contact tracing app.
• Keep your face mask on during airport screening. A TSA officer will require you to lower your mask temporarily to verify your identity.
• To reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination, place your boarding pass on the scanner yourself and then hold it up for inspection. Do not hand your pass directly to a TSA agent.
• TSA now permits passengers to take one container of hand sanitizer, up to 12 oz (350 ml) in size, in carry-on baggage. This will have to be removed from your bag and presented for screening.
• To minimize handling during screening, place personal items such as your belt, phone and wallet into your carry-on rather than the bins.
• If you want to take food through security screening, place it in a clear plastic bag and then into a scanning bin. This lessens the likelihood that a TSA agent will need to touch your food container or carry-on bag for inspection.

While traveling during an ongoing pandemic can be an anxious experience, airlines have worked around the clock to protect the well-being of passengers and crew. Here are a few carriers that have introduced changes:

• Qantas - this airline is known for providing passenger masks and cleaning with disinfectant.
• Rex Regional Express - this airline is known for conducting passenger temperature checks and cleaning with disinfectant.
• Virgin Australia - this airline is known for providing passenger masks and cleaning with disinfectant.