It’s over a year since I last set foot in an airport. Now, thanks to the miracle of Covid vaccines, I can allow my mind to drift towards thoughts of international travel.
I was hoping I’d had a mild version of Covid when I posted an earlier version of this infographic in May 2020; a PCR antigen test in August 2020 proved otherwise. I was vaccinated in February 2021, which removed a barrier to international travel. However, travel to international destinations that interest me is not possible at this time. Even if I could get to those destinations, I might not be able to travel freely.
Quarantines, lockdowns, and new Covid variants make international travel unappealing at this time. However, I can still make plans for later this year, and book refundable flights to take advantage of cheap fares.
I’ve purchased flights for a Northern Hemisphere mini-RTW (Round-the-World) with a side-trip to New Zealand.
- Minneapolis to UK with a layover in New York City (November 2021)
- UK to Japan (November 2021)
- Japan to Hawaii (December 2021)
- Hawaii to New Zealand (December 2021)
- New Zealand to Hawaii (January 2022)
- Hawaii to Minneapolis (January 2022)
The feasibility of the trip is largely dependent on the population of each country being vaccinated to the point of herd immunity.
The graph makes the UK a fairly safe bet for November 2021. Japan looks less certain: it has barely started vaccinations, and currently has strict travel restrictions that will be in force at least until after the Special Olympics in August 2021. I’ve included the Netherlands as I’ll transit through Schiphol Airport en route to Osaka, Japan. I’ve learned the hard way that I can be denied entry to a country simply because of the country I transited through.
If there’s still restrictions later this year, all is not lost. I can make up the journey as I go.
| Travel Segment | Mitigations if Travel Segment Not Feasible |
| 1. Minneapolis to UK | Cancel trip to UK, then travel from Minneapolis to Japan, or Minneapolis to Hawaii, or stay home. |
| 2. UK to Japan | Cancel Japan flights, fly back to Minneapolis |
| 3. Japan to Hawaii | Stay in Japan until it’s possible to travel. (I’ve also booked a dirt-cheap refundable ticket from Minneapolis to Hawaii for the same day, just in case.) |
| 4. Hawaii to New Zealand | Cancel New Zealand flights, stay in Hawaii instead |
| 5. New Zealand to Hawaii | Stay in New Zealand until it’s possible to travel |
| 6. Hawaii to Minneapolis | Stay in Hawaii until it’s possible to travel |
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