Whenever possible, we fly out of our small airport in Springfield, Missouri (see prior post for reasons why). Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to find flights, the least expensive options, by far, left out of Kansas City. At 6.30. In the morning. Keeping in mind it’s about 3 hours from our house to the airport, that meant we’d need to leave home between 1.30 and 2.30 in the morning, to make our flight. Does that even count as morning?! Rather than start our trip on an exhausted note, we opted to stay at an airport hotel instead. Because we’re fans of Hilton hotels, we stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn that was roughly 5 minutes from the airport, on points. Win #1. We left the afternoon before, making the 3-hour drive to the hotel without hitting traffic. Win #2. That meant we could enjoy dinner and head to bed early for a good night’s sleep. Win #3. At least that was the goal. Unfortunately, neither of us slept well (not because of the hotel), but we at least were able to stay in bed longer, not needing to catch the shuttle to the airport until about 4.30am. Win #4. Oh, and if you ever go this route, make sure you ask the hotel if they have a Park-and-Fly rate. Our hotel did, so rather than spend $20-$30 per day, we paid $5 per day, and the hotel shuttle picked us up when we arrived back in Kansas City and brought us straight to our car. Win #5.

We got to the airport with plenty of time before we took off and, after a very quick turnaround in Houston (sadly, not enough time to visit the Centurion Lounge), we were off to Cancun!

We should point out that we weren’t technically in Cancun. We did fly into Cancun and, like Cabo, it was an experience. We filled out the familiar Immigration paperwork (one page form for each person; make sure you keep the bottom portion they give back to you at the desk – stick it in your handy dandy passport holder! – and, having nothing to declare to Customs, we exited the airport after a quick stop at the facilities. This is where you must prepare and brace yourself for battle. Upon leaving the Customs area we were inundated with a deluge of very nice folks trying to sell us things, mostly timeshares or egregiously priced transportation to whatever hotel or resort we were heading to. Different people have different tools in their arsenals to deal with the onslaught. Some, like Jason’s dad, just ignore the chaos and repeated requests, instead keeping a laser-focus on the exit. Others, like Jason, repeatedly say No gracias in an increasingly firm manner. It’s helpful to keep in mind that, while it might be irritating, these are just regular folks doing what they’re paid to do. It just so happens what they’re paid to do isn’t something I appreciate. Still, no need to be hostile or mean, just say no thanks and keep walking.

But this underscores an important point: make sure you’ve arranged transportation from the airport to your hotel/resort before you leave the US. Once you do, they’ll all tell you the same thing: plunge through the throng of salespeople and then keep going until you see your arranged transportation (they’re in different, brightly-colored uniforms outside). This happened in both Cabo and Cancun, so be prepared.

Okay, you’ve broken through the mosh pit that is the people trying to sell you things, now you’re all set, right? Wrong. Now you get to wade your way through the Mexican Flea Market (their words, not ours). Curious? It’s exactly what you’d imagine it to be: a bunch of stalls setup immediately outside the airport with folks trying to sell you all manner of trinkets and souvenirs. There are also a few bars scattered among the stalls, but beware: you may need to cash in your 401k to buy a drink. Seriously, margaritas were something like $45 – and yes, that’s US dollars. Push thorough this and your reward is the never-ending line of pre-arranged transportation. This, at last, is where you’ll find your hotel/resort shuttles or other privately arranged transports. Now, sit back and relax as your driver takes you on a leisurely drive to your destination. Oh, and if you’re thirsty (for water or an adult beverage), feel free to ask your driver to make a pit stop; it’s completely fine for passengers to have open containers. And don’t worry; if you forget to ask, your driver will likely ask you.

Like we said earlier, we weren’t technically in Cancun for our trip. Yes, we flew into the Cancun airport, but after that, we headed South. Specifically, about an hour South of the airport you’ll arrive at the ever-popular destination of Playa del Carmen, home of many picturesque resorts and where we honeymooned eons ago. Go another hour South and you’ll find yourself in Tulum, also home to plenty of resorts we’d all like to stay at. Almost right in the middle of Playa del Carmen and Tulum is Akumal, which is where we called home for three glorious days at Secrets Akumal, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort. We had a junior suite, tropical view, which is essentially a regular room (king-size bed, sitting area, bathroom, etc.) and a covered balcony that looked out at what appeared to be jungle, but was really planted trees and plants that separated the rooms from the rest of the resort. We’ll include a link to the resort so you can peruse at your leisure, but know it was everything we hoped it would be and we highly recommend it, even at the lowest tier. The only thing we weren’t happy about was only being there for 3 days. Otherwise, it was paradise. Drinks were free flowing, plenty of restaurants with different kinds of food and dress requirements, and of course pools and lounge chairs on the beach. How can you go wrong?

We arrived at the resort late Sunday afternoon and immediately had lunch; keep in mind we’d been going since about 4am and hadn’t really eaten anything yet. After lunch we explored the property a bit before heading to check out our room and getting ready for a late dinner (and drinks). Monday morning was pretty low-key; we slept in and had room service for breakfast (also included in your resort fees). In the afternoon we got ready for Jason’s cousin’s wedding (the reason we were there) and headed out for the festivities, more on this later. Tuesday was a day with no plans, as more than a few folks were sleeping off hangovers (not us, thankfully). So, much time was spent on the beach visiting with family. We also sat for the treacherous COVID test. Keep in mind the US currently requires a negative COVID test within 24 hours of your flight back home. Most of the resorts have facilities on-site and the test is covered in your other fees. Make sure you check out the hotel/resort’s quarantine policy just in case you get a positive result (but honestly, is quarantine in paradise really a bad thing?). While in Cabo we had to schedule our test via a QR code we scanned at the front desk; in Akumal we scheduled the test during the check-in process. Fortunately (unfortunately?) our brain pokes returned a negative result, so we were cleared to come home, to the snow.

The wedding we attended was at Blue Venado near Playa del Carmen, just a short 20 minute shuttle ride away from the resort. It. Was. Gorgeous. Let me just drop their link right here and you’ll see exactly what I mean. It was fabulous. Highly recommend, it almost makes us want to get married again, almost. A beautiful outdoor ceremony on the shaded beach followed by vegan appetizers and drinks, an amazing vegan dinner (Tasha was pumped about the vegan/GF menu – she could eat everything!!) and one heck of a dance party! We were exhausted but had so much fun dancing the night away to Imperial Band! Jason’s family knows how to throw a helluva swelluva party! We shut the party down and took the shuttle back to the resort where we promptly crashed for the night.

Checking in for our flight was a bit different than when we were in Cabo. For that trip we flew home on United Airlines, which has a new addition to their app called the Travel Ready Center. Basically, when it’s time to check in for your flight, the app will send you there first, where you answer COVID questions, upload your test results, and so on. Once done, it’ll automatically take you through the standard check in process. On the way home from Cancun we flew American, which has a different process. Rather than have everything in their usual app, American requires you to download and use the Verifly app. Once downloaded, you have to create a trip, which requires a little information about your flight home. Then you take care of all things COVID in that app, and, once complete, it syncs with the American app so you can check in like usual. When it works, like it did for us, it’s not much of a pain, though it would be nice for it to all be integrated in a single app. But when it doesn’t work, as was the case for some of our family members, you can’t do any of the check-in process until you get to the airport, including the COVID procedures, which means standing in line to check-in manually. Download the app before you leave, folks.

Other than this new step, the journey home was actually simpler than in Cabo. We didn’t have any additional forms like we did at the airport in Cabo; everything was in the app, which was nice. Because we flew with carry-on bags only, we went straight to security, which was pretty quiet. We read stories from other folks who had been in Cancun around Christmas that it took about 3 hours to check-in, get through security and to their gates. Our experience, by contrast, took about 15 minutes from the time we walked in the airport and through security. Again, we had carry-ons which usually speeds things up and we weren’t travelling at peak holiday season, so make sure you budget enough time if you do differently. So, after a thorough perusing through the Duty Free store, we headed for lunch with Jason’s parents and then onto our gate for our flight to Dallas. Customs in Dallas was equally low-key thanks to our Global Entry membership. If you don’t remember from our earlier post, while everyone else has to stand in lengthy lines, if you have Global Entry you go to a different area, which is almost always completely empty. Step up to the kiosk and have it snap your picture and it’ll spit out a receipt with your information. Walk around the kiosks to the Customs agent, hand them your receipt, and you’re on your way. It really is that easy. Yes, it’s also a little creepy how it knows your information from just your picture. Technology is amazing.

We also discovered that, at least in Dallas, there are TSA Pre-check security lines after Customs! There were two options: go to the security line that Customs naturally ends at (no TSA Pre-check, which means unpacking everything and disrobing to scan) or follow the signs to the next regular security area with TSA Pre-check. In our case, it was about a 5-minute walk, which was well worth it. After clearing security, we were off to our gate for the flight back to Kansas City. Once there and with our bags (we had to check Jason’s bag in Dallas because he bought Scotch in the Duty Free store), we called the hotel and they sent the shuttle to come get us so we could pick up our car and make the 3-hour drive home. We rolled in the driveway at about 1 am and Tasha immediately asked when the next trip was. And so the planning process begins again.

Still dreaming of Mexico…

The post Our Big Secret: Midwest Chill to Luxurious Paradise in Mexico first appeared on The DeBode Way.

What’s it like travelling right now? This has to be one of the more common questions we’ve been getting recently, and so we wanted to share a recent travel experience to Mexico. To be sure, there are all kinds of people having all kinds of experiences right now, so we don’t suggest ours is the only version of the story. Still, we’ve found that, even with the added steps, travel is still entirely doable (and enjoyable!), so here goes.

Travelling to Mexico. Our recent travels took us South of the boarder to Mexico. Specifically, to Cabo San Lucas, down at the Southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. We flew out of the airport here in Springfield. We’re a bit spoiled, because our airport isn’t huge and so we can usually get through the various checkpoints a bit faster than folks travelling at larger hubs. We got to the airport about 90 minutes before our flight time (again, a perk of a small airport) and immediately went to the check-in counter so we could drop off our checked bags. We don’t typically check bags, but we were going to a condo and so took a bit more than if we’d gone to a hotel. In any case, our line wasn’t very long, with only a few folks ahead of us. Dropping our bags and getting our boarding passes didn’t take more than about 10 minutes and we were on our way to visit the fine folks in TSA Security. Because we have TSA Pre-check, we went left when others went right. To put this in perspective, there were probably 20 people in the non-Pre-check line while there was no one in the Pre-check line, so we said thanks and waved goodbye to TSA (always say thanks to them) in about 5 minutes.

Other than having to wear a mask in the airport and and on the plane, our flight from Springfield to Houston was pretty normal. Our ‘meal’ was the usual soda/juice/water/tea and pretzels/cookies and, like other places, we could drop our masks so long as we were actively eating or drinking and then put them back up between bites. We met up with Jason’s parents in Houston after spending some time in the AMEX Centurion Lounge (hello credit card perks!). Things in Houston were pretty similar to those in Springfield: compulsory masks but otherwise a fairly normal experience. We did end up having a roughly 3-hour delay after getting on the plane. They said it was due to a mechanical issue (something about a valve in one of the engines…seems reasonable to delay us to fix that), but several passengers around us noted the plane was a bit fuller after the delay, leading some to wonder whether another flight had been cancelled and United was trying to delay us long enough to get some of them in the open seats on our flight. In any case, we finally took off and had an uneventful flight to Cabo. The valve must have been working fine.

On the descent into Cabo, we received the usual entry paperwork to complete. With that in-hand and our passports at the ready, we made it through Customs and Immigration pretty quickly. In fact, there was almost no one in Customs at all other than our flight (perhaps because of our delay?), so we walked right up to the first officer, got our passports stamped, said thank you (again, always say thank you in Customs), and continued on our way. Getting out of Customs would have been just as fast, but there was a single officer taking the declaration forms for our entire flight, so the line got a little lengthy. Still, from the time we got off the plane to the time we were in our taxi couldn’t have been more than about 45 minutes. We handed over our declaration forms and got the bottom part back – don’t lose this, you need it to get back out of Mexico! Again, most of that time was spent waiting to get our bags (are we the only ones whose bags are always the last off the plane?!) and standing in line to leave Customs.

Being in Mexico. This was Tasha’s first time in Cabo; it had been about 15 years since Jason had been there. But, for all that, our time was pretty much as expected. The resort we stayed at did require masks to be worn in all public places, even outdoors, but it wasn’t exactly strictly enforced. We did need to wear our mask in the restaurant (a buffet), but only while we were at the buffet getting food. We did need to wear them in the taxis, but most of the taxi drivers’ masks didn’t cover their noses, so we’re not sure how strictly they would have enforced the mandate if pushed: we didn’t try (while we’re certain they’re nice folks, the Mexican Federales were not on our list of people to visit). Otherwise, things were pretty…normal. Jason’s grandparents (the reason we were in Cabo in the first place) have been wintering over in Cabo for the last 30 years and they said the cruise ship traffic off the cost was about back to pre-pandemic levels and that the resorts seemed to be at regular capacity and operations, except for the masks.

Travelling back to the US. This was where our travelling experience was the most different/new. Shortly before we left the resort, we had to scan a QR code at the front desk and fill out a form saying we didn’t have any COVID symptoms and hadn’t been around anyone with COVID symptoms. Once that was submitted, we received an e-mail confirmation (more on this later). In addition, we had to schedule COVID tests no more than 24 hours before we left the country. Because we’re both fully vaccinated, the US government used to require a COVID test no more than 3 days before returning home, but that had recently been updated to 24 hours, the same as for folks who had not been vaccinated. This was easy enough to do; another QR code and a few questions secured our appointments. The test itself wasn’t at all pleasant; being poked in the brain hurts! But, it was over fast enough and about an hour or so later we received e-mails indicating a negative test result (again, more on this later).

When checking in for our flight back to the US, there was a bit more information to include, but we were able to do everything through the United app on our phones via their Travel Ready Center. In addition to the regular check-in questions and information, we also included our passport, GlobalEntry information, and screenshots of the negative COVID test result (you could also take a picture of a printed test result). Once that was in, everything else was pretty normal.

When we got to the airport in Cabo, we had to use a self-check-in kiosk to check our bags. We even printed our own baggage tags and put them on our luggage! That’s a new one, check this off Jason’s bucket-list (don’t ask why, there’s no explanation). Once that was done, we waited in a reasonably-fast-moving line to weigh and drop our bags and receive our boarding passes. Before we could go through security, we had to fill out another COVID form and show our declaration form we filled out when we landed in Mexico (remember, don’t lose this!). We handed our COVID form to another airport employee on our way to security. As it turned out, this was the same form we had to fill out using the QR code at the hotel, so we aren’t sure if we could have shown them the confirmation e-mail rather than fill out the form again, but we also didn’t realize this until later. Our TSA Pre-check does not work outside the US, so we had to go through regular security and, while it certainly took longer than the Pre-check lines, it didn’t take that long, and before long we were on the other side heading to the Duty Free shop (yesssssss!). Jason has a love of Scotch (Talisker Dark Storm) that you can ONLY get in the Duty Free shops across the world and his supply had run out due to lack of travel. He was elated to find some!

The flight back to the US was uneventful, as was Customs in Houston. We have GlobalEntry, and so we had no forms to fill out to go through Customs. Instead, we walked up to the GlobalEntry kiosks (all of them were open), had it take our picture and spit out a receipt with our information (a little creepy that it just knows based on our pictures), and then headed to the desk to be cleared for entry back home. Keep in mind that after going through Customs, you have to go back through TSA security before you can enter the rest of the airport. (Note, no, this doesn’t make any sense at all, and we have yet to find someone that can explain this need) Unfortunately, even though we were back in the US, there isn’t a Pre-check line in TSA security on the other side of Customs, so once again the shoes came off, we assumed the position, and…well, you know the drill. Or well, we thought we did. Tasha forgot her Kindle in her purse and was held back to rescreen – oops. But, once you’re through that, everything was pretty normal. Again, there’s a masking requirement, but otherwise, it was a fairly normal airport experience and flight back to Springfield on our tiny regional jet (aka, the puddle jumper we always seem to fly on back to Springfield).

So, in the end, other than a few extra forms, masks all day, and the one COVID test, our travel experience was pretty normal. Other than the 3-hour delay in Houston (not directly COVID-related), we didn’t really experience any disruptions or longer waits than is usual. Also keep in mind this was the week before Christmas, so if you’re travelling in conjunction with major holidays, you might have longer waits, more delays, and so on. But again, at least based on our experience, that’s all normal stuff to deal with during holiday travel, and not necessarily a result of the pandemic.

We have another trip to Mexico coming up, but we’re leaving through a major airport and only taking carry-ons. Once we see what that’s like, we’ll report the experience here so you can compare the two. But, at least based on our recent experience to/from Cabo, travelling internationally is still totally doable and not that much more of a pain than it used to be, at least to Mexico where there are no additional entry requirements. We’ll hope that’s the same answer we give after coming home from our next trip!

The post Travelling in a Pandemic: New changes, but still manageable. first appeared on The DeBode Way.

Okay, let’s talk about traveling, especially in the midst of a pandemic.

First, let’s separate traveling (getting from Point A to Point B) from exploring (seeing all there is to see in Point B). We like to do both, but more the latter than the former. Travelling isn’t what it used to be, and for a whole bunch of reasons. And while travelling is more complicated and can be a pain, we’ve picked up a few things along the way that make a world of difference for our traveling experience.

What we’ve Learned about Travelling, Part 1: The Airport Experience.

If you’re flying, TSA Pre-Check is easily among the best investments we’ve ever made. Yes, lots of other people have it. Yes, it’s still valuable and handy to have. It’s SO nice to not wait in the long lines, not have to take your shoes/belt/jacket off, and not have to take things out of our carry-on bags. These all sound like small things, and they are, but they add up quickly. And when travelling has become more complicated and can be a headache, why not rack up the small wins when you can? Just in our small hometown airport alone, we can walk in the door and straight through security to be at the gate in about 5-10 minutes. It definitely takes longer at larger US airports but not having to re-dress yourself and cram everything back into your carefully packed bags alone is worth it. Plus, you’re trading that hour long security line for one that’s only a few minutes long. Major win for your stress levels.

Along the same lines, if you’re leaving the country, we’d recommend two different programs to consider, as either can make your life easier when you re-enter the States. First, Global Entry. Being in this program means you have a MUCH shorter process to journey through Customs when you get back to the US (note, this does not change your entry process into other countries). You have to submit your application, wait for approval, and then schedule your interview (at an international airport), during which they’ll ask you a few questions and take your picture. Once complete, you’ll receive your card in the mail a short while later. Because of this, it’s important to plan well in advance to make this happen. Also keep in mind that, as of the time we’re writing this, Global Entry also gets you TSA Pre-Check (win!). If you are a credit card points gathering fool like we are and hold a card with travel benefits, check to see if they cover the cost of Pre-Check and Global Entry. Many do as part of your annual fee and this puts you well on your way to justifying that annual fee.

Second, if you don’t want to shell out the money for Global Entry, we’d strongly recommend an app on your phone called Mobile Passport. You know the form you’ll receive on the plane when you get back asking you to declare things you’ve purchased on your trip? Mobile passport captures your passport information and has you answer those questions, all in a handy app. It won’t work before you land at your point-of-entry back into the US (we do it as soon as we touch down while the plane taxis to the gate), but once you submit and it’s accepted, there’s a different and much shorter/faster line to go through in Customs. Best part? It’s totally free. Usually we do that, even though we have Global Entry, and then just go through whichever line is shorter.
However, on our most recent trip back from Mexico we didn’t have to fill out a paper form and even though we were super prepared by filling out our Mobile Passport App, they never asked for it. We glided through the Global Entry line and on to pick up our bags and re-drop them for the second leg of our trip.
Mental note – they run you through security again after an international flight, don’t buy a giant bottle of water in the airport unless you plan to drink it ALL because they will make you dump it. Sad face. Also, a Kindle counts as a computer these days apparently, take it out of your bag or they’ll make you rescan and wait forever. FOR-EV-ER.

Another thing you’re going to be asked about at flight check-in for an international trip these days is your Covid test. As of this writing you have to have a negative test to re-enter the country, taken the day before your flight (not necessarily 24 hours before). Luckily our resort in Cabo offered us a test so we didn’t have to track one down. If you’re not staying somewhere that offers testing the day before you leave, you can bring an at home test to bring with you to take online. This is where I refer you to the experts – The Points Guy has a whole team of travel experts that stay on top of the ever changing requirements. This article really breaks down the current requirements.

We hope to see you back out there soon. We’re just scratching the surface. Stay tuned for more tips and more travel from us! Have a wonderful Christmas!

The post Travel Lessons – How to breeze through the airport first appeared on The DeBode Way.