The travel experience in the post lock down time will be something different from what we have experienced in our lifetime.
After a brief talk with the sources in Aviation Industry and Indian Railways, the inside talk in their respective departments is revealed. Here are a few glimpses:
- The prices of the flight tickets will be hiked up to 50% as the middle seats cannot be allocated due to social distancing norms. For example, if the seats are three on either side with numbers A,B,C and D,E,F; then B and E will be left vacant. So, the price of that vacant seats will distributed to A, C and D, F.
- Every passenger may have to arrive at the airport four hours prior to the departure time as two more queue lines will be added for thermal screening and medical stamping apart from regular security checks.
- It may take 2-3 hours for every passenger to step out from the airport after landing as he has to pass through the thermal tests at the arrivals again. If any passenger is found with temperature of 100 or more, he will be sent to quarantine.
- The situation in Railways will also be the same where the passengers may have to come to the station four hours before the time of departure. No platform tickets will be sold. There wouldn't be any hike in the ticket prices though only 40% of the tickets will be sold in every compartment, following the social distancing norms.
- In this discouraging atmosphere, only the emergency travelers will venture to travel in a flight or train.
- Cars and personal vehicles will increase on roads and highways.
- Tourism cannot be revived till the arrival of vaccine. So the travel, tourism and hospitality industry will suffer a lot.