North Keystone Holidays

If it's your first time travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic, you'll notice a raft of new rules and restrictions in place. Take note of these tips and make your escape to North Keystone a smooth one:

• Before locking in your flight, find out if any travel restrictions or bans apply — in both your origin and destination. Stay informed with the latest updates by reviewing government and travel websites.
• Keep your face mask on during airport screening. A TSA officer will ask you to lower your mask temporarily for identification purposes.
• Rather than handing a TSA agent your boarding pass, position it directly on the scanner yourself. Once that's done, hold it up for inspection.
• You can now take one container of hand sanitizer up to 12 oz (350 ml) in your carry-on bag. You'll have to remove it for X-ray screening.
• Remove personal items from your pockets, such as your wallet, keys and phone, and put them in your carry-on rather than the bins. This will reduce handling during screening.
• Transport any food items in a clear plastic bag and also put them in a screening bin. Keeping food separate from your carry-on makes it less likely that a TSA agent will need to touch and open your bag for inspection.

While flying during the COVID-19 pandemic can be an anxious experience, airlines are doing their bit to protect the well-being of their passengers and staff. Here are a few carriers that have introduced changes:

• United Airlines - this airline is known for providing passenger masks and cleaning with disinfectant.
• Southwest Airlines - this airline is known for providing passenger masks and cleaning with disinfectant.
• Frontier Airlines - this airline is known for electrostatic cleaning and conducting passenger temperature checks.