Your Digital Luggage Checklist for COVID-era Travel

January 12, 2021

The future of traveling pandemic-free is made more convenient with these apps.

  • IATA Travel Centre is an interactive platform that helps users pinpoint the country’s necessary documents for travelling.

  • Check & Fly is an app that reviews airports, and how well equipped they are in terms of the pandemic.

  • Google Maps has been updated to tell real-time information on COVID testing centres and warnings about large crowds.

The state of Brunei during the pandemic has been a better sight than some other parts of the world, with positive cases that were strictly controlled and efforts meticulously enforced.

Does that mean that it’s safe to fly again?

Unfortunately, that would still be a strong ‘no’ for now — for most of us, that is. Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) has been operating on a revised schedule and a reduced number of flights for customers that tick all travel criterias, approvals, and essential documents. For more information on this, check out the Prime Minister’s Office website.

But sooner down the line, alongside the improvements of health-safety technology, traveling will once again make a comeback. So, what better time to get ready for traveling than now? It’s time to download the right apps!

Here Are Must-Have Apps You’ll Need For Post-COVID Travels

Aside from the usual clothes and toiletries, our smart devices also go everywhere with us. With those fitting snug in our pockets and in our laptop bags, we need to make sure to have these apps and digital platforms ready for your next trip!

IATA Travel Centre

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, has made flying during the pandemic so much more efficient, and safe. Travel Centre is an interactive platform that helps users understand the proper guidelines and documentation needed for their travel destinations.

All you have to do is key in your travel details, and it will provide information on the country’s restrictions, minimum quarantine periods, and necessary procedures in neat order.

 

Check & Fly

Developed by the Airports Council International (ACI), Check & Fly is an app that helps users stay up to date with airports and how well equipped their safety measures are.

Following a “prevention is better than cure” mode of operation, Check & Fly is a must have for any flyer looking for a peace of mind in their travels. The app is only currently available for download in the Apple App Store.

 

 

Google Maps

An unexpected one on this list for sure, seeing as how Google Maps has always been a reminder of finding our way around a foreign place before the lockdowns. But that’s just the reason why the app is so important to have on your devices during these times.

Google Maps not only functions as a GPS for moving about, but has also recently been updated to show real-time updates on COVID-19 testing centres and places with a smaller proximity of crowds based on collected data.

The app is free to download on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The New Norm of Tourism

Brunei is one of the few nations that has curbed the spread of the virus for the time being, and while that is something to be proud of, it also means that travelling outside of Brunei (in these times), is out of the question for most.

Then, is it wishful thinking to say that the traveling industry will ever be as it once was?

Yes, because the pandemic, in itself, is a major stimulus for change in the industry. Tourism will never be the same, because it will be so much more.

Whether that will be a restructuring and rethinking of contactless processes, or a venture to e-tourism, the future of how we travel will be different, and very digital.

Bah! Brace yourself for the digital revolution.

For more information regarding COVID-19 and Brunei, click here to visit the Ministry of Health (MoH) Brunei Darussalam index on statistics and reports.