Christmas and Covid and Cancellations, Oh My!

One of my immediate family members tested positive for Covid just before Christmas. Yes, it was a surprise to us. We had definitely let our guard down since we were all vaccinated (and my husband and I both got our boosters). The rest of us tested negative, but four of us ended up feeling sick.

Thankfully, none of us experienced serious symptoms. I’d hardly call it a “mild” cold, but rather a run-of-the-mill cold. I’m not even sure my youngest child got it at all, as we can’t re-test her until Wednesday due to lack of available tests in our area.

Deconstructing our Christmas Travel Plans

We didn’t have any big vacation plans for the holiday break, but we did have road trip plans to see family. We were supposed to spend the holiday with my in-laws, who we didn’t get to see last year on Christmas due to Covid.

I had booked two hotels–one near my in-laws, and one night in San Antonio for fun on the way home. My son was also going to stay in the area for a tennis event and fly back separately.

By the time we found out about the positive Covid test, we were past the first hotel’s cancellation timeframe. I called Capital One travel, since I had booked the hotel through the Capital One travel portal with my Capital One Venture X card. When I told them the reason for canceling was Covid, they happily overrode the cancellation policy and gave me a refund.

I was able to cancel my reservation at Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk online with no issues. We couldn’t get a refund on my son’s tennis camp, but now we have a credit to use over the summer or next winter. I canceled his flight home on American Arlines, and now we have a flight credit for that amount.

Thousands of Cancelled Flights Across the U.S.

Even if you’re not flying anywhere this week, you’ve probably seen the reports of thousands of cancelled flights across multiple airlines due to the virus infecting airline crews. Regardless of your opinion on how serious Omicron is, there is no doubt that this wave is wreaking havoc across the country and the world.

Frustration is at an all-time high. I get it. I’m trying to be flexible and roll with the changes. Currently, I’m working on rearranging a family visit and rescheduling a cruise.

I hope your holiday has been healthy, happy and stress-free.