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Coronavirus Outbreak: Travel Updates and Health Tips +

The novel coronavirus pandemic is shaking not only China, but the world as the number of cases reported continues to increase. Assist America has gathered the latest updates and travel advice about the outbreak and its impact on international travel. Click to read more...

How is the virus transmitted?

Much remains unknown about the 2019-nCoV. Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses. Most often, coronaviruses are spread from person-to-person in situations of close contact (about 6 feet/2 meters). The spread is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. These droplets can land in or near the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. It is currently unclear if a person can get 2019-nCoV by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of the virus are closely related to those of the common cold with mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses and a general feeling of being unwell. Common signs of infection include:


In more severe cases, infection can cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. This is more common in people with cardiopulmonary disease, people with weakened immune systems, infants, and older adults.

How can I protect myself?

There is currently no vaccine or preventive treatment against 2019-nCoV. The best way to protect yourself from contamination is to avoid exposure to the virus. To do so, when traveling to at-risk areas:

• Maintain at least 3 feet (about 1 meter) between you and other people, particularly those who show cold-like symptoms such as sneezing, coughing and congestion.
• Wash your hands carefully with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer.
• Cover your mouth and nose with your arm or a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash hands.
• Avoid touching your mouth and eyes.
• Avoid consumption and handling of raw or undercooked animal products

Should I use a face mask?

Wearing a face mask will not help if the preventive measures listed above aren’t followed. It is also important to note that there is currently a global shortage of medical-rated face masks. WHO is advising on a rational use of medical face masks thus avoiding unnecessary wastage of precious resources and potential misuse of masks. Masks should be used only if you have respiratory symptoms (coughing or sneezing), have suspected 2019-nCoV infection with mild symptoms or are caring for someone with suspected 2019-nCoV infection. 

Should I cancel my international trip?

The short answer is “it depends.” There are currently no advisories inviting travelers to avoid all international trips; ongoing travel restrictions and airlines’ route suspensions are only directed to China as of now. However, some international travelers might be impacted because their original plans included a connection or layover in China. In these situations, airlines have either rerouted their flight to another connecting airport or canceled the flight. If you have a trip to Asia coming up, you might be eligible to reschedule it or cancel it without penalties or fees. Some non-refundable reservations might even be eligible for a refund. Travelers should check with their airline, hotel, or cruise line.

All nonessential travel to the People’s Republic of China, however, should be avoided. Most governments around the globe have issued a travel ban and/or high-level advisory, asking their residents not to travel to China until the outbreak is under control. Because of these restrictions and the clear decrease in demand, many airline carriers have stopped or reduced their service to China. Travelers should be prepared for further travel restrictions with little to no advance notice. For more information regarding which airlines are affected, read our recent Assist Alert.

How are travelers being screened?

Countries around the world have established screening protocols at their main ports of entry for travelers coming from China. Some countries are also redirecting those travelers to specific airports where health screening and quarantine protocols are in place.

Travelers from China and other cities in Asia are asked to fill out forms and specify their travel itineraries. Health officials before departure and upon landing will ask travelers about their symptoms, places they have visited, and take their temperature. Any traveler with signs and symptoms that match those of the coronavirus infection are treated in an airport’s Quarantine Station. Travelers are also advised to use caution when returning home and to limit their contact with others until the 14-day incubation period has ended.
 

When should isolation be considered?

To help limit the spread of coronavirus, you should isolate yourself in the following circumstances:

• If you have traveled to Hubei Province – where the virus started – within the past 14 days, you must isolate yourself for 14 days after leaving the Province.
• If you have left, or transited through, mainland China on or after 1 February 2020, you must isolate yourself for 14 days after leaving mainland China.
• If you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus, you must isolate yourself for 14 days after your last contact with the confirmed case.

If you fall under one of these scenarios, you will need to isolate yourself at your house or in your hotel room for 14 days – the virus’ incubation period. During the isolation period, do not go to work, schools, stores and other public places. Do not see visitors besides members of your household and apply extreme caution when around those family members. Ask others who are not in isolation to get food and necessities for you. If you must leave home, such as to seek medical care, wear a face mask.

What do I do if I get ill?

If you develop mild symptoms:

• Isolate yourself from others at home and use a separate bathroom if available.
• Put on a medical mask and practice good sneeze/cough and hand hygiene
• Call a doctor or hospital and tell them your recent travel or close contact history

If you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing, call the emergency dispatch number for immediate medical attention and go to the nearest emergency room.
 
Assist America is available 24/7 to assist members traveling in the region by providing updates and general travel advice with regards to the developing outbreak and its impact on international travel.

Security Memo: Important Public Transport Safety Tips +

Most business travelers and tourists will typically use at least one form of public transportation while visiting an unfamiliar location and doing so is often unavoidable, particularly in urban environments. In contrast to private transport, public travel systems are typically used by large groups of people, are operated on a repeating schedule, follow established routes, and charge a fixed fee for usage. These modes of transport include universal systems such as buses, trains, trams, trolleys, coaches, ferries, and airplanes, along with other transit options that are unique to certain countries or regions such as gondolas, cable cars, funiculars, and marshrutkas. Click to read more...

Assist America In Action: Emergency Medical Evacuation After a Tragic ATV Accident in Santorini +

It was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime. Christos, a Greek-native living in the United States and his wife, Louise were in Santorini for their daughter’s wedding. Two days before the wedding, Christos and his daughter went on an ATV excursion. Unfortunately, Christos lost control of his ATV and had a head-on collision with a minibus. An ambulance was called and rushed him to Santorini’s Public Hospital. Click to read more...

Decoding the Air Travel Industry +

Traveling by air has become a routine for most travelers, but there are a few details that are overlooked amid checking in and security lines. To keep track of different airports and airplanes, each flight and airport are assigned numbers and codes that distinguish them from the rest. In the aviation industry, there is a reason for every digit and each code must fit a standard. Click to read more...

Airport Codes

You may have noticed that your plane ticket contains a three-letter acronym next to your departure and arrival city. You may also find yourself calling an airport by the three-letter acronym instead of the actual name of the airport, but have you ever wondered what the code means and how it is assigned?

There are two official entities that assign a distinct code to every airport. The International Civil Aviation organization (ICAO) assigns codes used by air traffic control that are four letters long to describe the country through the first letter and the remaining three letters mark the specific airport. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) assigns the three-letter codes that are frequently seen on flight tickets.

Airport coding first began in the 1930s when airlines typically chose their own two-letter codes. However, by the late 1940s, there were too many airports, and, as a result, the IATA created a standardized process to avoid confusion and shifted the system to the three-letter code we know today. The IATA code is determined by first ensuring that it is unique and not in use by any other entity. The code might be assigned based on the name of the airport, the name of the city, or some other meaningful and relevant identifier if those letters are already taken. Los Angeles International Airport, for instance, was originally just “LA,” but became LAX in 1947.


Airplane Numbers

Every aircraft in the world is registered with a tail number, much like a car’s license plate, and every airplane has a unique identifying combination of letters and numbers. The tail number is subject to change with aircraft ownership, especially if ownership is also a change of registration country. The tail number is located on the aft portion of the fuselage under or near the tail and some aircraft have the number on the actual tail.

Every country has its own code to begin the tail number. Some countries make it simple; for example, Canadian registration starts the alphanumerical number with C, British with G, and German with D. Other countries like the United States have tail numbers starting with N and followed by up to 5 additional numbers that are tied to radio call signs and the Navy: for example, tail number N76354.

Maintaining a consistent system with thousands of aircrafts and registrations can be difficult so the biggest carriers have created their own “nose numbers” which are internal designations that are separate from the tail number. The manufacturer’s serial number is located on the hull of the vehicle and there are no changes from construction to wrecking yard. This number will also often appear on an affixed plate within the fuselage and differentiates one aircraft from the other.

 
Boarding Pass

Every airline has a specific system in place to assign letters and numbers for every flight.  First off, the letter component of the flight number is straightforward and represents the name of the airlines. For example, Air China uses CA, Emirates uses EK, and Swiss Air uses SR.

The flight numbers become more specific as the numbers following the letters range from 1 to 9999 and no airline can use more than five digits for the flight code. Even numbers are typically assigned to north and eastbound flights while south and westbound flights end in odd numbers. Airlines usually assign the return flight number as one digit higher than the outbound flight. For example, JetBlue has a flight from JFK to LAX that's JBU523 and when it returns to JFK, the flight number is JBU524.

There are also a few flight numbers that airlines avoid using. Flights avoid numbers like 757 or any flight ending in 000 to avoid confusing it with the model of the aircraft. And, due solely to superstition, airlines will not operate flight 13, flight 1313, or flight 666, unless used as a joke.


Airport systems are vast and many from basic flight routes to categorizing airports and aircrafts. For the normal traveler, the multiple coding systems may seem like a faraway idea, but for the crew of your flight, they hold a great deal of meaning. Next time you board a flight, make sure to keep an eye out for the numbering system on the aircraft and see if you can identify what it means.