During the unprecedented event which is COVID-19, it’s important for airlines to do their best to maintain a travel experience as close as possible to the way it was prior to the pandemic, in order to maintain brand image and confidence in company practice in the eyes of consumers.

A video from CNBC International (2020) displays some of the methods certain companies have approached the pandemic in order to comfort travelers that they are receiving not only a premium experience, but a safe and sanitary one. Examples of this are seen with International carriers such as Qatar Airways highlighting the “social distancing” benefits of it’s enclosed business and first class cabins, shifting from using luxury and privacy as a selling point to additional safety.

British Airways has swapped it’s in-flight meal service to a pre-packaged meal. One thing that should be considered is how the presentation of the meal attempts to appear as high-quality as possible. Featuring a “handmade” sticker on many items, as well as a dark-colored design featuring fresh produce in the BA livery colors helps convey to the audience that their meal has not changed in quality, but simply has adapted to present circumstances.

New technologies are also being explored in security, with biometric scanning and touchless check-in options appearing at many airports across the country, according to the Wall Street Journal (2020). Companies like CLEAR have had this technology available since 2016, but the pandemic has led to an urgency in it’s application.

Throughout the WSJ video (2020) and other footage of how airport terminals and other transport centers where companies and governments are attempting to put measures in place to mitigate viral spread, it is interesting to see how diagrams and signs are catered to travelers from around the world who might not speak a specific language required.

In Ballie’s (2019) article on “Bringing Quality to Content Strategy” she highlights 3 components which should be recognized in content design. She writes

• --“Extend business reach. The business wants to reach new markets, which requires content for new products, contexts, or in new languages.

• --Reduce time to market. There is time sensitivity about getting a product or service to

market, and the content needs to be produced efficiently.

• --Manage risk. Regulated industries are particularly interested in risk, as regulatory

bodies can impose fines or halt operations if the company produces inaccurate

content or falls out of compliance.” (p. 123).

Many diagrams, such as the CDC one above, and others seen in footage feature large pictures of items and human expressions in order to surpass language barriers and help travelers navigate the airport in proper directions. These can help someone who doesn’t necessarily speak the native language determine if he/she needs to go to a specific customs location, get tested, etc.

In addition to temporary changes taking place in the travel industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has made a permanent mark on how airlines will change their overarching revenue strategy in the coming decades.

According to a video done by Wendover productions (2020) Companies such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, and others have shown in wide application that they are capable of eliminating in-person meetings in many situations, which is believed to lead to a significant drop in business class travel within the coming decade.

Airlines such as Delta and United which rely on Business travelers for the bulk of their revenue, are now forced to adapt to a new travel atmosphere which is leaning in favor of recreational travel-- a place where the budget airlines such as JetBlue and Spirit are accustomed to the market.

While the airlines became the main focus of media outlets when discussing the hit taken by the travel industry, Amtrak also experienced major reductions in travel when lockdowns were placed into effect. As the Holiday season nears, new measures and tools have been put into place which they hope will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 along their popular corridors.

In Draga and Voss’s article (2001) “The Inhumanity of Technical Illustrations”, one of the main problems discussed is a disconnect between the reader and information presented when it comes through graphs and pie charts. Amtrak has one method which they hope will help eliminate this problem.

An article from WGRZ (2020) states that in addition to traditional measures such as online booking, a “capacity indicator” will be available on mobile devices (p. 1). “When searching for travel options, customers will see a volume percentage next to each route so they can get helpful insight into which trains are less crowded. The percentage displayed is available in real-time when customers search for their train” (p. 1). This adds an element of human interaction to the charts, which can help retain the attention of the consumer, and better help guide them to which option best fits their needs.