Interview with Travel Specialist Anya Clowers

It’s not often that we get a medical specialist to sit and talk with us about travel, but we do today. Anya Clowers is a registered nurse who is a liaison between the medical field and the travel industry. The two seemingly disparate area meet when patients and terminally ill people need to take planes, or travel in other ways, for both needed vacations and medical appointments. Anya is a consultant and gives seminars through her company, JetSevenTravel. Past consulting clients include Babies “R” Us, AAA, Sutter Wellness Clinic, Rick Steves’ European Travel Center, and many more. As a travel expert, she’s also spoken about child safety with Peter Greenberg and MSNBC. Anya is, clearly, a busy woman. We’re glad she took some time for this interview!

You didn’t start out as a niche travel specialist. How did you get started?

It all began when I was pregnant and refused to give up our passion and lifestyle – travel! So I guess it started as research for what precautions to take when pregnant and flying and the best tips for flying with a newborn and young child. I interviewed 21 child and travel experts (pediatricians, flight attendants, etc), and included this information in my book Jet With Kids.

As a nurse, I know that many people do not know the name or dosage of medication they are taking. Some don’t even know why they are taking meds. This is alarming when in an in-flight medical emergency. I have assisted in 2 medical emergencies in flight and found that due to anxiety, even traveling companions will stutter and not be able to provide adequate information regarding their loved one’s medical history. It is worse when it happens away from home, medical records, and medical facilities. As caregivers, we have limited resources at 37,000 feet and need patients to travel prepared with medical information and medicine.

My focus is to address the medical and practical side of travel. The best planned itinerary can quickly turn disastrous if not prepared to deal with life away from home. Whether dealing with a lost child (not wearing identification), flying with the cold or flu, or realizing the fine print of the insurance policy doesn’t cover medical transport home – traveling with peace of mind should be the foundation of every trip.

Tell us about some places you’ve traveled with your son, and where you’d most like to travel with your family.

My son loves to visit my parents and his cousins in the Midwest (Minnesota and Missouri). We visit his grandpa in Seattle, and his great grandma in Carmel CA. As for international travel, by the time he enters kindergarten he will have visited 15 countries. Next month he will visit Italy, Germany, and Austria for the third time. We will also travel to France, Belgium, Spain, Morocco and Portugal. I would most love to take my son to Thailand and Singapore. We will also travel to New Zealand to visit friends.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with people thinking of flying overseas with their babies and children? Do you think your past experiences as a nurse gives you special insight here?

There will be diapers in stores, of course. However, the stores may be closed when you need them; pack for at least the first 24 hours. I also caution parents that when it comes to medication, it is best to bring along infant/child dosage medication from home. Translation can be dangerous and children can easily be overdosed. Also, it’s good to know your child’s weight in kilograms. Don’t try to figure this out when in panic mode. (Pounds divided by 2.2 = kilograms)

As a nurse, I can tell you that the most important thing to pack when traveling is peace of mind that you can get home if something happens. Last year I found a medical evacuation membership, MedJet Assist (like AAA but for people), that will bring families home at no cost if hospitalized more than 150 miles from home. It would be frightening to be lying in a hospital in a foreign country, not understanding the language or the medical system. There is no place like home, with familiar physicians, medical facilities, and family support when hospitalized. When traveling abroad with your family, don’t leave home without peace of mind.