I debated for a long time whether I would write a post about this, but after much deliberation, I decided to go for it and share my experiences with air travel during this COVID-19 pandemic.
For anyone who follows me on social media (or read my most recent blog post), you’ll know that I have flown during this pandemic. By now, many people have flown, though there are still hundreds of thousands who’ve opted to completely avoid planes (understandably so) during this time.
I made the decision to see my family after quarantining by myself for several months. I did this as safely as possible and after much consideration.
In total, I’ve taken three flights since the world first went into lockdown in mid-March:
A direct flight from New York to Florida in early June
A direct flight from Florida back to New York in mid-August
A direct flight from New York back to Florida in early November
These trips have all involved quarantining and testing (which I’ll go into in more detail soon). I haven’t flown to go on vacation anywhere (though I did take a train ride to Rhode Island when cases in the area were very, very low), and I don’t know when I’ll fly “just because.” We’re in a very different time, and any movement I take, I do so in a very limited manner while taking a lot of precautions and being as safe as possible.
Here’s a look at what I did before, during and after flying:
BEFORE
Before I took that first flight in early June, I was extremely nervous. After having quarantined in New York for months, I had no idea what to expect or what the flying experience would be like. Here’s what I did to prepare for my flights:
I deliberately looked at airlines that were blocking middle seats. I had seen images in the news of packed flights and didn’t want to risk that.
I also deliberately picked a time and a route that felt like it would be the emptiest (e.g., 5:55am flight from JFK to PBI). This proved to be successful two of the three times I flew. The second time (from Florida back to New York) was my most packed flight, though the middle seats were still blocked but every other seat was full, and yes, I was nervous.
Then, I looked at the seat map continuously until right before my flights when the seat map was no longer available to be viewed. This allowed me to pick a seat that wasn’t near other people and move my seat if someone seemed to be sitting too close (which happened a few times). On my second flight, I couldn’t avoid being near people, but for the first and third flights, there was absolutely no one near me and it was great.
I didn’t really go anywhere! It feels pointless to do all of the above if I was careless before getting on the flight. Before my flights, I really tried to limit my exposure to other people as much as possible at least 14 days beforehand as a precaution. I was nervous to fly and expose myself to others but I was also just as concerned about others being exposed to me, so I needed to make sure I was as safe as possible.
I got tested for COVID-19. I got a COVID-19 test before my third flight after finding an amazing, easy and reliable testing site near my apartment after my second trip. The PCR test is the most reliable, and I was able to get my results back in 24-48 hours.
DURING
As you can tell, I was often nervous before my flights but I wasn’t as nervous during the actual flights (except for the second one).
My first flight easily felt like the safest due to the airport being so empty at 5am, but the other times I flew also felt fine. I respected others’ space and, for the most part, others respected my space (except that one guy at the Fort Lauderdale airport, but I asked him to move back…). Here’s what I did during my flights:
I wore a KN95 mask throughout my entire flying journey. This was a non-negotiable for me, as I felt safer in the KN95 mask than a regular cloth mask.
I also had this hat with a detachable plastic shield on it that I used in combination with the KN95 mask. I’m sure I looked super strange, but guess what? I don’t care!
I also flew armed with anti-bacterial wipes and gel, and I used the antibacterial gel very regularly while in the airport, especially if I touched anything (I likely overused it, but that’s okay). I also wiped down my phone and my luggage regularly throughout my flying experience.
When I got on the plane, I wiped everything down, including my seat and the seats next to and in front of me, the armrests, trays, window, outlets, and anything else that I felt like I would inevitably touch during the flight.
If I needed to eat or have a sip of water at any point, I would keep the hat and plastic shield on and try to minimize eating or drinking as much as possible. Again, I’m sure I looked very strange, but I still don’t care!
In terms of the airlines themselves, I felt like they did a good job, for the most part. There were clear markers on the floor to show where to stand, the flights provided bags with a snack, a small bottle of water and a napkin to minimize walking up and down the aisles, and the planes smelled lightly like disinfectant, which I loved (this is not a pandemic thing, I just love the smell of things being clean).
The only time it wasn’t great was before I boarded my flight from Florida to New York when passengers tried to crowd each other before getting on the flight. The flight attendant did ask people to step back and maintain six feet of space between one another, but some overly eager passengers only stepped back one or two feet. I watched the crowd from afar since I just didn’t understand the rush when we all had to board the flight anyway?
Also, there’s always at least one person who doesn’t wear their mask properly, and I felt like the flight attendants had the opportunity to insist the passenger wear their mask properly, but I didn’t really see that happen. Aside from this, the flying experience was fine.
It’s worth noting, I did NOT get my temperature taken at any point in time. Not sure if that is common practice with airlines, but I did not experience that during my three flights.
AFTER
After my flights, my experience varied depending on where I was. Florida was more lax about the post-flight follow-up (are we in any way surprised by this?) while New York was much more diligent about making sure I’m quarantining and testing (again, who’s surprised by this?). Here’s what I did after my flights:
I quarantined after all three flights. This was another non-negotiable. Even after my third flight when I had gotten a negative COVID test right before, I still quarantined upon landing in Florida just to be super safe since I was going to be with my family, including my elderly grandmother.
I got a COVID test and an antibody test after my second flight (and after my Rhode Island trip). The recommendation by New York was to get a COVID test around 5-6 days after traveling, which is what I did. It’s worth noting that it’s SO easy to get a COVID test in New York. I made an appointment each time I had to get a test, and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes with very minimal exposure to people and no need to be displaying symptoms.
I continue to keep my interactions with others minimal, particularly while in Florida. Florida is a whole different beast, y’all. Masks are not worn nearly as often as New York, and it’s just not taken as seriously overall. Maybe it’s because I spent the first few months in New York, listening to sirens outside my window every few minutes, but I do take this pandemic very seriously, and I feel it’s very important that we all do if we want to ultimately beat this thing.
Anyway, that’s the gist of what my flying experience has been like. I am grateful to be able to work remotely right now and travel safely with enough time to properly quarantine and test before seeing any family members. Ultimately, this is about being as safe as possible to protect yourself and to protect others.
