I’ve been pretty wary of doing much of anything this summer, let alone traveling to different places during Coronavirus. But unfortunately, a family emergency prompted me to start flying between Portland and Dallas over the last few months. Air travel seems to be a major point of concern for folks lately. I know I was certainly worried when we first got on a plane, so I wanted to share my tips for traveling safely during Covid-19.
Like many of you, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect flying on a plane for the first time during the pandemic.
I am a frequent air traveler. I’m usually incredibly comfortable getting on a plane, staying in hotels and navigating new places and spaces with ease. Over my career as both a reporter and now as a store owner, I usually fly several times a month.
But I was genuinely concerned about getting on a plane for the first time.
Flying Experience…
We flew for the first time in late June on Alaska Airlines. During that time, I felt the airline did an OK job of handling the pandemic. It was a little too full and flight attendants didn’t enforce the mask rules to my liking. Many of the people on the plane had their masks below their noses or hanging from their ear, which clearly defeats the purpose.
I flew again to Dallas in late July on Alaska Airlines and had a much better experience. The flight was only about 1/3 full, and the pilot and flight attendants asked people to keep their masks on properly several times.
The great thing about Alaska during this time is that they are keeping middle seats open until October 31, 2020. To me, that is absolutely the only way I’d fly. No way am I getting on a plane, sardined in next to strangers.
Airport Experience…
Ahhh the airport experience. This one is a bit of a crapshoot. As a really progressive (and I feel most of the time cautious) city, I was shocked at the lack of people actually wearing their masks at the Portland Airport. I would say it was 50-50.
It was fairly empty, and thus, I was able to keep a solid distance from others. So I felt relatively safe, but man, it was a little disappointing.
As for coming back through DFW, the E terminal was fairly quiet, and I found that most people were wearing masks. A few people clearly didn’t understand how far back six feet is, but overall, a decent experience.
Tips for Traveling Safely During Covid-19
Fly one of the airlines that are blocking middle seats.
-Here’s who is doing it: Delta through September 30, Alaska and Southwest through October 31, Hawaiian indefinitely, Jet Blue are blocking middle seats on certain flights.
Bring a bag with plenty of wipes and wipe down all of the surfaces around your seat. They say they clean, but you can’t be too careful.
If you choose to wear gloves, wear them in layers. That way you can continually peel them off as you touch more surfaces. Wearing gloves and touching a bunch of stuff including your phone, and then eventually taking your gloves off when you’re on the plane defeats the purpose.
Don’t spend anymore time in the airport than you have to (this of course depends on your airport!). Lines were incredibly light at both PDX and DFW.
Bring a reusable water bottle and snacks. Drink service even in First Class is slim. They came through once with drinks on a four hour flight.
Wear long sleeves and long pants to lessen the chances of your body coming into contact with the virus.
Keep those healthy habits going. Hand washing frequently. Hand sanitizer. Keeping your mask on. Staying six feet away from others.
WEAR YOUR MASK!
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