So You Want to Fly During COVID-19? Here's What I Know
- Alexis
- May 10, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: May 14, 2020
After being off of work and away from the airport for about 45 days, I finally decided to travel home to Austin. If you're curious to know what it's like to fly right now and what the airlines and airports are doing to keep us safe during COVID-19, watch my youtube video and continue reading for the important information I didn't mention in the video.
With the numbers continuing to climb, it is natural for us to be nervous about air travel nowadays. Being an essential worker as an airline employee, I especially am a bit hesitant about flying. Fortunately, after checking all of my company emails (I had at least 20 from the past few weeks) and doing a bit of research on my own, I feel more comfortable. Here's what I know.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Forbes reported the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted flight bookings by a decrease of 95%, compared to 30% just months after the 9/11 "attack", making this crisis the biggest impact on the airline industry in history. I'd assume this is due to the record 14.3% unemployment rate, or fear of exposure.
While the government officials are advising us to stay home and quarantine, and I definitely recommend following the rules, some of these precautions are going to be the new norm.
That being said, prices will go up. In order to keep the airlines afloat, money has to be made right? Make sure to plan your trip ahead of time if you can and monitor the flights. **Weigh your options.**
This next one isn't something anyone wants to hear, but... prepare to connect. With the decrease in bookings and in an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, most flights are simply not operating at this time. Gone are the days I can fly straight from Newark to Austin without connecting (at least for now. I hope this changes soon).
If you need to fly for whatever reason, airlines are taking precautions to ensure our safety. To find out if it's enough for you and what is required of you as a potential passenger, continue reading.
AIRLINES:
UNITED:
PPE (personal protective equipment):
United has announced that employees and passengers are required to wear face coverings during the boarding process and inflight as of May 4th. For passengers without a mask, they are provided by the customer service agents.
Inflight service is modified depending on flight duration to bottled water, canned drinks, and complimentary snacks upon request.
Aircraft cleanliness: All aircraft are sanitized by hospital-grade sanitizer throughout the day. Also, the filters on planes minimize germ spreading.
Social Distancing: Middle seats are left open in the Economy cabin to give passengers more peace of mind. First-class/Business-class passengers may choose if they want social distancing.
DELTA:
Delta Airlines is following suit of United with many of the same precautions, providing bottled water to passengers.
AMERICAN:
American Airlines also requires employees and passengers to wear face masks throughout the duration of flights.
ALASKA:
Alaska Airlines is allowing passengers to cancel or reschedule flights if seats with proper distance aren't available.
TSA/ (AIRPORT SECURITY):
First and foremost, allow yourself extra time. With social distancing at play, passengers are required to wear face masks at most airports, having to remove the mask to verify identity and also strategically place items on the conveyer belt in distance as well.
LIQUID ALLOWANCE & APPROVED PPE's:
Passengers are allowed to bring one 12-ounce alcohol-based hand sanitizer per passenger. Additional PPE's that are always approved:
Disinfecting wipes
Face masks (obvi)
Request for TSA Officers to change their gloves
Check the TSA website for other allowances and updates.
TRAVELING RESTRICTIONS / (additional airport info):
Health Screenings: Check your local airport websites as passengers are required to undergo health screenings based on where your journey begins, connecting, and destination. Many states still have quarantine requirements of 14 days or the duration of your stay, whichever is greater.
As of March 13, passengers are required to fly through 13 specific airports after visiting certain European countries. Passengers will be required to go through certain secondary screenings consisting of past and present medical history etc. So make sure to be in the know if you're planning to travel internationally.
Food/Dining: For lists of food establishments that are currently open, check your local airport websites, most are take out only. **Pro Tip: if you're planning to eat in the airport, allow yourself more time due to social distancing implementation.
For more information on travel requirements and updates visit CDC.gov.
*** if you're staying in a hotel/Airbnb etc, please remember to wipe down high traffic areas***:
remotes
door handles
counter space
alarm clocks
toiletries
cups, utensils and other serving materials
Though we may not know what the future holds, we can all do our part to ensure the safety of ourselves, our family, and everyone around us. I hope this was helpful for anyone who's thinking about traveling for whatever reason.
Like, comment below if this was helpful!
Also, a disclaimer, I am NOT a pro vlogger. I just thought it would help! ☺️
Til next time,
Alexis
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