Back in early March I flew from my home in Colorado to my second home in South Carolina and planned to stay a week. Enter COVID-19 and suddenly my trip was extended indefinitely. Doesn’t sound too bad you say? It wasn’t really, except that I had gone for work and was not traveling with my family. Being separated from my loved ones during a global pandemic created a lot of fear and anxiety on both ends. After a few weeks when I felt that safety measures were beginning to show effectiveness in the United States, I felt comfortable enough to fly back to my family in Colorado. But still I was plagued with fear and anxiety planning a full day of cross country air travel during a global pandemic.
I am a frequent flyer with Southwest Airlines and I’ve always been a fan of how they treat their customers. Prior to COVID their flexible policies allowed cancellations and issued credits for use within one year. (I’m happy to say that Southwest has enhanced this policy due to COVID and any travel funds unused in 2020 have been given an extension into 2021.) I had no trouble canceling and rebooking my flights from Charleston, SC back home to Colorado. As a frequent traveler I’m alway prepared for my journeys. But now, in this new world order of social distancing, closures, disinfecting and masks, what would happen? I had no idea what to expect.
I arrived early to the airport. The first thing that hit me was the emptiness, during a normally busy time of year only a handful of people were inside. There was an abundance of signs promoting the 6 feet social distancing. At the check in area the travelers I encountered were being respectful of the distancing guidelines. The airline agents were ensconced behind a clear plate of acrylic. I held up both my ID and phone boarding pass then put my bags on the scale and they were quickly tagged and whisked away. The TSA procedure went smoothly with the agents masked and behind protective acrylic barriers. They requested a quick pull down of my face mask for an identification match. Everyone adhered to the proper social distance through the security check booths. Differing from the normal 3 ounce liquid restriction, there was an allowance made for up to 12 ounces of anti bacterial liquid.
Past the security checkpoints, the airport was still mostly closed to any shopping or gathering. There was one fast food restaurant open for take out and also open was the familiar airport newsstand for water, chips, magazines, etc. My advice is to take snacks, reading material and anything else you may need with you next time you fly.
As to be expected there were new procedures when queuing for boarding. While masks are not required in the airport, they are required during boarding and on board the plane. Boarding passes were called in groups of 10 at a time to allow for distancing. I got a kick out of watching the few travelers that chose not to listen to the updated procedures and went to stand at the numbered spots as usual (Pay attention people! We’re all in this together!)
Flight attendants were there for our safety and were able to focus on just that without the usual food and beverage services. We were given a simple can of water with a straw and basic snack pack. We were allowed to remove masks to drink/eat but were asked to put it back on when finished. The middle seats were unoccupied and it was a very quiet flight. It’s difficult to chat with a mask and a seat or aisle between all passengers.
My flight had a stopover in Dallas where I would have been allowed to deplane and re-board if I wished. However I chose to stay in my seat and relax. During this break I witnessed the ramp crew come on board to clean the empty seats and arm rests with a spray and wipe down. The next leg of the trip was the same as the first with a helpful flight crew and pleasant, cooperative passengers. Though the whole experience was strange and unknown, I must confess, as a passenger, it was nice to not have to worry about crowds, delays and congestion. Overall it was a fine day of travel and after a 14 day self quarantine I can say I feel confident that my trip was successful in that I did not contract the COVID-19 virus.
Let me be clear that with the virus still lurking around you need to make your travel decisions based on what you feel comfortable doing, however, I made a personal choice I felt comfortable with and you will have to choose for yourself. I wanted you to know what’s its like out there now if you do decide to travel anytime soon. It was a new experience and likely the way that air travel will be for the foreseeable future. Let’s be more appreciative of all airline employees, not only for keeping us safe in the sky, but also for the extra steps now being taken to ensure our health and safety in the airport and on the ground. I believe we can all adjust to the new normal with patience, attention and a little levity. So put a big smile on your face (then cover it with a mask) and get ready to get back to traveling soon!
