What is the new normal while traveling on a plane? We have the information for you!
Let me get a couple things out of the way before I get into the 411 - who else remembers when everyone said “411” all the time, haha. Okay, back the important information. Before I share my flying experience, I want to say that if you can stay home, please do so - especially if you’re attending a large event. I know, we are all missing traveling and seeing each other so terribly much but we need to be safe.
Okay, now that I’m off my soapbox - let’s get into the new way to fly!
First up, some general background information. I flew American Airlines, took 4 flights and visited 3 airports so I can’t really speak to other airlines and what they are doing but for the most part, my experience in all the airports was the same.
Let’s start with the one everyone knows. You have to wear your mask the entire time in the airport and on the plane. Now, did I experience people who were ever so lovely and took it off when no one in charge was around - of course. There’s always going to be people breaking the rules, but the general rule for airports and flights are, unless you are eating or drinking something, keep your mask on. And yes, it sucked. I had to wear a mask for 7 hours straight - my eyes hated it, my skin hated it, I hated it but it needs to be done.
Sidenote: I’m making this it’s own paragraph because I have a new appreciation for medical professionals and essential workers who have to wear a mask for 8 plus hours a day all week. Just two days of travel and my face was screaming for help. I can’t even imagine having to wear a mask that often. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Back to the basics, once you’ve checked in and are heading to the gate be ready for nothing to be open. Well, I shouldn’t be that dramatic, hardly anything. The majority of food places are of course closed. Starbucks in all three airports were closed. There were those T-shirt shops that also sell snacks but that was the only thing open. Even the clothing stores in general were closed.
Let’s circle back to the lack of caffeine. For all the years I’ve traveled I’ve always grabbed my caffeine at the airport. Well, that’s not happening anymore. And that’s not happening on flights either. Prior to boarding American made an announcement that there would be no food or beverage service on the flights. They encouraged you to purchase anything you’d like for your trip prior to boarding the plane. No coffee for Leanne until she arrived at her hotel. Is this such a big deal? No. Am I crabby when I have to get up at 4:00am and then can’t have coffee? Yes. Did I survive? Of course. Just passing along the information, haha.
Next up, you’re on the plane. What now? Well for 2 of the flights I took, I had the row to myself. However, on those flights I completely lucked out because not everyone had the same experience as me. Some rows had 3 people on each side, while I was in a row to myself. 1 of the other flights though, had a flight attendant who was separating and moving people around so each row only had two people in it. However, the final leg of my journey, the last flight home, the plane was completely full. It was different each time. So, as it pertains to how American is handling their flights, it really just depends on the particular flight. There doesn’t seem to be a consistent protocol.
Finally, onto the things I wasn’t expecting though. Besides the coffee...still not over that. How loudly everyone was talking to make up for having to wear a mask, for some reason caught me off guard. People were almost yelling at each other. My headphones were up a little higher than normal during my journey. Another thing that shocked me that should not have, the smell of rubbing alcohol. Not in the airport but definitely on the plane. Wow, even with the mask on, it went right up my nose and kicked me in my sinuses. The last thing that I was surprised by was people’s lack of adhering to the social distancing instructions while boarding and unboarding the planes. There was an announcement made that they’d like everyone to board the plane while keeping distance from each other in line. However, few people listened to that. Old habits die hard. We’re all just so used to crowding the entrance to make sure we can get overhead space. When we landed, they had asked for us to stay in our seats and they would call rows to exit the plane. That didn’t work either. Again, few people listened and a lot of people just crowded the aisle. Whether the need to make their connection or the want to get off the plane took over, when the announcement was over, over half the plane stood up like normal.
Overall, the experience wasn’t terrible - it was just very different from what I’ve been used to for the past 10 plus years. So, if you need to fly, be prepared for these new updates. And just to add in a little insider information: I have it on good authority that Southwest is doing a much better job with flying safely during this pandemic.
Hopefully, you found this article helpful! If you’ve had to travel recently, let us know your experience in the comment section below.
XoXo,
Leanne
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