As the world moves forward during this pandemic, more people have begun to book flights. However, flying is not for everyone these days. If you have health issues or feel that you are more at risk to get the virus, please continue to refrain from flying. If you are equipped to fly and plan on doing so in the near future, please be sure to take extra safety precautions.
Now that we have gone over who should board, I will continue to explain what airlines, based on my experience, seem to be putting safety first.
As October approached, I had two flights scheduled, despite the pandemic. My first flight was to Dallas Love Field Airport, and I flew out of the new Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. MSY airport is new, shiny and very clean, but a lot of the restaurants within the airport were closed. Other than flyers wearing face masks and spaces between seats at the terminal, my experience was “normal.” Dallas Love Field Airport was also clean and, just like MSY, had many safety additions to the building, such as instructions on how far to stand or sit from one another and a face mask requirement.
I flew Southwest Airlines to Dallas and my experience was splendid. Southwest, at the time, was keeping middle seats open and not fully filling the plane to encourage safety on flights. Snacks and beverages were still provided, and the bathrooms remained open. Although they did not do a temperature check during the boarding process, I still felt better due to the cleanliness of the inside of the plane itself.
Later in October, I flew to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Atlanta airport was very crowded and a tad musky. Safety measures such as social distancing did not seemed to be enforced.
I flew Spirit Airlines for this trip. Yes, we all know Spirit loves to have cheap rates, and as an end result, your experience is never quite great. When I fly Spirit, I know my mindset is more “you’ll get there in one piece, but you won’t enjoy it,” and sadly that statement remains the same.
The flight was completely full. I expected a temperature check since we were sitting so close to one another but nope. One passenger refused to wear their mask, so it delayed our flight and also put people at risk. The plane itself didn’t seem that clean. There was an empty bottle on the floor, and it scared me that they didn’t wipe down the seats in every row. The ride itself was not horrible, but sitting shoulder-to- shoulder during times like these made me super uncomfortable.
However, what I did see while waiting for my flight was Frontier Airlines checking people’s temperature during the boarding process. This made me happy to know other airlines are taking more precautions.
My experience flying during a pandemic was quite new but at the same time felt normal. Wearing a mask and trying to remain socially distant is just part of life now. Flying right now should definitely not be on the top of your to-do list, but sometimes, it is inevitable. When you do fly, be sure to always bring a couple of masks, hand sanitizer and wipes if you feel the need to. Getting tested before and after your flight is also another way to keep you and everyone around you safe.