Is it okay to fly during a global pandemic? Can you? Should you? I did, and here’s how it went.

The pit of despair: Why I flew

My planned trip to New Guinea was cancelled. Then I lost my job. Short on money, I hadn’t intended to go anywhere. Unable to find a new job, I fell into a pit of despair, and with every interview that ended in a rejection, it kept getting deeper.

From March through June, I only left the house a handful of times, and that was to buy groceries. I’d had the same tank of gas in my car for the entire pandemic. The only people I’d seen in person were my husband, my oldest son who came home from college, and one friend who I accompanied to the airport after a death in her family. In losing my job, I not only lost my income and health insurance, but also the support group of co-workers, people I could talk to. I was very isolated.

And then my sister called, telling me that she and her daughter were going on a road trip out west. It sounded amazing. She asked me if I wanted to come. A road trip seemed reasonably safe – we could take precautions – but she lives in Florida, I’m in Michigan. I would have to fly to get to her house in time. I can not put into words how much I needed to do something. But I needed to do it safely.

I don’t know how to say no to this

Yes, the headline is from a Hamilton song. Yes, he did something bad. I was hoping to not do something bad. While I felt like I had lost of big piece of my identity when losing my job, the one thing constant about me is that I always say yes to adventure. Always.

This was mid-June, just as things were opening back up, and Coronavirus numbers were declining. It seemed like a good time to go, if there is a good time during a global pandemic.

I didn’t have much time to figure it out. My sister called on a Monday, and they were leaving Thursday morning. That meant I had Tuesday to pack, and Wednesday to fly to Florida.

If I was going to do this, I needed to be as safe as possible. Of course I would wear a mask, and I had wipes and hand sanitizer. I was flying Delta who had been keeping middle seats empty. That would at least help. So I got a ticket to fly to Florida.

At the airport in a global pandemic

I fly out of Ford Airport in Grand Rapids, MI (GRR for you airport nerds!). I was booked for the first flight of the day. The first flight is always fairly empty as they are usually at some awful time. This one was at 7:00 a.m. This meant I had to get to the airport around 5:30, leaving my house around 5 a.m. I wanted to leave plenty of time, as I didn’t know what extra protocols might be in place for flying during a pandemic.

I needn’t have worried. The airport was nearly deserted. I checked a bag – rare for me – and was the only person at the Delta counter. I breezed through security, and had plenty of room for social distancing at the gate.

The biggest thing I noticed in the Grand Rapids airport was the closures. Both Starbucks and the airport bagel restaurant were closed. I’m not a coffee drinker and it’s a good thing, as I’m not sure there was anywhere to get a coffee in the airport.

Flying during a pandemic: Boarding the plane

At boarding time, people who needed extra time and Diamond Medallion (Delta Airline’s elite status) can still board first. But after that, instead of the usual boarding by zone, the gate agent called row numbers. You board when your row number is called (a handful of rows at a time), from the back to the front of the plane. This would minimize how many people have to walk by you.

This was awesome. It was so much more efficient, and went pretty smoothly. There were fewer people in the way trying to wedge an oversized carryon into the overhead bin, anyway. With fewer people on board (empty middle seats), there was plenty of room in the overhead bins, too. Each guest was handed a wrapped, individual sanitizing wipe as we boarded.

My first flight was from Grand Rapids to Detroit (DTW), less than hour. I got to my seat and wiped it down, just to be safe. When I got off in Detroit, I realized how much had changed. The ExpressTram in the airport that moves along the concourse was not running. I could see it sitting still and dark on its tracks. And the airport was so empty, compared to the usual number of people you see. It was eerie.

I went to my gate, and had plenty of space to distance myself from others. And the more organized boarding meant fewer “gate lice”, people lining up well before their zone is going to be called. I did wipe down my seat at the gate with sanitizing wipes, just to be extra cautious. I was about to go on an adventure – I didn’t want to get sick before it started!

Snacks on a plane during the pandemic

For my next flight, which was Detroit (DTW) to Atlanta (ATL), I had an entire row to myself, on a flight that was nearly empty. This was a longer flight than the first one, which meant we got snacks and drinks. But snacks and drinks were a lot different than they were pre-pandemic.

The flight attendants walked down the aisle handed out plastic baggies with snacks and drinks. The baggie contained a one-use hand sanitizer, a small bottle of water, a pack of almonds, and a Biscoff.

I was a fan of this organized snack and drink delivery. It was much more efficient than pouring everyone a drink, and I’m fine with water. Then I could eat or drink when I liked. The only problem was deciding if I really wanted to remove my mask for a snack or drink. I eventually did when I got hungry enough, and replaced them as soon as I was done.

Social distancing at an airport gate: Flying during a pandemic

The airport in Atlanta had signs set up to remind people to leave extra space when waiting in line. Again, the gates were much emptier than normal, and the boarding by rows was so much more efficient. Flying during a pandemic wasn’t all bad!

The flight was uneventful, and I arrived safely in Jacksonville, Florida (JAX). Here are the biggest things I noticed about flying during the pandemic:

• Flights were much more empty than usual
• Boarding was by row, not zone
• Fewer passengers meant more room in the overhead compartments
• Fewer passengers meant more orderly boarding
• Flight attendants were giving out wipes or hand sanitizer as you boarded
• There was no beverage service
• Snacks and water were handed out in baggies, with a single use hand sanitizer packet
• People were wearing masks
• The airports were like ghost towns with closed shops and few people
• The tram in the Detroit Airport wasn’t running

Precautions to take when flying during a pandemic

I’m no expert on infectious diseases. This is what I did to stay safe when flying during a pandemic. Your mileage may vary – do what makes you feel most safe!

• I wore glasses instead of contacts. I am much more likely to touch my eyes when wearing contacts, plus the extra glass barrier can’t hurt.
• I wore a mask. I took it off briefly to eat or drink, then put it right back on.
• I used sanitizing wipes to wipe down my seat at the gate and my area on the airplane (seat, seat belt buckle, tray table, window shade).
• I used hand sanitizer periodically, and whenever I touched something not my own.
• I sanitized my phone periodically, with a wipe. Just because it’s something I both handle a lot, and I often set it down on things.

Did I get sick? No. Does this mean you won’t get sick? No. Of course not. There’s no way to know. If you’re going to travel, do as much as you can to stay as safe as you can. If you have symptoms – any symptoms – don’t risk travel. Same if you are high risk – better safe than sorry.