Ok guys – file this under another post I didn’t plan to write! But I flew for a quick 48 hour trip last month and I wanted to share my experiences. I was definitely apprehensive so here’s what it was really like!
As some background – I’ve flown a lot. We just moved back to Minnesota but before that I’ve lived away for over a decade. Living away means I flew a lot – for holidays, birthdays, and vacations. I was flying every month or two all year so I’ve spent a lot of time in airports of all sizes.
The most obvious change is how quiet everything is. I have NEVER seen airports like this. I’ve flown at all times of day, times of year, and this is just so crazy. When we got to the airport in Minneapolis there were 4 cars on a Monday morning dropping people off – that’s just insane. There was no one in security and the concourses were basically abandoned besides the gates with flights. It just is so eery walking around!
Atlanta was much busier but still quieter than normal. Whole concourses are closed so the open concourses felt busy – because everyone who is flying is there. But it was still very easy to spread out waiting for the plane and there was lots of open seating. The one downside is that restaurants or places to get food are hit or miss – sometimes open, sometimes closed. So be prepared to bring your own snacks.
Delta is doing very extensive cleaning (spraying down planes and wiping before each flight) which was reassuring. They also have a mask policy and are not seating anyone in middle seats. Plus, air is cleaned every TWO MINUTES on a plane (which is standard) with hospital-grade HEPA filters (also normal) so you really don’t have to worry about getting sick from the air. People tell me all the time “the air on planes is so dirty”….it’s actually super clean. It’s literally the same air as in a hospital – and that’s as clean as indoor air can get. And with everyone spread out and wearing masks, I was truly not concerned about getting sick.
Most people had normal cloth masks but some people had N95s – definitely a wide range of outfits and gloves as well. (Here’s the real lowdown on gloves if you’re curious – they are *less* sanitary than washing your hands so I don’t ever wear them. Taking them off can actually spread germs around and infect you…)
When we boarded we went back to front instead of front to back of the plane. They also handed us a little kit with water, a snack and sanitizing wipes. There was plenty of overhead space since the plane had fewer people than normal 🙂 It was so nice to have empty middle seats – you just feel like you have so much more space.
It was also the first time I’ve flown without a kid since I’ve been a mom, so flying alone is like a mini vacation! I could watch the movies I wanted and didn’t have to worry about entertaining a baby or toddler. It honestly felt like a break and I didn’t feel any stress on the plane.
Overall I would not hesitate to fly again. I don’t think we will plan a vacation but seeing all the precautions really made me feel much better. I was very nervous before the flight but once I got on the plane I felt much better! So many people have reached out to ask me questions and I really feel like traveling is the same as going to a grocery store or be around any group of other people. Nothing is without risks but this doesn’t seem higher risk to me (with all the precautions).
Let me know if you have any questions – I had so many concerns before traveling and I’m happy to say it was better than I expected. So I hope this reassures you that precautions are being taken and it isn’t a scary situation! So if you need to fly, I hope this helps with any questions you might have.
