What it’s like to fly during the pandemic

Let’s let the cat out of the bag: flying during this pandemic is not for everyone. It involves an increased level of risk that many people rightfully may not be willing to take on. And yet anyone who knows this industry knows how expensive it is to keep planes grounded while keeping the business solvent. Airlines rely on our patronage to stay in business.

So, for anyone able and willing to travel, we’re here to share our impressions and help you make an informed choice on whether or not to get on an airplane during these uncertain times. Most of the experiences shared below are from our recent trips to and from Seattle and Phoenix. We’ve been returning home for some family obligations and have the privilege to travel by air, as responsibly as we can, to be there for our loved ones.

Booking Airfare

One might go as far as to say this is a golden time for travelers looking fo a bargain. Unlike pre-COVID months where business travel was at an all time high, availability is abundant and pricing is generally palatable to most any destination.

We use Google Flights and Momondo to scope out the prices and routes, and ultimately book with miles/points via credit card portals or through the airlines directly.

Pro tip: especially with airlines being so flexible with changing travel plans, it is a good idea to book directly with the airline whenever possible. It makes the process of changing your itinerary online or on the phone much easier when the airline has all of your information in their database as opposed to via what a third-party airfare agent shares with them.

The Airport Experience

All we can say is this: most every major airport we’ve gone to is exercising an abundance of caution during this time to make passengers feel safe. From the airline check-in desks to the TSA security conveyor belts, you’ll struggle not to have hand sanitizer within arm’s reach.

As one can imagine, the weakest link at airport always have been and continue to be… us, the travelers. Mask wearing is mostly apparent. We noticed a few bad actors walking around pre-security. Airline and airport staff are impressively vigilant (at least in Phoenix and Seattle)  at reprimanding people who are not properly wearing masks.

Most every line at the airports we were at, including during peak travel days, were spaced out with plenty of room for parties to stand at least 6 feet apart. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a few travel perks like TSA PreCheck or Clear (or both, for total airport superpowers)  to help you skip the line entirely and feel like a total travel boss.

Gates are mostly OK. You’ll find them mostly serene leading up to boarding time. Seats are separated where possible and marked with ‘Leave Empty for Social Distancing’ signage otherwise. People respect these rules. As usual, though, chaos tends to ensue once boarding begins. We mostly fly Delta and Alaska, both of whom have a fairly straightforward boarding process. Crowds start to form around the boarding line, but people are respectful of social distancing while walking up to the gate agent to scan boarding passes and make their way down the jetway.

Onboard the Aircraft

This is where client experience magic happens. Not to completely bury the lede, but we felt really safe throughout our flight with the way Delta Airlines (and Alaska Airlines, for that matter) have adapted the in-flight experience to pandemic standards. Of course, much of the burden of having a safe and sanitary flight experience is on us and our fellow passengers. But I commend the airline staff for going above and beyond to enforce rules and do their best to make us all feel safe onboard! Now, onto the details…

We were greeted at the entrance to the plane by friendly (and masked) aircraft stewards, who welcomed us onboard and immediately handed us disinfectant wipes to take to our seats to wipe down each seat to our standards. Most (if not all) airlines are thoroughly cleaning and electrostatically disinfecting aircraft cabins between routes, so the wipes were more just a bonus round of cleaning to make us feel extra-safe and in control.

Masks were required throughout the flight. Even those around us attempting to guide lack-of-mask-wearing under the pretense of ‘eating’ were reminded to keep their masks on even between snacks, when possible. We were happy to comply and thrilled to see this level of caution.

In-flight beverage service was limited if you’re seated in the Main Cabin (on Delta). You’re offered a bottle of water and that’s about it. If you’re in Comfort+, choices open up a bit. No juices or sodas (equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages… EANABs as we called them in college), but you are offered a variety of beer and wine options. Airplane shooters of hard liquor seem to be on pause (at least outside of the First Class cabin). We were lucky… our status on Delta has gotten us upgraded with some reliability during the pandemic, and we try to make the most of the privilege!

Throughout the plane, the usual depressingly sad peanut bags have been upgraded to full snack ‘kits,’ packaged individually in sealed plastic bags, complete with single-use hand sanitizer drops, a bottle of water, and a few snack items to enjoy. Honestly, this felt like an upgrade compared to pre-pandemic flying and we were delighted.

If you’re booking or upgraded to first-class, expect a step up further into premium snack boxes, well packaged with everything listed above and a handful of additional premium snacks. A quick sample of that from a prior flight pictured below:

Between the charms of grocery store snacks and just-ok-drinks, something about that combination while onboard an aircraft 30,000 feet in the air makes flying feel truly special. That experience hasn’t suffered nearly as much as we thought amidst a global pandemic.

The downsides? Having to get up and go to the bathroom remains an ordeal. Fellow passengers are mostly respectful, especially by refraining from gathering around the bathrooms like we used to pre-pandemic. For once, passengers pay attention to the bathroom occupancy signs on the plane before getting up to make their way down the aisle.

Deplaning, too, is a mixed bag. We’ve been on a few flights where passengers remain seated and deplane one row at a time to prevent crowding. Other flights have devolved into the usual ‘let me get up the exact moment the seatbelt sign turns off and grab my bag’ debauchery that leads to crowded aisles for several minutes before the aircraft door even opens. The good news is that crowding is easy to avoid by just remaining seated until it’s your turn to deplane.

BONUS: The Lounge Experience

We’re Delta loyalists for this first part of our nomadic journey. As a result, most of our pre-flight idling time is spent in the Delta SkyClub. Delta has gone above and beyond in ensuring food and drinks are served safely and lounge patrons have plenty of space to spread out. Even during peak hours, seats and tables are left empty to ensure there’s adequate space to distance. A full (and remarkable more detailed) review of the SkyClub’s handling of COVID-19 restrictions is available over at The Points Guy. Onwards…

The food at the lounge buffet is individually packaged and easy to grab and go without impacting the cleanliness of the buffet. Drinks are similarly handled by the bartenders or self-service with no crowding around machines allowed. Hand sanitizer stands are easy to find and abundantly available. Seating areas are wiped down regularly and every SkyClub we’ve been to is now conveniently equipped with UV sanitation stations to clean your phones and other electronic devices prior to heading to the gate… this was a nice touch!

Concluding Thoughts

If you’re comfortable with flying right now and know that you can do it responsibly, with adequate pre-travel COVID testing, masking during transit (we recommend double-masking!), and keeping your distance from others, it’s an experience worth having. Most airlines are going above and beyond to make customers feel safe. Airports and the businesses within the airport rely on the patronage of travelers to stay in business.

We absolutely do not condone air-travel if you’re feeling at all sick, at risk of getting sick, or carelessly traveling without any heed for your fellow passengers. Air travel remains a privilege now and always. But if you take the right precautions with testing and quarantining prior to air travel, there remains a whole world (temporarily, a domestic world) out there to experience in a socially-distanced way.

Have you flown since the pandemic? Let us know your experience!

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