So what is flying like these days?
March 14, 2022 7:58 AM Subscribe
My oncologist has OK'd me flying Detroit to Salt Lake City with N95 mask and no eating or drinking on the plane. I haven't been on a plane since January 2020. Is there anything I need to know?
I'm quadruple vaxed and approved for Evusheld. My oncologist says that he believes this limits the chance of severe disease enough for me to finally see my grandkids again.
I've read all the stories about passengers getting violent, so I know that's possible. Assume I can figure out stuff like sanitizing everything. If it's remotely affordable, I'll fly first class to limit the number of people I'm around and sharing a bathroom with. I plan to fly Delta.
Anything else?
I'm quadruple vaxed and approved for Evusheld. My oncologist says that he believes this limits the chance of severe disease enough for me to finally see my grandkids again.
I've read all the stories about passengers getting violent, so I know that's possible. Assume I can figure out stuff like sanitizing everything. If it's remotely affordable, I'll fly first class to limit the number of people I'm around and sharing a bathroom with. I plan to fly Delta.
Anything else?
I'm not sure where you're traveling from or to, but mask compliance was pretty dang good on the planes I've been on. I did find it uncomfortable when everybody started eating and drinking.
If you can afford it first class seems like a good idea. When you board, let the flight attendant know you are cleared to fly by your doc but advised to take precautions so they can help you if you need it or if you get unlucky and are seated next to / near a jerk.
The security line and gate are most likely to be at issue. If you are in the US, you will have to take your mask down at the tsa ID check.
I believe you can request a private screening if the lines are too long and crowded. You will be more thoroughly checked, but in a private room by someone in a mask.
At the gate you can check if you can pre board to avoid a lot of unmasked people crowding you. It's at the gate and at security that i felt the most uncomfortable.
posted by pazazygeek at 8:12 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you can afford it first class seems like a good idea. When you board, let the flight attendant know you are cleared to fly by your doc but advised to take precautions so they can help you if you need it or if you get unlucky and are seated next to / near a jerk.
The security line and gate are most likely to be at issue. If you are in the US, you will have to take your mask down at the tsa ID check.
I believe you can request a private screening if the lines are too long and crowded. You will be more thoroughly checked, but in a private room by someone in a mask.
At the gate you can check if you can pre board to avoid a lot of unmasked people crowding you. It's at the gate and at security that i felt the most uncomfortable.
posted by pazazygeek at 8:12 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Somehow I missed your very clear statement about where and from you are flying to in the first sentence! This is what I get for mefi-ing before coffee. Apologies!
posted by pazazygeek at 8:19 AM on March 14, 2022
posted by pazazygeek at 8:19 AM on March 14, 2022
I have flown multiple times over the last 12 months, and agree that by and large mask compliance has been very good on the planes; less good in the airport (but mostly due to restaurants and bars. People waiting at the gates have been masked). I haven't seen any violence or fuckery; once or twice a flight attendant has had to remind someone to pull their mask up over their nose, or has had to wake someone up whose mask has fallen off while they're asleep. This resulted in really minimal grumbling at worst; mostly people are just polite. Of course the news wants to focus on the people who are throwing huge fits, and of course those folks exist, but that's just not most travelers.
If you're traveling after the mandates expire then I would not expect to see much, if any, masking. People wore them for about a week after our mandates expired here but by now they have almost all given up. (I still wear one in the gym and at stores, and I'm now the only one more or less.) I'm in a very liberal area, we're like 85% vaxxed around here; nobody has ever hassled me about still wearing my mask. Given your origin and destination, I expect you'll find the same; folks are just going about their lives, they aren't trying to hassle strangers.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:22 AM on March 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
If you're traveling after the mandates expire then I would not expect to see much, if any, masking. People wore them for about a week after our mandates expired here but by now they have almost all given up. (I still wear one in the gym and at stores, and I'm now the only one more or less.) I'm in a very liberal area, we're like 85% vaxxed around here; nobody has ever hassled me about still wearing my mask. Given your origin and destination, I expect you'll find the same; folks are just going about their lives, they aren't trying to hassle strangers.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:22 AM on March 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
Obviously mask wearing has become really polarized but I was pleasantly surprised on a trip to California from the east coast when the people next to me left down their masks a while even after having finished eating and drinking. After debating a while, I politely asked them if they would pull up their masks and got a “oh, yeah, no problem” and then they did it. It felt refreshing to have a fairly neutral interaction and there may be a surprising number of those when all we’ve heard about are the extreme reactions
posted by raccoon409 at 8:33 AM on March 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by raccoon409 at 8:33 AM on March 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
The ventilation while the plane is in flight is pretty good. The riskiest time is while the plane is on the ground, particularly while it's sitting at the gate. If you can book a first class ticket (which are not insanely expensive for domestic flights the way they are for international) then I would recommend waiting to board last to minimize time in the plane during the poorly ventilated period and to avoid having a couple hundred people slowly shuffle past you. In first class you shouldn't have a problem finding a spot for your carry on near your seat even if you board last.
If you follow this strategy I might mention your plan to the gate attendant just to make sure they don't try to offer your seat as an upgrade to someone while you're waiting.
posted by jedicus at 8:40 AM on March 14, 2022 [12 favorites]
If you follow this strategy I might mention your plan to the gate attendant just to make sure they don't try to offer your seat as an upgrade to someone while you're waiting.
posted by jedicus at 8:40 AM on March 14, 2022 [12 favorites]
I have flown a few times and sitting at the gate was the most crowded, least reliably masked part of the process. I suggest staking out a spot for yourself somewhere within listening distance of the gate, where you can be a little removed from the gate crush.
I use TSA PreCheck and my experience each time was that I pretty much walked through security in 5 minutes, even at the holidays. The regular security line was as long as I remember it from before times, and there was no distancing, so if you have or can get PreCheck or Clear before you go, I'd suggest it.
You should be able to request screening accommodations, like private screening, before your trip. Here is the TSA page on screenings for passengers with disability or medical conditions and the form to request accommodation.Here is the card you present and the language to use when requesting private screening. A note from your doctor won't hurt either.
posted by assenav at 8:45 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I use TSA PreCheck and my experience each time was that I pretty much walked through security in 5 minutes, even at the holidays. The regular security line was as long as I remember it from before times, and there was no distancing, so if you have or can get PreCheck or Clear before you go, I'd suggest it.
You should be able to request screening accommodations, like private screening, before your trip. Here is the TSA page on screenings for passengers with disability or medical conditions and the form to request accommodation.Here is the card you present and the language to use when requesting private screening. A note from your doctor won't hurt either.
posted by assenav at 8:45 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I don’t have as much experience with Delta, but American prices first class fairly aggressively, so it’s not super nutty expensive.
posted by hwyengr at 8:52 AM on March 14, 2022
posted by hwyengr at 8:52 AM on March 14, 2022
A friend of mine who has high covid avoidance needs wears something like this when she flies. I haven't tried it myself.
Flying is generally the same as it was except people are almost all wearing masks except while eating/drinking (which can be a while, "drinking" basically being as long as there is a cup of stuff on the tray.) There will be one or two dudes with the mask pulled down below their nose, there always are. There will be a crush of folks at the gate.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:00 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Flying is generally the same as it was except people are almost all wearing masks except while eating/drinking (which can be a while, "drinking" basically being as long as there is a cup of stuff on the tray.) There will be one or two dudes with the mask pulled down below their nose, there always are. There will be a crush of folks at the gate.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:00 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Why not try to get a N99 or FFP3 mask?
posted by melamakarona at 9:33 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by melamakarona at 9:33 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I wound up having to fly while omicron was surging in the US. Upon landing at our destination, the plane wound up sitting on the tarmac for two hours before we could disembark. That’s because so much of the airport ground crew was out sick with omicron that there weren’t enough people to unload the planes and operate the jetways as normal. So factor that possibility in!
posted by ejs at 9:38 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ejs at 9:38 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I just (Last week) flew internationally from NYC (JFK). I was in business class. I found mask compliance to be good except once we were in the air for a bit. Everyone had a drink or a snack and would keep their mask down for extended periods of time. This was on Delta coming and going. Because in first class food and drink is somewhat continuous, you may be exposed to less people, but they are more likely to have masks down.My companion fell asleep in the fully reclined (flat) position with her mask not really covering much and at no point did anyone but me say anything to her.
I would not count on others to be vigilant on masks. I would get the highest quality mask you can and leave it on. Most of the public is mask fatigued and will take advantage of every opportunity to lower theirs.
Also, there was not social distancing whatsoever in the TSA lines or the Passport/Border control lines. Because I have Global Entry and TSA pre-check, I actually did not have much of a line, but the ones without seemed to have a medium long line.
I flew domestcally in January. 2.75 hour flight. JetBlue. No first class. Everyone was masked except when they served drinks and the snacks. Otherwise, it was the same as it ever was. Generally, it is my experience that people are respecting those around them to wear masks and avoid risky situations. Yes, the media focuses on the exception, the rowdy idiots and the "freedom fighters" who refuse to comply, but they are dealt with by airline personnel pretty quickly.
I think it is simply a matter of with what are you comfortable.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:45 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I would not count on others to be vigilant on masks. I would get the highest quality mask you can and leave it on. Most of the public is mask fatigued and will take advantage of every opportunity to lower theirs.
Also, there was not social distancing whatsoever in the TSA lines or the Passport/Border control lines. Because I have Global Entry and TSA pre-check, I actually did not have much of a line, but the ones without seemed to have a medium long line.
I flew domestcally in January. 2.75 hour flight. JetBlue. No first class. Everyone was masked except when they served drinks and the snacks. Otherwise, it was the same as it ever was. Generally, it is my experience that people are respecting those around them to wear masks and avoid risky situations. Yes, the media focuses on the exception, the rowdy idiots and the "freedom fighters" who refuse to comply, but they are dealt with by airline personnel pretty quickly.
I think it is simply a matter of with what are you comfortable.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:45 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I just flew out of the US and back this past week. Mask compliance was very good, except for one person. There were no hassles/ tantrums. I spent the layover in a rarely used hallway rather than the gate. I agree the problem is the airport not the flight.
posted by kerf at 9:46 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by kerf at 9:46 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I took a flight a few months ago & I was able to nab a first class seat because it was cheap enough & I figured it was worth it. It really was if only because it's kind of like putting blinders on a horse to lessen their anxiety. Whatever they're doing back there I don't want to know & it's none of my business. From what I could see of the mask compliance I felt safe enough to stay hydrated by sticking my straw under my mask sometimes & a couple of pieces of fruit. It will be really hard to keep going with no food or water for that much time especially since airplane air is so drying. Just want to note that you don't have to take that thing all the way off to stay hydrated if it's either that or passing out.
posted by bleep at 10:53 AM on March 14, 2022
posted by bleep at 10:53 AM on March 14, 2022
The first big flight we took, we booked first class with points. We boarded dead last, and got off the plane the second the door opened. That made me feel better. We flew to SF last weekend from the east coast, and the flight attendants were VERY vigilant about making sure that passengers wore masks (Alaskan Airlines).
posted by ersatzkat at 11:41 AM on March 14, 2022
posted by ersatzkat at 11:41 AM on March 14, 2022
i flew delta at the end of january this year. we were able to snag first class due to vouchers from 2020 cancellations. the flight attendants were VERY good about telling people to mask up when they weren't eating/drinking. on-plane compliance was pretty good. airport compliance in detroit and cancun was almost totally nil, but i was able to stay away from the super crowded areas. i would fly again today if i could get first class again.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 11:52 AM on March 14, 2022
posted by misanthropicsarah at 11:52 AM on March 14, 2022
I have flown several times since the beginning of the pandemic. I agree with most of what people above are saying - and that flight attendants are generally VERY good about telling people to mask up. Once, on a flight from LA to NYC, someone refused to mask up, and the police came and took them off the plane - delaying us, but it was worth it. I think people have gotten the message that this is not something the airlines are messing around on. I would not be overly worried about violence etc - even the mask-refuser I encountered was unpleasant but not violent, and I think that the chances of you encountering such a person are extremely low, particularly if you fly first class where there are fewer people.
posted by branca at 11:59 AM on March 14, 2022
posted by branca at 11:59 AM on March 14, 2022
We just flew for the first time, and with my toddler. The airports were busy, many airport restaurants/food options were open and people were eating both in the eating areas but also wherever they could get a seat, because like I said, busy. Mask compliance when not eating/drinking was excellent. Our flight had snack/beverage service, and most people took the snack and beverage and had their mask down while eating/drinking, but once snack time was over the flight crew made an announcement reminding people to put their masks back on. They also made an announcement at the beginning to ensure your mask was on properly if you wanted to sleep so they wouldn't have to disturb you to put it back on. TSA was normal, if slightly nicer than the last time I flew, and had us pull masks down while checking ID. Our flights were 100% completely full, that's something I never saw pre-pandemic. Otherwise felt very similar to pre-pandemic flying.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:26 PM on March 14, 2022
posted by DoubleLune at 12:26 PM on March 14, 2022
My experience flying this year has been very similar to those listed above. The only advice I can add is that I had my a/c vent wide open the whole flight for maximum filtered air circulation. I made sure I was dressed in layers just in case I felt cold, but I felt fine. I also brought gloves and sanitizing wipes so I could wipe off surfaces, and when I used the bathroom, I could just go and leave, and tidy up when I got back to my seat. I kept a zip bag for all the waste and threw it out when the cabin attendant did the final trash collection. Safe travels to you, and enjoy your visit with your grandkids! :-)
posted by dorkydancer at 12:42 PM on March 14, 2022
posted by dorkydancer at 12:42 PM on March 14, 2022
I recently flew for the first time in two years. We upgraded to first class and it was well worth the cost for me. We were able to board late (and not jostle for luggage space or anything) and our exposure felt much more limited. (On preview, I see you are planning to go first class -- that's great!) Like everyone else has said, mask compliance on the plane was extremely good, but mask compliance in the airport was more variable. (We saw much higher mask usage in Toronto than we did in Cancun, though.)
Good luck. I hope you have a wonderful trip to see your grandkids!
posted by kate blank at 1:01 PM on March 14, 2022
Good luck. I hope you have a wonderful trip to see your grandkids!
posted by kate blank at 1:01 PM on March 14, 2022
I've flown a few times over the past year, and my experience has been very similar to everyone else's. I did want to bring up that you should take a few minutes and think of how you like to pass the time while flying and if a mask might impact that so you can make adjustments ahead of time. I was not prepared for how annoying wearing a mask was going to be for my 2 preferred methods of passing the time while flying - reading and sleeping. I don't do either of those with a mask on in my day to day life, so I was caught off-guard with how my reading glasses kept getting fogged up and how the eyemask I wear to sleep was really uncomfortable with the mask on.
posted by Sabby at 1:25 PM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Sabby at 1:25 PM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I flew on Delta between my purple home state and two different purple states last week and a month ago. Overall it was a fairly good experience both times though decidedly more people had their nose uncovered on the more recent trip in the airport, which largely defeats their efficacy.
The biggest issue on the most recent flight (which was 45 minutes airtime) is that the bro next to me didn't cover his nose during the flight and due to high turbulence the flight crew never came around to check on things. In my case, being a healthy triple vaxxed person with no comorbidities I just rolled with it. If I were in your situation, I'd have communicated with the fight attendants who in my experience have been pretty good about legit medical issues.
If I were you I'd take the risk in first class (if affordable) with an explicit warning to the flight crew that you're high risk.
If I were you, I would not fly after the mask mandates drop which probably means this is your window of opportunity.
posted by Candleman at 4:37 PM on March 14, 2022
The biggest issue on the most recent flight (which was 45 minutes airtime) is that the bro next to me didn't cover his nose during the flight and due to high turbulence the flight crew never came around to check on things. In my case, being a healthy triple vaxxed person with no comorbidities I just rolled with it. If I were in your situation, I'd have communicated with the fight attendants who in my experience have been pretty good about legit medical issues.
If I were you I'd take the risk in first class (if affordable) with an explicit warning to the flight crew that you're high risk.
If I were you, I would not fly after the mask mandates drop which probably means this is your window of opportunity.
posted by Candleman at 4:37 PM on March 14, 2022
Co-signed that people behave worse at the gate than they do on the plane.
I’ve been on eight flights in the last year; two were out of SLC. Mask compliance seemed about 75% from landside to airside — including TSA staff. Too-young-to-be-vaccinated kids have general run of the place as well; I had a lot of toddlers running/crawling up to me while their parents zoned out and chatted, maskless, several seats away.
Other airports have been variable, but flights bound for SLC have had a similar vibe at the gate.
Onboard compliance has been directly tied to how fed up the flight crew was with bad behavior on a given day. Flying home after Thanksgiving, their patience was zero — but that also meant we spent an extra hour doing doughnuts on the tarmac and returning to our gate so they could frog-march some petulant Trumper off the aircraft.
First class sounds like a good idea. From my experience, Comfort+ is popular with guys who want to sport the facemask equivalent of plumber’s crack.
posted by armeowda at 4:45 PM on March 14, 2022
I’ve been on eight flights in the last year; two were out of SLC. Mask compliance seemed about 75% from landside to airside — including TSA staff. Too-young-to-be-vaccinated kids have general run of the place as well; I had a lot of toddlers running/crawling up to me while their parents zoned out and chatted, maskless, several seats away.
Other airports have been variable, but flights bound for SLC have had a similar vibe at the gate.
Onboard compliance has been directly tied to how fed up the flight crew was with bad behavior on a given day. Flying home after Thanksgiving, their patience was zero — but that also meant we spent an extra hour doing doughnuts on the tarmac and returning to our gate so they could frog-march some petulant Trumper off the aircraft.
First class sounds like a good idea. From my experience, Comfort+ is popular with guys who want to sport the facemask equivalent of plumber’s crack.
posted by armeowda at 4:45 PM on March 14, 2022
I've flown about 5 times in the past year. One flight had to turn back to the gate to kick off some asshole wearing a "lions not sheep" hat who took off his mask after boarding and refused to put it back on. It delayed us for about an hour and I missed my connection. So yeah, those people do exist and have no qualms about inconveniencing 200+ strangers. This was out of Boise which has a very similar population to SLC. All other flights have been fine. Planes are full. Depending on the plane type, first class might not be worth the extra money as on smaller planes it's not really a separate section. Just get a good mask and avoid eating or drinking on the plane if you can and I think that's the best you can do. Bathrooms aren't really an issue, the risk is close contact with other people. Good luck!
posted by emd3737 at 11:42 PM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by emd3737 at 11:42 PM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Practice wearing your well-fitted N95 for a couple of hours to make sure you're good with that length of time. Have a backup on you in case the strap breaks.
Remember to hydrate before flying so you don't get thirsty, and wash your face/wipe your eyes before leaving the house so you don't have to rub sleep out of your eyes.
If you get stuffed up in a manner that makes breathing in a mask difficult or makes you want to blow your nose, take a mild decongestant beforehand (and make sure that works well and doesn't cause side effects too - perhaps do a trial run at home).
posted by lalochezia at 5:15 AM on March 15, 2022
Remember to hydrate before flying so you don't get thirsty, and wash your face/wipe your eyes before leaving the house so you don't have to rub sleep out of your eyes.
If you get stuffed up in a manner that makes breathing in a mask difficult or makes you want to blow your nose, take a mild decongestant beforehand (and make sure that works well and doesn't cause side effects too - perhaps do a trial run at home).
posted by lalochezia at 5:15 AM on March 15, 2022
Just a heads up from SLC, not a lot of people wear masks or follow social distancing here. It's extremely frustrating and the further south you go into utah county the less masks you'll see.
posted by coldbabyshrimp at 4:10 PM on March 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by coldbabyshrimp at 4:10 PM on March 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
I've been to the DTW airport about a dozen times since COVID started (including a couple weeks ago). Mask compliance at the airport is actually pretty good but yes around the gates it gets dicey. I just make sure to sit away from people at the gates who are almost always eating/talking and don't put their masks back on.
The plane is no problem. The first 4 times I flew to and from DFW/Detroit I didn't take my mask off once after I entered the airport until I left the airport I arrived at. I've never had a problem on the plane with mask compliance except for the occasional "sliding down the nose" person but the flight attendants are on top of it.
posted by getawaysticks at 8:36 PM on March 16, 2022
The plane is no problem. The first 4 times I flew to and from DFW/Detroit I didn't take my mask off once after I entered the airport until I left the airport I arrived at. I've never had a problem on the plane with mask compliance except for the occasional "sliding down the nose" person but the flight attendants are on top of it.
posted by getawaysticks at 8:36 PM on March 16, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
TSA will ask you to remove your face covering so they can verify your identity. You can go through the rest of the security checkpoint with it on, though.
Restaurants and bars in airports are open, and for whatever reason people seem to love grabbing some takeout and sitting right next to me in the gate lounges to eat. Maybe things will be different for you. Food and drink are being offered on flights, also, so expect people around you to drop their masks for that.
The latest data I saw is that the number of travelers passing through airports is just slightly below the peak in 2019, so don't expect the terminals (or flights) to really be any less crowded than they were.
posted by backseatpilot at 8:11 AM on March 14, 2022 [5 favorites]