Flying under a cloud: Summer holidays during a pandemic

A small bag of hand gel and a wipe can bring much joy in 2020...

It seems to be almost socially unacceptable to be flying at the moment. Or at least sharing the experience that you've flown somewhere given many people are either unable to unwilling to do so in this twin economic and health crisis. Countries are closed without quarantine, flights are non-existent, airlines are going under.

But if you are flying at the moment or want to know what it was like, here are two experiences. Flying may not be returning to 2019 levels for many years. But the disappearance of crowded airports, long flight delays and ever-changing rules about what could and couldn't get on board is a welcome change this summer. 

Before 2020 a trip during the summer meant:

Sardine lounges. Penned in crowded airports and terminals with poor ventilation and little room to sit.  There you would stand around gates with the hot, sweaty and slightly flustered hordes travelling with you. 

Security theatre. You would queue for ages wondering whether you would take your shoes off. Whether the security personnel would accept your clear plastic travel bag or insist you empty everything in one of the regulation-issued plastic bags. And you hoped that nothing in your hand luggage would warrant special attention that looked like contraband liquid. Both the scanners and the people at the gates could act in random, unpredictable ways. And if you were timing your flight to avoid the above, you could find yourself a little rushed for time.

Luggage roulette. Will you take your bag on board or will it be subject to some new unforeseen rule? Even downsizing to a soft leather tote was no guarantee that it would not get tossed into the hold. Complete with new scratches so you can remember the experience.

Even delays with delays. Flying during the European summer meant that if your flight was delayed only two hours, you were lucky. It didn't take much - late aircraft, storms, football matches - to lead to significant disruption.

Now in 2020, flying to fewer destinations and fewer people makes it feel like you're back in time ten years albeit with everyone wearing a mask.

First experience: Heathrow

Terminal Five at Heathrow had a very complex queuing system when I flew out in July. Some people were taking your temperature. Other people were moving you into queues of people. People seemed to be getting the hang of the new rules (or the old new rules). There were papers to fill out, and we were asked several times where we were going, which made me feel as if they didn't really believe we were wanting to travel amid a pandemic. Not all the shops are open, but at least there are plenty of places to sit in the terminal in a socially responsible and distanced manner. 

Boarding the flight, you're given a plastic bag with an antibacterial wipe and hand gel. This is a small gesture, but it feels so useful. Suddenly the power to clean the space you're sitting at is in your hands. I took to it with enthusiasm and gave my seat, tray table and armrest a deep clean that it was waiting for all of its years of service for. 

But there's more. During the flight, you're given a plastic bag with crisps, a biscuit and a bottle of water.  It's a win for those who like sweet and salty snacks. And they don't have to handle any food. Throughout the flight the crew are super friendly, but especially as they are handing out these bags of free stuff. 

After landing, BA makes you leave in small groups which is also a gentle reminder that things aren't quite the same as before. Whether it does any good when you are all then forced to board a bus to the terminal is another matter, but sometimes it's the thought that matters. 

Second experience: Stansted

A few weeks later, I was at Stansted. The airport seems to be a shadow of its former self. The claustrophobic waiting lounge surrounded by bars and fast food joints now seems like such a bad idea. Especially with half the shops still closed. 

There's no joy in flying from Stansted (unless it's less than 20 minutes from your door). It's a transactional relationship for those wanting to get a direct flight to a secondary airport (or flying Ryanair).

Getting there is often longer than the flight you're taking. After nearly an hour on its express train service, you're fed up. The trains stop at almost every station. If the service was full, the lack of ventilation and decent working air conditioning could surely be a candidate for a super spreader event.

At security, staff insisted that all liquids go into their plastic bag, not one that comes with a zip that regular fliers might use to save time. Despite an industry on its knees, and an airport desperate for business, you can count on the security at the Stansted airport to taunt you with petty irritants of security theatre. Just because they can. 

I took my time repacking the toiletries into a regulation bag. Jettisoning a few awkward shaped plastic bottles which will go to landfill... 

Unlike BA, Ryanair doesn't offer you anything free. So you have to bring your own sanitiser and wipes. Both are useful as although the planes are newer, they could do with a good clean. 

And Ryanair has no qualms going up and down the corridor with their cart selling you stuff. Some passengers realised that if you buy a drink on the first cart. And then a snack on the next cart. By the time the third cart comes along to buy the chocolate, you're practically home without having to have worn a mask on the entire flight. 

However, you do have to ask to use the toilet. It's like finding yourself back in school. And just like the end of day school bell the seatbelt sign going off after landing means it's the last one off the plane is a rotten egg. 

These are the rules for now... Some are new and some are familiar... What happens next is anyone’s guess...