I Flew! aka My First "Vaxication"

Last Friday I returned home from my first trip since February of 2020 - I had a delightful week visiting my children in Memphis and Chicago.

What was my experience like? My trip started the day after the CDC announced that fully vaccinated folks don't need to wear masks outdoors - however, masks continue to be required in airports and on the plane.

During my online flight check-in, I had to certify that I was not experiencing any symptoms and had to agree to wear my mask except when actively eating or drinking.

Checking my luggage was no different than it was the last time I flew, and going through TSA was the same - except that the TSA agents asked me to pull down my mask momentarily to compare my full face to my photo ID.

Once inside the terminal, the airports were as busy as the last time I flew. Most of the concessions were open. Only San Diego's airport had seats blocked off for social distancing, and mask compliance in the terminal was generally good.

Onboard the plane the flight attendants' safety announcement has been amended slightly, to emphasize the mask requirement and to explain that if oxygen is needed, passengers remove their face mask to use the oxygen mask. In-flight beverages were limited to water, 3 soft drink options, and on one flight, coffee and tea. There were small snacks offered on the longer flights. As I boarded one of my flights, the Flight Attendant had a basket of alcohol wipes for passengers to extra-clean their seats. All of my flights were almost full.

The baggage claim process was the same as in the past. Rental cars are scarce; it's best to reserve a car in advance to avoid long lines and possible disappointment when you arrive. The shuttle to the rental car garage transported a maximum of 15 passengers at a time. The rental cars had little packets of sanitizing wipes and a note explaining the health and safety practices.

Restaurants have widely adopted a QR code for viewing menus on a cell phone, and some restaurants request that diners wear their mask while interacting with staff members.

At my hotel, the check-in process was typical, except for being asked whether I wanted daily housekeeping. The mini bar was empty - and I was given a sheet with QR codes for ordering minibar and room service items.

All in all, my travel experience was comparable to what it has been in the past. (Granted, this was a domestic trip - flying internationally has strict requirements around testing and possibly quarantining, and the US requires a negative COVID test within a defined time frame before returning to the US. These requirements vary by destination and change frequently.) That said, I'm hopeful that as the virus numbers continue to shrink, the airlines will be able to stabilize their staffing and scheduling. And the minor modifications to the travel experience were so worth it - being able to hug my kids was priceless.