Report from the Ground (And the Air!)
Our very own Margaret Kemp recently boarded her first flight since the pandemic hit and is here to give us the low-down on air travel in the time of COVID.
Photo credit: 贝莉儿 DANIST
Departure Flight (Little Rock Airport)
The Little Rock Airport is not what it used to be.
I checked in with United Airlines an hour-and-a-half before my departure to Denver. I had checked in online and had my boarding pass in advance, so I approached the counter to check my bag. The airline counters now have a clear plastic shield for protection. Attaching the luggage tag my bag was simple, and I proceeded through TSA pre-check. The agent took my driver’s license and boarding pass as usual, but then I had to lower my mask so they could see my face. After that quick check, I proceeded to be scanned and carried on.
Past the security checks in the Little Rock Airport, some of the restaurants are still closed. There was one restaurant open and two of the “newsstands” were open as well.
The boarding process onto the United Airlines regional jet was fantastic. They called row-by-row from the back of the plane, which made it very smooth and easy to board. Upon getting to my seat, I used my own Lysol wipes to wipe down my seat, tray top, seatbelt, and the A/C and light knobs. Throughout the flight, the flight attendants were nice and made sure to check on us, but to be honest, the flight was very uneventful! There were no snacks or beverages offered onboard, as the flight from Little Rock to Denver is not very long.
Arriving into the Denver Airport was quite different, as it was a buzz of activity. People were wearing masks, thank goodness, as it was fairly crowded. I walked through the terminal and down to claim my luggage. Then I proceeded to the Hertz rental car bus. The bus driver was only able to take four people at our stop. In total, there were about twelve people on the bus, with everyone seated (no one standing in the aisles), and seats were separated to allow seating in groups of two to four people.
The rental car was ready and sealed with a special sticker showing it was sanitized and ready to set off on our adventure in Colorado.
Return Flight (Denver Airport)
I returned from Denver on Frontier Airlines in an Air Bus. This time, check-in was quite busy. As we did have our boarding passes in advance, it was all about the luggage. Of course, we purchased the package of seat assignments and luggage, so it was time to check-in for the luggage. A wonderful gentleman with a mask assisted with the kiosk to weigh and print our luggage tags, and then we simply attached and dropped the bags at the designated spot before proceeding through to security/TSA. Thank goodness we were TSA pre-check, as there was a line for the general check-in. Again, there were stickers on the floor to space each person out, but all-in-all, it went smoothly.
Denver Airport had several food and bookstores open, so there was plenty of choice.
Boarding with Frontier Airlines was busier. They called groups of rows, and the jet bridge did get a little crowded. Nonetheless, we waited until our row was called, boarded, cleaned the seat and surrounding area again for our homeward bound flight.
It is always nice to land in Little Rock – so easy and not as crowded.
Margaret’s Top Tips for Air Travel in the Time of COVID
Overall, allowing enough time to check in and locate areas of the airport that are not so crowded is the way to go. I really did not miss the snacks and carts going up and down the aisle. Everyone wearing masks on the plane, so we felt safe, and it really was a pleasant experience.
Here are my “top tips:”
Be sure to have a mask or two on you as well as hand sanitizer. I recommend bringing sanitizing wipes as well to be able to sanitize your seat on the plane (just for your own peace of mind!).
Be patient and be sure to give yourself plenty of time.
Be flexible – each airport is different in some way, so allow enough time to avoid being panicked and rushed. Things change daily with COVID, and each carrier is different in the way that they are handling things at the present time.