Traveling with Restrictions: Up, Up and Away with Delta Airlines

This past year has been a whirlwind. In my life, there were a lot of positive changes and experiences due to the pandemic. However, the pandemic also stopped some fun experiences for most people in a BIG way, including but not limited to travel. My husband and I (used to) travel frequently each year, including cruises, trips abroad, and closer-to-home road trips.

Shortly before the pandemic made its way to the US (and we did not know for sure that it was coming here), we had a Caribbean cruise booked and we decided to go. At that point, the folks getting sick were located outside of the US. It was unlikely that folks from abroad would be going on this cruise given the itinerary and length. The only issue I was worried about was potential racism while traveling. Individuals of Asian descent had already started to be targeted. Thankfully, I did not experience any verbal attacks or issues (but it IS still happening in the US).

One Year.

The last time we flew was March 2, 2020 (our return flight home from our cruise), so an entire year ago (which is nuts). How can a year feel like a month and 10 years all at the same time?! We cancelled trips scheduled later in the year and stuck close to home like everyone else. I understand that not everyone is ready to travel on an airplane yet, and we did have some reservations. However, with some research and pre-planning, we decided that we were ready to take a break from things going on at home (and find the sun!). The stress of the pandemic itself and events that happened during this time in our lives left us feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

Planning

Once we decided to take a trip to somewhere warm, we knew that flying would be the most efficient option. We do not live within a reasonable driving distance to anywhere very warm.

Outside of the US?

We chose not to travel outside of the US for a number of reasons (even though those Mexico resorts looked mighty fine!). In late January, the CDC started requiring that passengers entering the US provide a negative covid test within a certain timeframe before their flight. If you test positive, you have to quarantine. When the directive was first announced, we weren’t sure how it would work to find a testing center, get the results back in time etc. Now that the requirement has been in place for over a month, there is some clarity in the process. This is a super helpful article from Thrifty Traveler if you are considering traveling outside of the US in the near future.

In addition to providing testing sites, some countries provide insurance that would cover the fees for additional hotel stays. Our biggest fear was testing positive and having to be away from home an additional 14 days (worrying about our dogs and work vacation days). Based on this, we decided that the cons outweighed the pros and only looked at destinations within the continental US.

Researching Locations.

We narrowed down our destinations to warm places like Arizona and Florida. Then we researched how covid numbers looked in those destinations. The numbers in some places like Arizona were quite high at that time and had not started to decline. We settled on Florida and looked at the areas of Key West, Miami, Palm Beach, and Naples.

Florida is not a typical vacation destination for us, as we usually only go to Florida to visit my husband’s dad, to board a cruise ship, or to go to DISNEY! We would have loved to go to Disney or Universal, but we did not feel like that was right for us given how many things you touch during a day at an amusement park. We felt it was safer to be on our own as much as possible. In the end, we decided to fly in/out of Miami and rent a car so we would have the freedom to go where we wanted. We also did not want to use public transportation.

Researching Airlines.

Prior to selecting our flights, we researched what airline would be the best fit. Many airlines have returned to “business as usual” in terms of booking full flights and not emphasizing guidelines for health and safety. We decided that we would only fly Delta, as they were our only airline choice still blocking middle seats. In fact, Delta has stated that they will block middle seats until at least 4/30. Most other airlines are not doing this anymore.

Flight to Miami

Once we booked our flights with Delta, they sent several e-mails about our trip, each with a reminder about the Delta standard of care. There were reminders about masks and covid related travel requirements. As directed, we checked in online prior to our flight and downloaded our boarding passes. This made the process paperless.

Checking In & Security.

We arrived at the Indianapolis airport around 9:30AM on Saturday, which is typically a fairly busy time. The airport was mostly empty, including the line at Delta for bag drop. There were decals on the floor reminding folks to stay six feet away from the person or group in front of them. Everyone we saw at the airport was wearing a mask, including the Delta staff.

The security area also had markers on the floor and plexiglass separating the TSA agents from travelers. We have global entry, so we use the pre-check line. We were through in a minute and did not have to remove any clothing or items from our bags. I am not sure if there were extra precautions in the regular security line.

Once we got through security, we noticed that most food stands were closed. Starbucks and the dine-in restaurants were open, but food kiosks and some stores were closed. The seats were clearly marked to leave space and the passengers were practicing social distancing.

Pre-Flight.

While at the gate, Delta made several announcements regarding maintaining social distance and wearing a mask at all times when you were not actively eating or drinking. When we walked through the airport, I heard some other airlines making similar announcements. Passengers were also informed that gaiter style or handkerchief style masks were not acceptable. Delta had disposable masks if anyone needed one. Closer to boarding time, Delta informed passengers that the plane would be loaded from back to front (I always felt like it should be this way anyway!). Delta only loaded ten passengers at a time to reduce congestion and allow for social distancing while boarding the plane.

Boarding.

When we boarded the plane, we were each offered an antibacterial wipe. My husband and I each wiped our areas down thoroughly when we sat down and most other passengers did too. We were also told that the plane had been fully cleaned and sanitized, but it made us feel better to be able to do it too. Once on the plane, there were several reminders to wear your mask over your nose and mouth (specifically). As expected, the middle seats in each row were vacant unless there were three passengers traveling together. Passengers were responsible for storing their luggage in the overhead bins. If flight attendants had to assist, they wore plastic gloves to touch the luggage.

Flight & Deplaning.

Once in flight, the flight attendants distributed service items in pre-packaged plastic bags. The bags contained an antibacterial wipe, a water bottle, and a couple snacks. There were announcements during this time that passengers should keep their masks on unless they were actively eating or drinking.

Before landing, passengers were informed that they should deplane from front to back, waiting until the passengers in the row in front of them were six feet away before exiting their row. This part definitely depends on the passengers, as it was not actively enforced like the mask requirement. Surprisingly, only one passenger on the whole flight rushed to the center aisle and tried to get out. The rest of the plane unloaded very patiently.

The Miami airport was more crowded than the Indianapolis airport. Folks were still practicing social distancing and the seats were marked to leave space. Once we exited the terminal, we noticed that all the chairs had been removed from the waiting area near baggage claim. It was clear that passengers were supposed to exit as soon as possible. Overall, we were very satisfied with the safety precautions in place on our flight from Indianapolis to Miami.

Flight to Indianapolis

Pre-Flight.

We arrived at the Miami airport on a Wednesday at around 6:00AM. The Delta desk did not have a line. The security line was a little busier, but folks were still maintaining social distance. Much of the experience was the same, though there were fewer reminders regarding masking and social distancing when we waited at the gate. The only mask related announcement was that gaiter or handkerchief style masks were not acceptable. Travelers maintained social distance while waiting at the gate.

One major difference was that the crew boarded this plane ten ROWS at a time versus ten people. We hung back and boarded last when our row was called so there was social distance while we were on the jet bridge. However, the line did get backed up once we were on the plane.

Boarding & Flight.

Once on the plane, we again received antibacterial wipes to clean our area and middle seats were left empty. Service items were provided in pre-packaged bags, and there were several announcements during the flight about wearing a mask. The screen on the back of the headrests displayed the Delta standard of care.

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Even though there was a similar announcement regarding deplaning, the individuals on this flight were not patient. Many flooded the center aisle when we reached the gate. The flight attendants did not make any announcement urging travelers to stay in their seats (which I wish they would have). Overall, the process was fairly similar, but we felt safer on our flight to Miami than the flight home since there were more reminders, less folks boarding at a time, and a less chaotic deplaning.  

Mask Wearing.

I had no trouble wearing a mask during the duration of our time at the airport and on the plane on our way to Miami. However, the flight home was turbulent and I did feel nauseous and warm wearing my mask during this flight. Wearing the mask on the airplane definitely makes you feel warmer than normal.  

Check back in the coming weeks for details on our transportation and accommodation experiences. Have you traveled yet? If not, where is the first place you want to go?  

Katie G.