According to a recent survey conducted by Manifest, a business how-to and news website, 67 percent of Americans said they were uncomfortable with air travel.
The survey accounts for 351 Americans’ comfort with travel in May 2020 and another 501 American opinions on travel during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020. The results did not change from month to month.
Most of 2020 has so far consisted of managing varying degrees of lockdown and limiting leaving our homes at all, not to mention getting on a plane and leaving our cities or towns altogether. Though, as restrictions continue to loosen, traveling is now possible in some places if the proper precautions are taken. Looking forward, the survey found that only 23 percent of people have fully canceled their 2020 travel plans and 15 percent are actually continuing to plan upcoming trips.
For those who do choose to fly this summer, travel expert Johnny Jet, says some things can help make the experience a safer, more comfortable one. Though the self-proclaimed “road warrior” has not flown since February.
“I would book tickets last minute to try and get on a flight that has a light load—use miles to save cash,” he tells Newsweek. “If you’re worried, I would book Delta Air Lines first, since they’re doing the best job with COVID-19 and they’re keeping the middle seat open. Southwest Airlines is a close second.”
He says to do some research to find out which flights have lighter loads, like American Airlines’ 777, which only flies once a day between Los Angeles’ LAX and Miami. Nonstop flights are also helpful and of course—what has become a habit for a lot of us now—pack plenty of disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. The TSA has upped its liquid cap to 12 ounces for hand sanitizer.
Valerie Joy Wilson, travel expert and blogger, has flown three times since May. Wilson tested positive for the virus at the beginning of March, so waited until she was able to receive a negative coronavirus test and an antibodies test before visiting family in May. She said when airlines started requiring masks, she felt much more comfortable. Now when flying she wears an N95 mask, face shield, and on her first trip she wore gloves too.
“I’ve always been the type of person to have antibacterial wipes, and lots of hand sanitizer. I’ve always wiped my seat, tray table, armrests and seat belts before sitting,” Wilson tells Newsweek. “Now I do so even more diligently.”
On her most recent trip to Mexico, she took it a step further and wore a hazmat suit on board her flight. She says she wanted to “make the point that you can travel and be safe, and not be a part of the problem or the spread.”
After that experience, though, she decided the suit was unnecessary and more of a hassle—especially when using the restroom.
The results of the survey also varied depending on the region in which respondents lived as well as their age. People from places that have been more successful at containing the virus—or flattening the curve—were more open to the idea of travel than those in areas with higher case numbers.
In May, the number of people in the Northeast who were ‘“very uncomfortable” traveling was 67 percent; in the July results, that number dropped to 51 percent. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other Northeastern states have continued to see a steady drop of cases and hospitalizations due to the virus. The New York Times reported Thursday that 4 out of 100,000 COVID-19 patients were being hospitalized due to the virus in New York; whereas in places like Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi Texas, that number surpassed 100.
New York City–based travel expert, Lee Abbamonte, who has traveled to every country in the world, has taken 15 or 16 flights since the pandemic began. He said after isolating in his apartment for three months and getting tested for the virus he was ready to get out of the city.
“Flying during the pandemic is a personal choice so I wouldn’t really give people advice whether they should or shouldn’t, it’s up to them and their personal risk tolerance and whether they feel comfortable,” Abbamonte tells Newsweek.
He says his preflight routine has remained mostly the same except now he carries sanitary wipes and wears a mask on board. He also gets to the airport a bit closer to flight time to avoid unnecessary time spent in the airport.
“Also, just be prepared and be patient because the worst part about flying during a pandemic is dealing with other people who don’t follow the rules,” Abbamonte said. “Like not covering [their] mouth and nose with masks quite as strictly as you do.”
