Has anyone flown recently? How did you find it? (Short haul)

[45redballoon]

Just looking for experiences of flying so I can be prepared. I've got face masks and hand sanitiser etc..
Are they spreading people out on the planes? What's the queuing like?

I'm flying with my kids and husband from leeds to limoges (so small airports) on 10th august to see my parents.
There will be no other public transport in the journey and we are going from our home to stay in their home.
I'm just obviously quite worried about it, so looking for some experiences to get some ideas of how it might be!

Interested to know too...

I’ve also packed dettol wipes to wipe any surfaces I come into contact with, along with tie bags to dispose of the used wipes.

WhoWhatWheree can you take the dettol wipes through security? Will it not count as liquid? I suppose you can take baby wipes cant you so I dont see why this would be different... might get some myself good idea.. I know they say they clean the plane but it cant hurt to give the armrests and tables a bit of a sanitise can it?

Haven't flown but work in an airport. Dettol wipes are absolutely fine to go though security. We are asking passengers to scan there own boarding passes at the gate, you will also be asked to remove your mask for an I'd check here.

Our flights have been quite busy 70-80% capacity. No special arrangement for seating on board. Social distancing at gates is difficult, not enough space.

Food service on board is limited to I'd definitely recommend taking snacks.
Masks are also manditory in the airport.

The 70-80% capacity scares me.. but I guess it's no worse than people on the tube and people have to use that every day for work... hopefully if everyone wears masks it will be fine.

I have just cancelled our flights for this summer, as I am just too worried about the risks involved this year, however we did fly just before lockdown, and even then you need to be prepared for the tense feeling and stress on the plane. It was a grim experience tbh and I am in no rush to repeat it. Make sure you trial run spending hours and hours in masks, as we did not, and our kids found it very tough going for six hours plus, as did I, as it feels airless on the plane. Cleaned everything on the plane when we got there, but still people were walking by and touching my chair or the kids. They were touching things I didn't clean like the window cover, so make sure you literally clean every single thing.
The loos were a nightmare, it is quite impossible to keep your distance in the queue with people walking by and cabin crew.
We tried to keep our distance, but could not.
A man a few rows away kept coughing, probably not covid, but everyone tensed every time he coughed. It was just horrible op.
In the end I felt so compromised by the whole experience I cried most of the way home from the airport. I felt I had put my children at risk, my dh and all of us. I spent the next two weeks worrying about our health and on edge, but none of us were ill.

You will certainly see more changes now I would imagine.

I might add the tubes are empty! Completely empty so I am not sure that is a good comparison.

Really that's not what my friend in london was saying.. she uses it for work and up until recently she said about half the people werent even wearing masks and she was finding it very scary!

I havent flown but a lot of my friends and colleagues have. Honestly how it is varies a lot by who you fly with, what airports you visit and also different depending on exactly what week they flew etc. All airlines are saying wear a mask.

Who are you flying with?

If you are worried about the risk of contamination being stuck on a plane, there is a nice video by Aer Lingus which explains how the air filtration systems work which I found reassuring;

Yes, I flew last week - 5 of us including 3 kids. To be very honest I was really happy with both the distancing in the airports and on the plane. Under 12s didn't need to wear masks either in the airport or on the plane, so my youngest didn't. The flight was about half full one way and two thirds full returning, there was no pissing about. Everyone did as they were supposed to, gave each other space etc. It was a short flight, under 90 mins so none of us needed the toilet. We sat 3 across, aisle, then two. No-one was sitting in our third seat or in the row behind us. I flew with Ryanair.

Ryanair so I dont have high hopes theyve done much regarding the social distancing side of things tbh... it will be stressful but as far as I can see alot safer than ferry and driving or the eurostar.. just due to how much shorter the journey is. Only live a short drive from the airport each side.
I fear there will be a second wave over winter.. and I havent seen my parents since last year... got to weigh things up havent you? My kids not seeing their grandparents for two years could be a possibility if we dont go now whilst there seems to be a lull.. and my kids are young enough that two years is a long time.. and my parents are 70 so two years is a long time for them too...
Just going to do my best with the plane and hope everyone wears masks and respects each others space.

@implantsandaDyson that's really good to hear thanks!

My understanding is Ryanair arent doing much differently to before so no middle seat gaps, still selling food etc. Demand is low everywhere though so you have a good chance of a reasonably empty flight.

I heard on some airlines you need to buzz the cabin crew to be allowed to go to the loo to avoid queues.

I flew a couple of weeks ago. It was fine in the airport. There aren't so many people as usual so social distancing is no problem. Only a few of the shops were open so be aware of that if you are planning on buying anything at the airport.

We had to wear a face mask on the plane and they had tried to avoid sitting people in the middle aisle as much as they could (but some people did have to sit three to a row, all strangers). You should check with you airline though as I think different airlines are doing things differently. There was no social distancing coming on and off the plane.

Lol, the tubes are anything but empty.

Op we flew just because lockdown, literally the day before as had to leg it back from holiday before we got stuck there. I was so stressed in the airport that once we took off I cried with relief! You will feel the stress but once in the air you'll feel fine. Defo wipes, I wiped the tv the chair arms etc. Take your own food and cup if you can. Use tissue to open toilet doors. You will be fine, enjoy!! Go on the website of the airline and there may be a video that says what they are doing to help, that might make you feel better too.

"No special arrangement for seating on board. Social distancing at gates is difficult, not enough space."

If there's no special arrangement for seating on board what would the point be in social distancing at the gate?

Pack gloves for the kids! I wish we had taken lots of gloves too, as so hard to find overseas without amazon to deliver everything

Dh travels at 7am, used to crowded, now he usually has the tube to himself, a big change in numbers. Maybe it is busier later in the day, but the square mile is like a ghost town still.

Not me but my mum...

She said they boarded by seat row so no passing each other in the plane. And the same when they got off. She said it was very civilised, without the usual scrum!