Flying After a Worldwide Pandemic

I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel on my first flight post worldwide quarantine, but I knew it was inevitable that I would be flying again. I- like almost every family in the world spent hours of my day ingesting the most up to date information about COVID as it came to the internet and news stations, unsure of what our new normal would become. Me and Laila have been traveling since she was 2 months old. Travel is more than a whimsical getaway, it’s a way of life for us. After doing the research on how flights would be conducted after stay in place orders were starting to lift around the country, I found what I would be most comfortable doing for us both and what I would be too anxious to tolerate. 

Memorial Day Weekend was our first flight after the world shut down. We traveled to Phoenix, AZ and most recently we took a trip to Las Vegas, NV to be with family. Below I’ll outline 3 things that helped me feel comfortable flying again.

Prayer

I have a strong belief in prayer and the power of the tongue. I make it a point to pass this belief on to Laila as well and we speak over all of our trips for traveling mercy and grace. The spot of worry that is COVID is no different. Before our trips I speak health over us and all who we encounter on our journey. Once on the flight we say another prayer for safety.

Prepare Mentally

For me, mental preparation was the biggest part of feeling comfortable in the travel world again. I wouldn’t have been able to relax if I wasn’t mentally prepared as far as feeling safe, especially with Laila. I researched more than I probably ever have for a trip before (that’s definitely saying a lot) on domestic destinations with low COVID numbers and airlines that had a specific plan in place that made me comfortable. 

At the time of our first trip Phoenix appeared ideal to enjoy the warm weather at a resort that was extremely careful of social distancing guidelines and limiting the number of guests they could accommodate. The resort went as far as not including housekeeping to keep both their employees and guests safe. They also wouldn’t allow anyone inside the room for 48 hours after checkout as an extra precaution. 

As far as the flight, we booked with Southwest Airlines. As a company they have elected to limit ticket sales to 2 people per row (you can use all 3 seats if you’re traveling with 3 family members) through September 30. Once you line up for boarding you are required to wear your face mask and they have some available if someone didn’t bring their own mask. It’s mandatory that you keep the mask on for the entirety of the flight unless you are eating or drinking something. These sort of standardized rules to enhance public safety on the flight helped me to put my mind at ease.

Take Precautions

Beyond speaking health over us, I also do what I can physically to prepare for the trip to be as germ free as possible. We have our masks that are required to be worn on the flight unless drinking or eating along with our gloves. Laila has quickly learned the importance of not touching her face, something that I still have to remind myself when I get the urge to touch my face in some way as a reflex. The gloves help with this, because you see something on top of your hand and automatically remember what germs are potentially on them. Masks in some airports are required to be worn the entire time you’re in the airport (not eating or drinking) and some airports only encourage wearing your masks prior to boarding your flight. 

We bring plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes with us like we always have to wipe everything around us down, but one new thing I read about doing that I wasn’t doing before is wiping the air vents.

We also carry a tray table cover we received from Airplane Pockets that has been one of the best travel accessories we’ve come across. It has its own compartments that act as a backseat pocket without actually touching the inside of the backseat pocket with more room than you’re used to and it’s machine washable. If you are interested in purchasing one for yourself, use code lailasluggage10 for 10% off your order. 

These are simple things that have helped me feel comfortable with getting back into travel again. If you still aren’t comfortable flying just yet, that’s okay. We all collectively have gone through so much so quickly; we have to allow ourselves to do what is best for us and our families. There’s no rush to get back out there if you’re not ready. If you feel like you need a change of scenery though, try taking a road trip to an area you feel comfortable. This space we’re currently in is all about finding what works for our own personal comfort zones. Move at your pace and remember to listen to yourself.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me or send me a message on Instagram @Lailas_Luggage