Flying During a Pandemic: Cleveland
After living in Los Angeles for several years, Jelvon is moving to the East Coast and stopped in Cleveland for a month to visit her family. Jelvon shares about her experience flying one of the few airlines who is currently not booking full flights.
Q. Where did you fly from and to, and did you have any layovers?
A. I flew on Southwest Airlines from Los Angeles to Cleveland, with a stop at Chicago Midway.
Q. What was your check-in experience like at your starting airport?
A. LAX wasn’t too busy. I flew in the morning around 10AM. I used skycap to easily check my bags, and then walked into TSA PreCheck. PreCheck didn't have a line, and the standard TSA line had around 10 people in it who were socially distanced.
Q. What was the boarding experience like and was there anything unusual?
A. Southwest boarded us in groups of 10 instead of 30, so people were pretty spaced out, except for those who kept inching closer waiting for their number to be called. The boarding process didn’t take long and they assured us fresh air was coming through the plane every 2-3 minutes and the plane had been thoroughly cleaned.
Q. What was the flying experience like and what key things did you notice?
A. I was happy that Southwest was still not having people sit in middle seats. The flight was not very crowded anyway. The flight itself was smooth and they offered a limited snack and water service, although I didn’t remove my mask and face shield to partake.
Q. Is there anything else that caught you off guard or would be good to know for other travelers at this time?
A. My stop in Chicago had the same boarding process as in LAX, still no middle seats and that flight was also pleasant. I grabbed a sandwich and ate it in a secluded area, which felt safe.
I suggest doing what makes you most comfortable and feel safest if you must travel.
Different airlines have different policies regarding seating and boarding. When you book flights or a vacation with us we'll make sure you're clear about everything you need to know to travel safely and comfortably.
