What it's like to fly during Coronavirus

"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
05/22/2020 at 20:45 • Filed to: None

I’m on my way to my parents house in Massachusetts (reasons legit but undisclosed). Normally, flying from SF to BOS is a hassle but not the end of the world. It’s kind of a 5/10 on the airport annoyance scale. That’s mainly because SFO is surrounded by traffic.

Today was a little different. I live about 30 minutes from the airport in a low-traffic day. Today, I went from front door to gate in 45 minutes. That includes parking at the off-site parking and shuttling to the terminal. That’s astounding. TSA was chill. I walked in, flashed my ID, tossed my bags on the new scanner system (much improved continuous flow closed loop system), got my balls scanned by the TSA’s X-ray specs, got my bag tossed by some friendly folks who asked me about my chocolate. Top tip: Guittard Chocolate Company is a 150 year old chocolate company from San Francisco that blows Ghiradelli’s garbage chocolate out of the water. They sell it at Target on the west coast and it’s worth every penny. Their 63% dark chips are the perfect snacking chocolate. However, be aware, the bags are foil and set off every alarm in the TSA scanner.

The airport itself is a ghost town. Even as we edge towards normal, this is not even close. Being a frequent traveler, I know what normal looks like here. At noon on a Friday, this place is normally a bustling place full of lines for food and lines for planes - full of people speaking 10 different languages and scurrying about through crowds. Most of the restaurants are closed and the gates are empty. Anyone who has spent an overnight in an airport with a 12 hour layover knows what this looks like, but this is midday not midnight .

Some Observations:

Boarding, was front to back. The plane has no coffee or food - aside from a sealed plastic bag that they gave us as soon as we took off . I also have my wonderful chocolate chips. I won’t be sharing since the plane is mostly empty. Though the flight attendants are bored stuff and singing and dancing in the galley.

A passenger wearing a face shield over his mask and baseball cap spritz’s his head rest with disinfectant. Suddenly everyone is Howie Mendell.

Looking out the window is a really refreshing feeling. It’s what I imagine the astronauts see when they look at our big blue pearl. From up here, you don’t see empty streets, closed stores, or people avoiding each other. It’s quite the symbol of hope.

The pilots seem to be giving 0 fucks about comfort. Usually, they will hunt for a good altitude. We’ve been cruising along at 37/38k ft in stomach churning turbulence for hours. If I had to guess, they are trying to maintain some kind of efficiency. This is not good hyper- miling.

We’re supposed to be wearing masks for the entirety of the flight. However, they announced a more reasonable policy on the plane itself: wear a mask when you can’t keep a distance. The closest person to me is currently 10 ft away and no one has mentioned anything about me taking my mask off. The mask really does restrict my breathing (I have a deviated septu m) so I’ve been only wearing it when socially/distance required.

Besides, it really makes eating this bag of chips diffi cult.

DISCUSSION (35)

Just Jeepin' > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 20:49

Those are some stunning photos, on many levels. Thanks for the report, and safe travels.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 20:52

cheers for the pics, that is a bizarre scene

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 20:57

Super bizarre! Safe travels and how about you send us all some snack chocolate? :/

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:04

My flight to Amsterdam via London from LAX for 4th of July weekend still isnt canceled yet. I was supposed to also be on a plane right now there for Memorial day weekend. For context, my girlfriend moved to Amsterdam at the beginning of January. We were supposed to be visiting every month since we can afford the cost and time away from work. However, coronavirus has made it so that february was the last trip. Still in limbo on when the next trip was, but I was going to be a frequent international traveler for a while.

Gonna be real weird in the airports if that trip happens. She is definitely planning to come here in August as well but is just planning to stay a while since we are unsure how much of a hassle flying will be in the short term. Glad to know it seems pretty normal and if anything, actually better since its less crowded.

Its absurd that they didnt switch to a board back to front and board in seat order. That would be the easiest damn way to distance people! And it would be more efficient and hopefully stick around forever after that. I have NEVER understood the boarding process on airlines. Sure it “works” in the same way that square wheels work on a car...

Chariotoflove > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:05

The only way I can see properly using Amy’s D rive T hru is if you highjack one of those airport golf carts.

I haven’t seen any studies about the airflow on a plane and viral particles, but I gotta think it’s a problem if anyone in your cabin is contagious and shedding, though I suppose hepa filters and directional airflow would help.

Nick Has an Exocet > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/22/2020 at 21:07

Woops, it is back to front - I dyslex’d it.

That's got to be rough. I can't imagine dating internationally right now.

Nick Has an Exocet > Chariotoflove
05/22/2020 at 21:09

Studies say conflicting things. There are simulations that look terrifying but basically assume you’re on a Russian jet with no filter. The science on masks for healthy people is equally dubious.

Nick Has an Exocet > Just Jeepin'
05/22/2020 at 21:09

Thanks. Taken with my potato!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:13

Jeebuz that’s deserted. Honestly now that they have some basic PPE and sanitization in place I would be perfectly fine flying around, but my employer has stoped all travel for the time being.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:13

Those airport terminal photos remind me of Stephen King’s Langoliers. Creepy.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:18

Well we’ve been together 8 years and have done the distance thing cross country before for a few years. So at least we have training for this. And we are both super independent people to begin with. So its alright. Having a free place to go stay in a cool city every other month aint so bad. Plus we both get to have sub 15 minute commutes for now so its not a bad tradeoff. We barely saw each other outside of weekends even though we lived together before.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:31

Those are some fantastic photos of the empty terminal. I really enjoyed this well thought out and nicely flowing piece of writing. What kind of phone were you using for those photos? I like the black and white touch.

jminer > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 21:47

Safe Travels!

S eeing SF airport that empty is eerie as hell. I used to fly regularly but haven’t gone anywhere since early March before the lock downs. Even then the airport here was less than half full and so were the flights. I enjoy an empty seat next to me, but flying a plane that’s a quarter full that isn’t a red-eye was weird as hell.

Nick Has an Exocet > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
05/22/2020 at 22:01

Thanks! Xioami Mi8 then edited in Photoshop. I didn't bring my real camera on this trip.

Nick Has an Exocet > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
05/22/2020 at 22:02

Holy crap, you're right! Just need some crazy dude sweating and tearing paper.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 22:08

PSA: The new gate numbering scheme at SFO blows serious chow. For those of us who’ve flown millions of miles out of that POS airport? It’s downright disorienting. And, yeah, I still miss The Crab Pot, the best airport restaurant ever conceived. Gone to the winds of history.

That is all. Now I’m off to Target for chocolate, I guess.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 22:08

Chinese Intelligence Services thank you for your choice of phone.

Nick Has an Exocet > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
05/22/2020 at 22:25

Wanted to get a head start on my social scoring.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 23:00

Heh. I had the Chinese hack all my stuff about 5 years ago in the Hack-To-End-All-Hacks, so I assume that I probably am already accumulating a Social Score in advance of The Inevitable.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 23:02

BTW, No “good” chocolate at the Santa Barbara Target. Must be a Bay Area thing.

I had to settle for Mint Milanos

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 23:18

Yeah that is creepy, I can see where I live in the bay photo!

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Nick Has an Exocet
05/22/2020 at 23:23

That’s because everyone in the country was shopping with me at Total Wine in Delaware.

Seriously, it was like Black Friday at Target. There was no distancing, social or otherwise. It was all people could do to not push each other out of their way.

Nick Has an Exocet > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
05/23/2020 at 00:26

Tragic!

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Nick Has an Exocet
05/23/2020 at 01:12

That looks glorious aside from the whole mask thing. I hate being packed in with people to travel.

Had to go to work again on Wednesday and there were two other people at the lab, so I was expected to put on a mask. They were also wearing gloves, but I simply couldn’t do it with what I was doing. The mask was driving me crazy because I was doing just enough physical work (really not much) that I was breathing heavier than “idle” and it was enough to make it very uncomfortable...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Nick Has an Exocet
05/23/2020 at 01:29

Masks don’t protect you, they protect others. That’s what many don’t understand and isn’t explained clearly. It reduces how far things float from you, so if you caught it you’re not as readily spreading it.

It’s the main reason doctors wear masks, too.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Nick Has an Exocet
05/23/2020 at 02:47

I claim no chocolate loyalties. Both are in my cabinet right now lol. The grocery store that is walking distance to my house does not carry Guit tard, though, so it’s only a treat if I drive to sprouts

Kinja'd!!!

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Nick Has an Exocet
05/23/2020 at 11:16

And two killer bowling balls.

Nick Has an Exocet > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
05/23/2020 at 11:50

Haha. Awesome. I dish on Ghirardelli but their 72% bars are decent.

Nick Has an Exocet > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
05/23/2020 at 11:54

Yeah, I get that, but doctors are up in your face. Masks might be effective in a night club but I honestly got more exposure to people on a trip to the grocery store then I did on this entire plane ride.

It's pretty clear that this is intended to make people feel better. The really awful part is how people look at you out of the corner of their eye. It's like viral McCarthyism.

Nick Has an Exocet > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
05/23/2020 at 11:56

Yeah, you shouldn't try to wear a mask while laboring. It's not advisable.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
05/23/2020 at 14:47

The Inevitable

They’re going to invade California, aren’t they?

ttyymmnn > Nick Has an Exocet
05/23/2020 at 18:04

My dad was on a safari in Africa on 9/11. They learned about it through the BBC satellite radio. He flew home on a 747 with about 10 passengers on it.

Great write up, and excellent photos. Thanks for sharing.

ttyymmnn > Nick Has an Exocet
05/23/2020 at 18:05

The best camera in the world is the one you have with you. But sometimes, a lower quality image is exactly what you want.

Nick Has an Exocet > ttyymmnn
05/23/2020 at 19:42

That must have been surreal.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Nick Has an Exocet
05/24/2020 at 01:55

They are fine, especially considering most other commercially available chocolate in this country haha