Has anyone here travelled on an airplane since the pandemic started? If yes any tips please? Thanks.
Airplane travel
- Thread starter Ovi
- Start Date
Jamie H
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 126
Up until about a fortnight before lockdown, travel a lot to mainland UK for work.. At that time there was no talk of masks or protection... Count myself lucky I didn't pick anything up.. Especially through some very busy London airports... Unless I did so and was asymptomatic.. I doubt it though as no family members seem to have picked up the virus in that time.
I can't see myself going near a plane for a long long time. Unless its an emergency its just not worth the risk.
I've flown quite a bit over the years and a lot of the time I've picked something up, either on the way out or coming back. It's the air conditioning systems that are the problem as they just recycle the same dry air through the cabin and it doesn't get cleaned through filters. Personally I wouldn't fly again until the danger is totally over and that could be a long time.
My eldest daughter is planning to fly back from SE Asia in a couple of weeks and we've been talking about this issue. This link came up in recent conversations. It's a bit dated but still helpful.
doctorworld.co/covid-19-flying/
I'm also a bit sceptical about the HEPA filters' efficiencies as this would depend on whether they change them after each flight or only after a number of flying hours. Air movement flow patterns are different in narrow body aircraft than in a wide body, long-haul aircraft, but the principle is the same - flow from above, exit from below the seating
Another thing would be to choose direct non-stop flights (if they are an option) so avoiding the possibility of someone boarding from an airport where monitoring is less prominent.
I've asked the question to the airline as to whether their aircraft do partially re-cycle air or operate 100% replacement as this can be altered by the flight crew depending on the airline's policy. No answer as yet!
doctorworld.co/covid-19-flying/
I'm also a bit sceptical about the HEPA filters' efficiencies as this would depend on whether they change them after each flight or only after a number of flying hours. Air movement flow patterns are different in narrow body aircraft than in a wide body, long-haul aircraft, but the principle is the same - flow from above, exit from below the seating
Another thing would be to choose direct non-stop flights (if they are an option) so avoiding the possibility of someone boarding from an airport where monitoring is less prominent.
I've asked the question to the airline as to whether their aircraft do partially re-cycle air or operate 100% replacement as this can be altered by the flight crew depending on the airline's policy. No answer as yet!
I flew back to the U.K. after spending just over a year living in Oslo last Friday. Had to take two planes instead of the usual one as there are still no direct flights from Oslo to London, so had an hour and a half flight to Frankfurt, 2 hour stop at the airport and then an hour flight to Heathrow, both were with Lufthansa. I was very surprised at how busy the planes were, and despite Lufthansa not allowing you to reserve middle row seats on any of the flights, when we got onto the plane they were filling up the middle seats due to the high number of people flying. The airports were much quieter than normal, but not dead, and the waiting areas for the gates were busy. Frankfurt in particular was very busy as most people trying to reach destinations in Europe are having to travel via there as there are few direct flights now. We were told we needed to wear face masks for the duration of the flight (problematic when travelling with a 3 year old), and everyone did obey this rule.
The second flight was full and the pilot had to address concerns people had raised about the lack of social distancing - he referred to the high quality air filtration systems which are as good as those used in operating theatres, and the fact that everyone was wearing face masks. One of the main reasons most people feel rubbish after flying is usually down to the very dry air within the cabin, which dries out the mucus membranes in your nose and throat and makes you feel like you are coming down with something.
I didn’t feel too worried, but I’m also fairly confident that I’ve already had covid-19 and so I felt slightly less concern. However I think everyone needs to do their own risk assessment because the risks will be different depending on your own situation. I’m type 1 diabetic, female, under 35, with relatively stable blood sugars, although I am overweight. But my risk of contracting a severe form of covid-19 is much lower than say a male, over 50, with a similar BMI, but who also suffers from high blood pressure as well as diabetes. I would certainly say avoid if you can, we unfortunately had no choice, as needed to come back. Just take your own measures to protect yourself -plenty of hand sanitiser, wearing gloves and avoiding touching your hands and face!
The second flight was full and the pilot had to address concerns people had raised about the lack of social distancing - he referred to the high quality air filtration systems which are as good as those used in operating theatres, and the fact that everyone was wearing face masks. One of the main reasons most people feel rubbish after flying is usually down to the very dry air within the cabin, which dries out the mucus membranes in your nose and throat and makes you feel like you are coming down with something.
I didn’t feel too worried, but I’m also fairly confident that I’ve already had covid-19 and so I felt slightly less concern. However I think everyone needs to do their own risk assessment because the risks will be different depending on your own situation. I’m type 1 diabetic, female, under 35, with relatively stable blood sugars, although I am overweight. But my risk of contracting a severe form of covid-19 is much lower than say a male, over 50, with a similar BMI, but who also suffers from high blood pressure as well as diabetes. I would certainly say avoid if you can, we unfortunately had no choice, as needed to come back. Just take your own measures to protect yourself -plenty of hand sanitiser, wearing gloves and avoiding touching your hands and face!
I flew back from Thailand on May the 8 th direct with Evaair , both Taiwan and Thailand have very little covid and as no one can enter Thailand from Taiwan I felt quite safe although we had to wear masks all the time in Bangkok airport and on the plane except for eating , which was twice and no alcohol was served. On reaching passport control we were told to remove our masks and social distancing went out the window.
Thailand has on 57 recorded deaths with roughly the same population as the uk, but as of today the beaches were slowed to open but masks have to be worn and there’s still a night time curfew. The uk are months behind, for a so called educated country we certainly lack common sense
My husband flew back from Colombia on 1st May, everyone had to wear masks, Temperatures were taken at the airport, but most importantly the food was very poor and not sufficient for a 16 hour flight ( which followed 24 hours on a bus) So if you are planning to fly, take your own food. Fortunately there was still almost no covid in Colombia at the time so everyone was safe & nobody got ill from the journey, though people were more cautious than normal & the usual airline service was almost non existent.
MrsA2
Expert
- Messages
- 5,629
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I was travelling in Asia back in February and March. Masks were commonplace. As news of Covid spread places like Vietnam had no qualms instigating instant track trace and quarantine, even if that mean using prison camps. On flights and at airports staff wore masks and gloves.
That all stopped when we boarded our final flight home from Bangkok. No masks, no gloves, loads of alcohol. No checks at Heathrow though some one did try to hand out leaflet from an ungloved hand.
IMHO UK reaction was too little too late. Current talks of quarantine are too little too late.
Personally I wont be going to any enclosed areas of any size for some considerable time yet. That includes airports and supermarkets and shops. Airplanes themselves may be safer if what they say about the air filters are right but to get to the airplane you have to pass through a terminal, as do masses of others. I don't trust most people.
That all stopped when we boarded our final flight home from Bangkok. No masks, no gloves, loads of alcohol. No checks at Heathrow though some one did try to hand out leaflet from an ungloved hand.
IMHO UK reaction was too little too late. Current talks of quarantine are too little too late.
Personally I wont be going to any enclosed areas of any size for some considerable time yet. That includes airports and supermarkets and shops. Airplanes themselves may be safer if what they say about the air filters are right but to get to the airplane you have to pass through a terminal, as do masses of others. I don't trust most people.
I’m going to Corfu in Sept with Jet2 staying in an apartment with my husband it’s a special anniversary but if there’s a second peak by then I won’t travel.
I’ve had T1 for 46yrs - age 62 now with now other conditions apart from Fibromyalgia but I still feel very much at risk and would wear a mask and clear glasses on the plane with lots of anti bac at hand! Hiring a car so no contact with others once there - hopefully or as distanced as possible.
. Greece have had very little cases so just hope it stays that way?
I’ve had T1 for 46yrs - age 62 now with now other conditions apart from Fibromyalgia but I still feel very much at risk and would wear a mask and clear glasses on the plane with lots of anti bac at hand! Hiring a car so no contact with others once there - hopefully or as distanced as possible.
. Greece have had very little cases so just hope it stays that way?
DavidGrahamJones
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,263
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Other
- Dislikes
- Newspapers
A angle not just health risk, is will you be able to get travel insurance
Also would you want to be sick abroad. I am not getting on a plane for a long time.
ed. by mod to show the quote correctly
Mr_Pot
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,573
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
A good point. I cancelled our holiday in France because I have no idea how you cope with even mild Covid symptoms while away from home. Self isolating sounds impossible if you are in a hotel and more so in our case as we were going to stay in several hotels for a few days each. I have booked a few days in the UK at the end of September, at least you can just go home if you don't feel well.
- Messages
- 14,298
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Like others, I flew back from spending a couple of months in SE Asia at the beginning of March. Whilst Asia was significantly impacted at the time, I saw no significant increase in mask wearing (which is pretty commonplace anyway), by comparison to other trips.
At that time, we were not required to mask up and in-flight service was business as usual.
Curiously enough, I had an email this morning from Staysure travel insurance, promoting their cover:
I haven't looked into the detail, but these companies will be hurting at the moment, and if the F&CO says it's safe to travel, they'll want to cover it. If the F&CO do not recommend travel, then new trips wouldn't be covered anyway, aside from cancellation/deferral, I'd wager.
@scottdavio - You're a braver man than me (OK, I'm not a man!), willingly travelling EVA. We did once, and just don't any more. I guess it's OK if you happen to be on a code share and end up on a Thai Airways flight.
Thanks for the answer..unfortunately I have an emergency and I need to go abroad for a bit.
Thanks! I'm sure you and your husband will travel to Greece and have a brilliant anniversary!
My dad tried to commit suicide so unfortunately I have to go abroad right now it's not a choice but thanks for the answer anyway.
Very valid point here. I've read many insurance companies are excluding Coronavirus because it is now a "known event" so worth contacting Staysure as DCUKMod posted or others that advertise they are still covering but I would seriously advise reading the small print more closely than usual.
Another thing worth considering is that diabetes is on the list of those conditions that you had to declare for travel insurance even prior to this pandemic. I always wondered if I should have added it because I don't currently suffer complications from diabetes ordinarily but always added it "just in case". It does raise premiums but in December when we went on a cruise I used a broker and got a reasonable price, plus brokers can look for exactly what you are looking for. Not sure if I can add the link here but if anyone wants a good brokers number PM me and I'll reply with the one I used. Not sure how good they would be now mind!!
