I had to fly to/from helping my daughter move out from college in a state 4 hours away (by plane). The plane was packed to capacity and people were really on top of each other. That’s a structural issue re: the plane but it was pretty uncomfortable (even though I was fully vaccinated and wore a mask the whole time). Wouldn’t have done it but the alternative was a 27 hour car ride each way…!
Packed flights are one reason why I’m considering taking Amrak instead of flying when I next visit my daughter and grand babies. (I’ve driven out to her home twice–12+ hours by car on the Interstates. Awful, exhausting drive.) For the price of a Comfort+ plane ticket I can get a roomette (sleeper compartment) where I can shut the corridor door and be 6+ feet away from other passengers.
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We have enjoyed riding on Amtrak. It is neat to watch the scenery go by snd be able to doze, read, dine, sleep or do whatever you choose. None of us opted to try showering in our room—it was just too weird for us.
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Our son won’t be comfortable flying for a long time (me neither) so he’s interested in an Amtrak roommate from Seattle. We likely would pick him up in LA since otherwise he’d have to change to a coach seat on the other train to San Diego. He used to take the overnight train from Pittsburg to Chicago to come home for winter break and really enjoyed it. We’d pick him up at Union Station and go to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast.
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From Seattle, he’s looking at one night of sleeping on the train. We slept overnight LA to Seattle and had a very nice journey. I’m not sure whether they still have nice dining car you could get if you had a roomette or similar, but if so, that was very nice as well—good food and service, all included in your ticket.
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Move-out is in three weeks and we also have a decision to make—drive 26hrs or fly again. It’ll likely be another flight, but DH will go this time to lift all those heavy boxes, etc. He hates the red-eye as much as I do, but an early morning (6AM) flight is fine.
We also had a national park ranger join us on the train in OR, I believe to talk about the national parks area we passed. The observation car was nice for viewing as well. The internet was spotty, so he needs to be prepared for that. 
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I flew a short hop from DC to Lansing MI last week. Since flights were so cheap I went for first class. The plane was small enough there was only 1 seat on one side so no one next to me. Even though fully vaccinated I double masked with a KN95 and cloth cover. Lines and terminal weren’t bad but there were several guys who had to have mask issues - under nose, walking around eating and talking, etc. without it. Entitled. My next trip is out to CO next month on SW. That will be a test but a lot more should be vaccinated by then.
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H traveled to Georgia by car this week to visit his mom. She wanted to go to a restaurant for dinner, but H told her that he isn’t doing that yet. SIL does it, so MIL couldn’t understand it. H told her that he is happy to pick up carry out & they can eat together at home. Sorry, but until things are better controlled, simple things like not eating in a crowded restaurant are just common sense to us.
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Does anyone use a face shield along with your N95 mask?
We’ll be flying across country in May, and I’ve bought face shields for each of us. My husband and I have worn them on flights in the US before but noticed that maybe only 1-5% of passengers wear them in addition to a mask. I’m wondering why they’re not more prevalent.
I figure it offers some extra protection and can’t hurt. Unfortunately we won’t be able to be vaccinated until after the flight as we are returning from overseas.
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Face shields are effective for droplets but now that most evidence is that droplets are a minor source compared to aerosols, you might be better protected with better masks.
Best wishes to you as you return and thank you for trying to reduce the spread.
Thanks for that. We bought KN95s here, and we’re lucky b/c my brother is couriering some N95s to us. Good info about droplets vs aerosols explaining why shields are not used as often. She’s not thrilled about it, but our daughter will have to put up with the shield in addition to the mask as I’d still like to use extra caution.
It’s been lovely to read everyone’s posts about how things are improving in the US now that vaccinations are well underway. I realize things aren’t back to normal yet, but it’s great to hear some optimism for the future. Our college age kids, along with the rest of us, definitely benefit from optimism.
I’ve felt very safe taking a few important flights as long as I wear a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask from airport door to airport door, with a very quick sip of water if needed. The foldable N95s are more comfortable, and they’re highly effective at filtering out particles – as my doctor friends working on Covid wards attest! I add a surgical mask on top for good luck.
I recommend traveling off-peak on weekdays and distancing by waiting at an emptier gate nearby. I’ve done cross-country roundtrip 3x plus a few 2-hour flights with no issues, and I have a dozen friends who’ve been just fine on 4-6 hour flights. The biggest sites of infection aren’t planes but rather homes and workplaces, where people start to feel comfortable and let down their guard with people they know.
The good news is that flying is likely safer now than it has been at any point during the pandemic, since 50% of adults have at least a first vaccine – and the numbers will be much better in a month! All college students should make it a big priority to get vaccinated within 2 or 3 weeks (though I guess those moving in the next month need to plan where they can get both doses).
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There have been reports of people infected without eye protection on board. Face shield offers some extra protection for your eyes. However, they aren’t as effective as goggles.
I recently flew for the first time since February of 2020. We took Southwest to L.A. to visit my daughter. All of us have been fully vaccinated for at least a month. All the flights were full but everyone was mask compliant. The airports were busy for 2020-21, but would have qualified as a light travel day pre-pandemic. The biggest inconvenience was that most of the airport concessions were still closed, so if you needed food you encountered long lines or ate chips. I thought I’d be more uncomfortable on the flight, simply since it has been so long, but it was fine. I could have used a beer or glass of wine during the 4 hour flight though, lol. I’ll be flying out West again in June for a family vacation, but my business travel will remain limited for the remainder of this year, I suspect.
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This early report of possibly contracting covid through the eyes on a plane was alarming – but was soon debunked, and I haven’t heard of any others. The doctor who shared his story actually tested negative via nasal swab and antibody test.
Certainly no harm in wearing a face shield if you prefer, but there’s no clear evidence it’s better than a good mask. NBC's Dr. Joseph Fair tests negative for coronavirus antibodies
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No harm in wearing a face shield so long as it does not replace a mask.
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AAO’s take on the eyeglasses study: for first responders and caretakers, it makes perfect sense to wear eye protection, for the rest of us, a good mask will do the job.
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FYI if you are planning on traveling to HI… rental car prices will shock you. I got very creative mixing a day of rental and Lyft.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/25/us/hawaii-u-haul-tourist-rental-trnd/index.html
Hertz went out of business and all their cars were removed. At the time, no one was traveling to Hawaii so the other companies didn’t buy Hertz’s inventory.
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