What I Learned On My First Transatlantic Flight Since 2020

I recently took a trip to London for a few days, counting as a “bleisure” passenger since it included business and some pleasure. It was the first time I had flown internationally since March 2020, when my last trip was a return from India just days before that country shut down. While I have regularly flown domestically, increasingly in the last year, there were still concerns about flying to another country and any complications that might come about. I would have flown earlier than this but had no compelling reason to do it.

As I expected, there were some differences from recent domestic flying and the experience was much more like I had remembered from pre-pandemic times. Having reported on flights just after the pandemic started, and again in the first week after the mask mandate was removed, I felt it made sense to explain what this trip was like especially for those who still haven’t taken this kind of trip since the before time.

No Tests Needed

The first enjoyable part of the trip was knowing that testing just before the fight was not required on either end. The U.S. ended the requirement to be tested before boarding a flight into the country on June 12. This made it even easier to take the trip since the risk of testing positive, even if the test was faulty, would mean days or weeks in London quarantine while this rule had been in effect. The ending of this requirement has ignited international travel bookings, as this was one of the bigger risks any traveler had to consider before going out of their home country.

As an adjunct professor at George Mason University, I have had the opportunity to get tested weekly and this is continuing through at least this summer. So, while I had no real worries that that I was infected since I am testing regularly and not exposing myself to risky, crowded situations, I couldn’t have been sure of what I might be exposed to while in London. It should be noted, however, that before boarding flights in both the U.S. and the U.K., I had to attest to the fact that I did not have any Covid-like symptoms and felt healthy enough to fly. This was part of the check-in process when getting the boarding pass. I think this is a good idea that should continue, at least the “healthy enough to fly” part, going forward.

More Mask Wearing Onboard

While masks onboard domestic U.S. flight are largely gone, I earlier predicted that more people would wear masks on longer, international flights. This prediction proved correct on my flights, as about 50% of the passengers in the coach cabin of the plane were wearing a mask. This is based on a check I did a few hours into the flight in each direction. I chalked this up to two things. First, a longer flight time means longer time to be exposed in a sometimes cramped cabin. Second, on a flight to London you see a much greater mix of U.S. and foreign-born passengers. We all know that mask wearing in many other countries is not seen as such an imposition as for some in the U.S.

This said, I’m not sure that 50% is a long-term steady state even for these kind of flights. When the world really moves past this pandemic, mask wearing even on longer flights will also reduce. Pre-pandemic, it was not uncommon to see one or two passengers on a long international flight with a mask, but no more than that. I took 50% mask wearing as a sign that while we are on the waning backside of this pandemic, were certainly aren’t out of it to many people on the globe.

Almost No Masks In London

While in London, I saw very few masks in shops, restaurants, streets, and events. This was true at both the business and leisure activities I attended. The one exception to this rule was in the hotel elevators. Here, I saw many people pull a mask from their pocket and put it on while in the confined space. This struck me a pragmatic way to deal with uncertainty — have the mask and put it on when unsure, even if most times you feel it isn’t necessary.

To be fair, I did not ride the tube while in London, nor did I take any cabs. It’s possible that in these settings I would have seen more mask wearing, possibly even mandated. That said, the good people of London seem to have no problem being mask free in most public settings that I could see. I also saw no signs on shops suggesting masks be worn either.

Never Had To Show A Vaccine Card

Even thoughI knew I wound’t need testing to board the flights, I still brought my vaccine card. I figured I might need it to show proof of vaccination for something, or at least need to attest to dates on the forms I had to fill in. But no, it turns out I could have left the card at home and the trip would have been no different. Ok, I’ll be more honest here – I brought it as a photo on my phone so I didn’t really carry the card, but felt good knowing I had it just in case. I’m still a bit surprised that I was never asked to show it, or state information from it. Those attestation forms certainly trust people, and I don’t know if there is any consequence for filling them out without complete truths.

Other Countries May Not Be As Open

I would like to be able to close this story with a big “get out there and travel again” charge. I still believe this, but recognize that not every country is the U.K. Before going anywhere else in the world, I for sure will look up any testing requirements, proof of vaccines, or anything else that may have gone by the wayside for London visitors from the U.S.

It’s a shame that the airline industry is being tarnished with daily stories of cancellations and long delays. This is an industry that often can’t get everything right at the same time. Twelve months after March 2020, the industry would have salivated to know that in summer 2022 everyone wanted to fly someplace, and even would pay higher prices for that. Yet while that has happened, the reality has sunk in. It was easier to shrink quickly in response to no demand than to build back quickly when the demand came calling. By Spring 2023, maybe the balance will return.