The other day we boarded a JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale with our kids in tow. Yes, we actually did this. Our reasons for doing so are a bit complicated and we understand that not everyone feels comfortable flying or even road-tripping. But since we've actually had requests from families about what to know about flying, here's our full report.
GETTING TO THE AIRPORT
CHECKING IN
GOING THROUGH SECURITY
SHOPPING
BOARDING
IN-FLIGHT
DEPLANING
RENTAL CAR
We've never seen Los Angeles International Airport this empty before. And we've been through the airport late at night, early in the morning, on weekdays, and on holidays. The traffic at LAX, which in November was at its worst as construction began and ride-share services were directed to an outside parking lot, was nonexistent. We glided around the horseshoe of terminals with no stops until at Terminal 5 for JetBlue.
As usual, we checked and paid for our bags online but at the JetBlue check-in kiosk, we needed to print our bag tags and then drop the bags off. Before we even entered the airport, we put on our masks, althought the little toddler was resistant. Once inside, everyone from passengers to security to airline agents were also wearing masks. Signs for physical distancing measures were in place as well.
After printing our bag tags we took them over to bag drop where masked JetBlue employees asked to see our IDs, which we placed on a little counter in front of them to minimize any contact. Once the bags were loaded off, we headed up to security. But first, a good dollop of hand sanitzer for everyone.
The airport was practically deserted. TSA recorded nearly 3 million passengers had traveled through US airports during this week last year. But this year, only half a million people traveled through the airports. When we arrived at security, TSA pre-check lane wasn't even open. Instead all travelers, at six feet apart, queued up in the main line.
Through a plexiglass partition, the TSA officer (who was wearing rubber gloves and a mask) peeked at our IDs as I scanned my phone which held all of our boarding passes. We did have to pull down our masks so that she could see our entire faces. After that, she told the TSA screeners that we were all TSA Pre-Check travelers which at this point meant we didn't have to remove our shoes and jackets.
We breezed through security, except my carry-on needed an extra bag check. Apparently, my super-sized Kirkland package of disinfecting wipes needed to be examined. Thankfully, I was allowed to keep them. After this, more hand sanitizer for everyone.
The only stores open in Terminal 5 were the newsstands shops. We do recommend stopping in here and buying bottled water and drinks and maybe whatever snacks you'll want for the flight, if you didn't pack your own. Everything else, from Coffee Bean to restaurants, toy shops, and bars, were closed. We purchased bottled water and then proceeded to douse our hands in hand sanititzer afterwards.
JetBlue now boards the flight from back to front. We were a little late getting to the gate, where everyone was respectfully abiding the six feet apart rule, but since we were the back of the plane, we boarded before others.
The jetway was completely empty as we boarded. Since JetBlue doesn't book middle seats, unless for families traveling together, and since we were flying somewhere technically considered an “off-season” destination, the flight was at best 60% full. We had a whole row to ourselves—three of us on one side, two on the other. There was a full row in front of us with a mom and her two grown children, but only one person behind us and most of the rows around us had only one or two people.
Before we sat down, I took out my wipes and wiped down every part of the seat, seatbelt, seatback TV, armrest and tray table. Throughout the flight I would wipe down random parts. I did see some stray goldfish under our seats which made me question JetBlue's commitment to cleanliness and hence, my need to wipe things down a little more. Once in our seats, everyone put on some more hand sanitizer.
What's changed in-flight is largely the food and beverage service. JetBlue did one round of snack service with a small bottle of water, Cheez-its, a granola bar, and napkins, all in a sealed plastic bag. That's it.
The seat-back TV still had great entertainment options for kids and adults, and the excellent Fly-Fi WiFi service (free for TrueBlue members) was working perfectly.
We did have to go to the bathroom during the flight, after which we cleaned our hands profusely and topped them off with hand sanitizer. JetBlue no longer allows people to congregate in the aisles for any reason, but since there were less people on the flight, and less drinks being served, we didn't have to wait at all to use the bathroom.
Our older kids did great on the flight. They wore their masks, they were careful about what they touched and they didn't even need to use the bathroom. The 3-year-old couldn't wear his mask long and he got a little cranky in the fourth hour of the flight. Lots of “hand tizer” and disinfecting wipes was needed for him. But thanks to the Fly-Fi, we could pull up his favorite Netflix show and that calmed him down.
JetBlue asks everyone to remain in their seat until the row in front of them has left the plane, so as to keep up with the physical distancing measures. But again, because the flight wasn't that full, it didn't take long to get off the plane. At the Fort Lauderdale airport, most everyone was wearing a mask although we did see a few handfuls of people without them. That sight alone caused us to break out the hand sanitizer again.
The most noticeable change at the airport after our flight was that at the baggage claim, our bags were already out by the time we got down to the carousel. This never happened in the “old world.” We grabbed our bags and headed outside in the early evening humidity. Our next step was the Rental Car Center. The thought alone of navigating that forced me to squirt out some hand sanitizer.
We boarded a shuttle to the Rental Car Center. The shuttle would only take up to 12 passengers at a time but our bus had only 8. Still, everyone got two squeezes of hand sanitizer during the five-minute ride.
The Rental Car Center was deserted as well. The hardest part here was keeping the toddler from around like a madman, a happy one, that is. He received three squirts of hand sanitizer while we waited for the car because he kept falling down. But we didn't have to wait too long before we headed into the garage to pick out our minivan.
Before any one got in the car, I went in with my trusty disinfecting wipes and wiped down every seat, seatbelt, and whatever surface I imagined we would touch, which is like, pretty much everything. We loaded the bags, strapped in the kids, removed our masks, did a round of hand sanitizer squirts, and headed off to see our extended family from a social distance of course in an apartment.
BOTTOM LINE:
We booked our flights and rental car with credit card points but we will say that the fares didn't look all that different or “cheap.” We did have to pay for our checked bags (at $35 a pop) but on the flip side, we didn't have any in-flight purchases for food or drinks.
That's the financial cost. The mental cost is that you will spend a good portion of your travel freaked out about getting sick. But I was reassured by the masks that everyone wore in flight and that I had my own little arsenal of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. Also, this experience was REMARKABLY different from the “packed like sardines in a can” days of flying. There are far less people flying and hanging out in the airport, which gave me some peace of mind as well.
Again, this is not for everyone. But if you need to do it, that's what to expect.
JUST REMEMBER TO:
+ Wear a mask (it's required, no getting around this one)
+ Bring disinfecting wipes
+ Give everyone their own travel-size of hand sanitizer
+ Pack your own meals and snacks
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