Travel | It Happened To Me

10 Changes I Came Across When Flying Post Pandemic

Are you planning to fly soon? Are you prepared for the changes that have taken place with air travel?

passengers on board flight —© image taken by the author

Air Travel is picking up. It's fantastic news, or is it?

Is Airline Travel Picking Up Again?

Families are traveling once again. Grandparents meeting grandchildren for the first time. Brothers and sisters reuniting. Real hugs after two years of virtual calls. It makes your eyes water, thinking of the wonders that air travel can bring.

Holidaymakers are dusting off their swimsuits, finding those long-lost sunglasses.

All seemingly ready to brave the changes in air travel.

This may lead you to believe that air travel appears to be returning to some sort of normal.

Based on my recent journey, it was anything but straightforward.

You might be considering whether it is worth waiting a bit longer before embarking on that first flight. And you may be right, here’s what you need to think about.

Is Air Travel Returning to Normal Again?

I wrote this piece in April 2022, 8 Quick Tips to Avoid Air Travel Disappointment. Since then, travel requirements have continued to change frequently.

Just three months ago, I observed passengers arriving with files of documents ready to prove their vaccination status, my file clutched firmly in my hands.

Not only did you have to prove your vaccination status, but you were then also still required to prove that you were covid free at the time of travel.

Proof of this came in the form of a PCR test (a Polymerase Chain Reaction is a test to detect genetic material) or a Supervised RAT (a Rapid Antigen Test is a quick test to detect the presence or absence of an antigen such as the virus that causes covid-19). This vital document saw you step confidently to the front of the queue.

As if that wasn’t enough, you also had to check the requirements in different countries. Each country around the world had its own rules for travel during and post-pandemic. It was a minefield when it came to air travel. Miss one small detail and you could be denied boarding. I know because my brother almost missed his flight due to this.

Are You Planning to Travel this Year?

If you have decided to travel in the following months, you need to know that air travel is a whole different beast.

The changes are rapid and fast.

The requirements evolving quickly.

I have traveled during the pandemic in 2020 and again in 2022, and experienced first-hand all these changes from obtaining special permissions to enter a closed country border, transits spent in ghost-like terminal lounges to a mandatory 2-week stay in managed isolation, and tonnes of paperwork in order to travel. Air travel has changed.

10 Changes That You Need To Know About Before You Fly Again

1. Vaccination Status

This is the big one and I am not here to argue the pros and cons of vaccination. You either are or aren’t. Either way, you need to find out how your status will affect your onward travel plans. It will be different if you are a visitor as opposed to a returning resident to your country of origin.

It was a personal choice to get vaccinated, knowing that my dad was unwell I did not want anything to stop me from spending those final months with him. He lived in New Zealand, and I lived in the UK. We are all different in our choices. For example, I was speaking with the handyman at dad’s home. He told me his elderly mother was in the UK and had terminal cancer. I enquired if he planned to travel to see her, and he said he had made a choice not to get vaccinated and would not be doing so. At the end of the day, it is a personal decision.

You will need to prove your vaccination status. This can be from your health record. I printed mine out with a QR code. Check the validity of this as some countries put a validity date on the certificate and you may need to download a fresh copy depending on how long you are away.

You can still fly to some countries even if, you are not vaccinated, but you will need to complete further testing such as PCR before flying.

But be aware that some countries will not accept visitors who are unvaccinated even if they undergo PCR testing.

You will need to check the travel requirements for the country you are visiting.

Check requirements for any countries you are transiting through.

And finally, check the requirement for the airlines you are traveling with.

It’s no surprise that online covid travel checkers like this one, Covidchecker.com are popping up. I would still say that you should not rely on them totally, and you should check for yourself at each official website about your point of entry, as rules change rapidly.

There isn’t one simple answer to this one.

You will need to check. And check again.

Whilst many countries are relaxing these rules, others aren’t.

2. Check Your Return Journey

Check the requirement for your return journey with your home country as well. Some countries still require you to complete a passenger locator form upon your return home.

3. Book Flights On One Ticket

When booking your flights, try to book all legs of your journey on one ticket.

I know that many used to find cheaper options and book different legs with different airlines.

When I traveled during the pandemic this was a real no-no and could cause problems with your journey. I was advised to book all legs of the journey on one ticket.

There is less to go wrong this way. And with the restrictions, it is much easier to travel with the same airline for the whole journey.

With limited flight options at present, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. It’s going to cost you more, a further indication that flying has changed.

4. Cost of Flights and Limited Flight Routes

With fewer passengers and planes operating, the costs of flights are up. So don’t be surprised at the increased costs when you come to book your flights. You will need a bigger budget.

There will also be more limited flying options when it comes to planning your journey until airlines can get their schedules and staffing back to pre-pandemic levels. Many airlines are still running on a reduced service, sometimes one flight a day or every other day which is why I had such difficulty in getting a return flight home.

5. Wearing of Masks

If you have not flown in a while, know that you will be required to wear a mask during the flight and inside terminal buildings. You want to change these frequently depending on how long your flight time is. When I first traveled in 2020, we were advised to change masks at least every 4 hours.

You don’t need to wear full PPE like this. The first time I traveled in 2020 and again as recently as March 2022, I came across people fully covered up.

6. No Inflight Menus

I didn’t realize this until I was on the flight and was looking for the paper menu which was usually tucked in the seat in front. It was not to be found. Instead, I was directed to find this information online. Yes, you can get wifi on board most airlines to check this. Still, who wants to be fussing with all of that when you can hear the trolley making its way to you.

I don’t know if all airlines have ceased their paper menus, and have put their inflight menu online, but it makes sense that they would do so. You might want to check your airline before you fly. You don’t want to get flustered when they arrive asking if you want the chicken or fish — then seem irritated because they have to repeat the menu countless times as no one has bothered to check what it is.

Hopefully, they will add the inflight menu to the inflight guide system, this would make more sense.

7. Keeping Germs at Bay

Care packs that used to be given out which usually had a toothbrush, now also had a disinfectant wipe and sometimes a mask.

There was also a disinfectant wipe with the food tray.

It is a good idea to wipe down all your personal spaces, your food tray, and the inflight movie controls.

8. Be Prepared for Busy Terminals and Flights

As confidence grows, more passengers mean queues at check-in so arrive early. The departure lounges were crowded.

On board, my flights were full. Not a spare seat. This means there is always a queue for the toilet.

I usually find Changi Airport one of the most calming ones in the world. I have never seen it so busy as it was in June 2022. In all the 12 times I have transited there before, I have never experienced it like this.

Most of the stores and eating places in the airports were open when I traveled in June 2022 which is different from the near-empty terminal, during the outward journey recently in March 2022.

An indication of how quickly air traveling is moving.

9. Luggage Woes

We all worry about whether our bags will make it with us on the same flight. Now there is an added layer, sometimes the bags make it but there is no one to sort them. With stories of bags being left on conveyor belts or in arrivals halls, it is not a sight you want to be greeted with when disembarking. This means that you may have hours waiting to collect your bags or worse still have to make a return journey to the airport to collect your bags.

Thankfully mine arrived with me, and I did not have this happen but I have read many stories of those who have had such baggage problems.

10. Catching Covid On Board

This is a real worry for many. This happened to my friends who caught covid, after a flight home.

If you are going on a holiday abroad, this could be difficult and put paid to the holiday plans, adding challenges to the return trip home as well.

You will be in close confinement for the journey so it can happen.

So far, I have not caught covid despite traveling during the height of the pandemic and post-pandemic (she says touching wood superstitiously).

Why would anyone choose to fly this year?

There you have it, that is the low down of the changes I have come across with air travel. I don’t want to put you off flying, but you need to be aware that flying has changed.

I had to travel when I did. I would not have made those trips unless it had been necessary. It was not the flying experience I knew previously.

Many people are traveling to reunite with family, and I can understand their reasons for doing so.

Would I go on a holiday right now, probably not?

Let me know in the comments what you think of these air travel changes. If you have flown recently, please let me know any other changes you came across in the comments.

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