Air Travel in India during the peak of a pandemic. 5 things to keep in mind.
Note: If you are short on time and want to quickly read the pointers, scroll a bit down and read what’s in bold. But if you can invest a couple more minutes on your safety, do read the full thing.
Now who would’ve thought the first travel experience that I’ll be writing about will be about domestic air travel?
I didn’t. You also probably didn’t, because I believe you’ve better things to do in life. You don’t? It’s okay, I feel you. Those of you who don’t know me yet, I’m the alter-ego-inner-self-thingy who is judging everything that my main self writes. I come and go once in a while, adding valuable thoughts to an otherwise mediocre write-up. I’m characterised by italicised text with a little bar on the left.
Since a lot of you are curious to know what it’s like to travel during the peak of a pandemic, I’ll cut the crap and be concise this time (I value that extra 2 minutes of yours which you can now spend scrolling endlessly on your favourite social media). Before I begin, let me give you a little context here.
I travelled from Mumbai to Cochin on 17th July, the day India hit 1 million COVID-19 cases. Though we’re still yet to hit the peak, 1 million seemed like a good enough milestone for me to call it ‘peak’ in the title (I don’t believe in clickbait-y titles at all). And if you’ve read any of my previous blogs on the topic, you may know that I tested positive.
Since my flatmate from Mumbai tested negative and I had not come in contact with anyone post reaching Kerala, we can safely assume that I contracted the virus during air travel. Before you cancel that plan of yours to travel, let me clear the air here. Air travel now is safe and systemic (TnC applied). If you got a reason to travel, do so. But keep in mind that you cannot completely eliminate the risk however careful you may be.
That being said, let me walk you through what you should keep in mind while travelling. My own experience will be used as a context to convey the messages I have.
Why can’t I just give the pointers without writing an elaborate story? Well, 1. Context makes it much more easier to consume content 2. You should be looking at travel guidelines if you just wanted pointers and 3. If you need 3 reasons, you better skip the rest of the content and read just the pointers. I’ve used big bold letters to make it easier for you. No offence to you, wonderful person.
If you are willing to travel at this time, then you are doing so for either of these two reasons – essential or emotional. The Essentials travel because they have to and the Emotionals travel because they want to – maybe to reunite with family or because you’re tired of eating shitty food. In any case..
Thing No. 0 – Think and make sure you want to travel. If yes, be willing to take the risk, however less it may be.
You are probably reading this because you’ve already made up your mind to travel. So let’s jump straight to the first thing to keep in mind.
Thing No.1 – Be aware of the latest air-travel guidelines followed by the state you are travelling to (and from)
Most airlines provide the updated information on their website or you’ll be notified once you book your tickets. But it’s better you are aware even before you book your tickets. Being an airline-neutral gentleman, I’m linking the guidelines given by the official website of the Airport Authority of India.
State-wise air travel guidelines (updated as of 30th July)
Being aware of this will help you avoid bumping into any unexpected situations. For travel to Kerala, I had to procure an e-Pass from the state notifying them of my travel details so that they can trace me in case things go south (ah well, it went south).
Thing No.2 – Book a flexible flight ticket (you are allowed one free reschedule)
With the amount of uncertainty in the air (3-way pun intended), it’s worth shelling out an extra 500 bucks to book a flexible flight ticket. Yes, it shouldn’t cost more than 500. It’s much better than going through the hassle of rebooking or waiting for refund in case you’re not able to travel as planned.
I would’ve said “watch one less movie” or “have 1 less shot at the bar” for investing in a flexible flight ticket (the same logic our smart landlord used on us to negotiate the rent up). Alas, times are different but I wanted to insert it anyway.
Thing No.3 – Don’t forget to web check-in, reach on time and carry at least a couple pairs of gloves and mask
You should have been doing web-check in even before the pandemic hit. Now that it’s mandatory, you have to. I did my web-check in a day prior and took a window seat close to the wing (the aerospace engineer in me likes to see those spoilers and flaps and slats dancing around – reminiscent of a bygone era).
I can’t stress this enough but carry at least 2–3 pairs of gloves and masks for different legs of your travel. I wore one to the airport, disposed it and changed to a different one post security check in, and another one post landing. There’s no rule of thumb here. Just carry enough to change it if you feel you need to. Not to mention, there’s always the chance of wear and tear.
I reached 2 hours in advance (I generally do, even otherwise since I like to chill a bit in the lounge – yes lounges are open and well sanitised). The only time when I had to take off my mask was for a second or two for face recognition. Things were pretty smooth. I dropped off my luggage at the counter (which was glass-sealed) and proceeded onto security check.
Thing No. 4 – Carry your own packaged food and water in case you are not comfortable using the lounge
From the moment you leave for the airport till you reach your destination, you won’t get food. I was curious to know how lounges work during the pandemic and hence used the lounge. Lounge protocol was impressive. My bag was sanitised using a spray-thing before I entered the lounge. People were practising sufficient social distancing, and it was frequently getting cleaned. There was no buffet but they give you well packed warm meals. I got some idli, sambar, chutney and omelette and sat there watching flights take off and land. So, be sure to definitely have enough water with you and food, if required. Even if you get a chance to buy food during travel, it’s better you don’t.
Before boarding, you are given face shield which has to be kept on till you land (and preferably even post landing). The rest of the flight experience is regular except for the fact that you are welcomed by Hazmat-clad air-hostesses and that every alternate seat is empty.
Thing No. 5 – Make arrangements for your ride home from the airport well in advance
This seems to be a no-brainier but the reason why I want to stress this is because the less the time you spend at the airport, the better. Now there are multiple options for this depending on the state you are travelling to:
- Book a pre-paid taxi from the airport – Not bad, but you may have to go to the counter where there will be more people
- Book a cab in advance using some aggregator – This is what I did. Makemytrip had the option for me to book a cab which would come pick me up at the airport and drop me wherever. This option is slightly cheaper than 1. Also since it was a 3.5 hour ride home, I preferred this.
- Your friends/ family comes to pick you up – Not advised, since there’s a chance of you passing on the virus to them, in case you got infected during the travel
My flight landed on time and by the time I reached the baggage belt, I got a call from my cab driver informing me that he has arrived to pick me up. Post baggage collection, I proceeded to the exit where I had to show my e-pass (Kerala has a mandatory e-pass policy) and was thermal screened. That’s it. In 3 hours, I was home to begin my 14 day quarantine (blog coming up soon).
I know I promised this wouldn’t sound like an instruction blog, but I didn’t want the point to be lost in translation. Let me make this clear again, taking all the precautions given above is still not a guarantee that you won’t contract the virus during travel (as I’ve rightly proven to you). But these would minimise the risk to a large extend.
Air travel is, was and will be an unavoidable for many of us. Huge respect again for all the on-ground staff risking their lives for us. Let’s hope the airline industry gets through this crisis and that we’ll all soon be able to fly again away from our regular lives whenever we choose to.
“Whenever we choose to?!” Remember all those cancelled travel plans? Don’t get too hopeful now and blame it on the pandemic. Anyway, guess I’ll see you again in 3…2...1…
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