Are you curious about what it's like during a flight? What should you take into account or not? Discover everything about flying during Corona
Many people consciously choose not to go on holiday by plane this year. The uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 virus means that people are on the safe side and prefer to stay at home. Or go on holiday by car instead of by plane. If you still have doubts about a flying holiday, read on quickly.
To get straight to the point:I just got back from vacation and I took the plane to see what has changed and what you should pay attention to. So you get this information first hand. I also made a film about it when I had just arrived at Schiphol, inside Schiphol, on the plane and when I had just landed (in Kos).
The most important thing is that you bring a face mask if you plan to travel by plane. You have to put on the mask the moment you enter Schiphol. You will also be addressed if you do not wear a mouth cap. Children from 6 years old are obliged to wear a mouth cap. Requirements are also set regarding the mouth cap. Wearing a homemade mouth cap can therefore cause problems.
Officially you can wear a mouth cap for a maximum of 4 hours and after that you have to exchange the mouth cap for a new one. It is therefore important to bring several mouth caps. Although I will honestly say that I just used one mouth cap during the entire trip.
You must also wear the mask during the entire flight. The only exception is while eating and drinking. Then you can take your mouth cap off. As soon as you are done you have to put the mouth cap back on. I did see that there were people who had pulled the mask down during the flight. Nothing was said about this. On the way back I also partly pulled my face mask down, as I was nauseous and just breathing freely gave me some relief (vomiting didn't seem an option to me either).
As mentioned, things are now very different from what you are used to. For example, it was not possible to check in online at TUI for the outward journey, but this was possible on the return journey. A TUI employee assured us that it was enough to be at the airport 2 hours in advance, I can tell you:that is by no means sufficient! There are far fewer counters open for check-in and check-in is all slow. So you lose a lot of time.
Quite honestly:we were at the airport more than 2.5 hours earlier and caught the plane 5 minutes after departure. That was only successful by going under a barrier and standing in line for people with a 1 e class and business ticket. It was all chaos. In front of me were two girls, who I fear did not make it to the plane. The airport staff also didn't know what to do. Some people were let in front (same flight), others had to follow the line (us). It is very unclear and chaotic. I therefore advise you to be present 3 hours in advance for flights within Europe.
Also keep in mind that most luggage (including hand luggage) can be taken with you in the hold. This is to prevent people from being unnecessarily in the aisle of the aircraft. On the plane itself you are only allowed to have a small bag with you. This must fit under the seat of the plane.
Don't forget your printed health form from the RIVM. This is necessary if you want to get on the plane. You can print and fill out this form in advance. We did not check this, but you must have it with you. In addition, different countries may have additional conditions.
For example, in Greece you have to fill in a passenger locator form. This must be done at least 24 hours before your departure, otherwise you will not be allowed into the country. On the basis of your form you will receive a QR code. You must have this code to hand, because it will be checked on arrival. This is also the moment when it is decided whether you should undergo a Corona test on site (at the airport itself).
You will be shown where you are in advance. On the way there it seemed as if many places on the plane would be free, but that turned out to be incorrect. The plane was just full. There was, however, an empty spot next to my son and a passenger next to it. On the way back there were some empty spots, but not very many. Moreover, we were able to take hand luggage in the hold, although we have decided against that.
Once you are on the plane, additional instructions will be passed on. For example, it is intended that you wear your face mask throughout the flight and that you only use the toilets in the back of the plane. In addition, the flight attendants and stewards only visit to a limited extent (1x with food and drinks to buy, 2x to pick up rubbish). If you need them in between, you can indicate this with the push of a button.
It is important to keep moving during a flight. However, this is a lot more difficult, because the intention is that you stay in your place as much as possible. So if you want exercise, I advise you to go to the toilet one extra time. You can also take off your mouth cap right there.
If you want to change your mouth cap, there are special bags in the airplane seats. These are only intended for depositing used mouth caps. Incidentally, the flight attendants and stewards also just walk around with mouth caps. In addition, they wear gloves.
Normally you can leave the plane as soon as possible. Now it is very different with all measures. Since I 'jumped' on board five minutes before departure, I don't know exactly how that happened. After landing, another flight had to disembark the passengers, then our flight was allowed to disembark.
On the return flight (arrival at Schiphol), the passengers were allowed to leave the aircraft in three rows. The numbers of the rows were announced. Since I was in the third back row on the return flight, I had to wait longer. In the meantime I have seen how the unloading of the suitcases is done (which also explains why my suitcase no longer looks the same after 1x travel!).
The measures differ per country. In Greece, after landing, before entering the airport, I had to put on my mask again (I took it off for a while after landing, when we walked outside). Upon arrival, customs and police were ready to scan the QR code. On the basis of this, you were either allowed to proceed directly to pack the suitcases or to a shielded room where a Corona test was taken. The QR code is not randomly given. You have to fill in on the form where you have been in the past two weeks. In addition, they also look at which country you come from. So I was able to continue without any problems.
As long as you are at the airport, you are obliged to wear the mask. In the open air this is not necessary (in Greece). Check the local rules before departure and after arrival, because most countries have (high) fines if you do not follow the rules.
It is therefore very possible to fly during Corona despite all the tightened measures. It is not really pleasant to wear a mouth cap for so long (from Schiphol to arrival at the destination airport), but you have to pay something for it if you want to go on holiday. Furthermore, you really have to take into account the fact that you spend much longer checking in and that extra checks (health forms) can take place.
Have you already flown during Corona or are you planning to?
