What it’s like to fly in 2021

The great news is that travel is becoming more and more part of our lives again! However, things definitely look a little different than they did before the pandemic and even more so since last year.

We recently flew with United Airlines from Wichita (ICT) to Phoenix (PHX) and overall had a pretty decent experience. The last time we flew was back in October of 2020 and there were a few major differences that we noticed.

Don’t forget to check out our video where we take you along on our travel day!

First off, Security

We noticed that there was alot more plexiglass installed than the last time we had flown to help keep the security staff safe.

Facemasks are still required while in the airport at all times, but they do ask you pull your mask down when they check your ID so that they can make sure it’s actually you. (Duh!)

The thing that was the most different that really surprised us was that Security didn’t make us take anything out of our bags.

This was especially shocking since we usually travel with a ton of camera and laptop equipment as well as snacks and travel liquids. They just had us put our backpacks in a bin by itself and they scanned the whole thing.

Honestly it made security super easy and I kinda have my fingers crossed that this is something that will stick for the permanent future.

You do still have to take shoes, belts, jackets, and etc. off to go through the scanners, but not having to completely empty my backpack was a nice touch!

Waiting for our Flight

Like I mentioned earlier, it is currently a federal law that facemasks are to to be worn at all times while on your flight and waiting in the airport. You CAN take it off while actively eating or drinking while stationary.

There were quite a few signs and announcements to reinforce this policy, but as far as staff, we didn’t experience a ton of intervention regarding this. We do encourage you to continue to follow the procedures put in place until restrictions have been lifted to avoid any scuffs with security or staff.

I did notice that the water fountains had opened up. Back in October, they had the bottle refill station open, but there was plastic wrap covering the fountains so that people could not use them. It’s good to know that they are starting to feel comfortable enough to open them up again.

There were also quite a few more restaurants open again (not that our airport has a ton to begin with). But it was really nice that there are a few more options for those that may have a longer layover.

Boarding and Deboarding

We flew United Airlines for this Trip and Southwest back in October and they did this pretty much the same both times. In order to help reduce crowding (on the already crowded) plane, they board first class first, then they board everyone else from back to front in groups of about 10 or so people.

I LOVE that they do this! Especially when it comes to deboarding. It always drove me nuts that people from the back of the plane would try to rush off before everyone else and it would just cause as big clog of people and take twice as long to exit the plane. This makes it feel much less cramped and people seemed to exit the plane much quicker.

Of course you will always have your rule breakers, but I hope this is something that they will continue to do even after Covid is done and over!

On Flight Experience

This was probably the part of our experience that was unfortunately not as great. Not terrible, just not awesome either.

United is now filling all seats, so we did end up sharing a seat with someone on one of our flights. We personally didn’t mind so much, but it you are someone who isn’t yet comfortable with that, it’s something to consider when choosing your airline. Every airline is going to have slightly different policies with this right now, so if you have questions, be sure to reach out to your airline.

They also were not providing snacks. They did have limited beverages but I was disappointed that they didn’t have snack available. Our layover ended up being really quick so we didn’t have time to grab something and get to our gate and we only had one granola bar in our bag and after 5 or so hours of flying I was one hangry girl!

The biggest tip here is to make sure you have snacks in your bag, even if you don’t think you will need them!

Something to note: We flew Frontier on our way home and they did not provide snacks OR beverages. You had to pay $5 if you wanted water….. so for sure make sure you at least have your own water bottle filled if you choose to fly with them.

I know this sounds a little negative and ranty, but as someone who sometimes gets really sick and nauseous from taking off and landing, those snacks and drinks really help me to feel a little relief. It isn’t the end of the world, and it truly wasn’t a terrible experience, but it’s great to keep in mind so that you are prepared beforehand if you are anything like me.

Overall Thoughts

We had a pretty decent experience and we are so excited to be getting back to travel! It’s truly starting to feel like things are slowly creeping back to ‘normal’ and it makes me look forward to the good things that we will take away from this experience the past year and a half.

We felt completely safe and there were very few times that I was concerned about my health and I encourage others to of course be safe, but go ahead and start thinking about your next adventure!

To see what our experience was like back in October, check out our video: