For as long as I can remember, I’ve been one of those rare creatures that enjoys being on a plane—especially a long plane ride that includes multiple movies, meals, and at least a few hours of sleep. That’s not because I enjoy sitting in an usually over-air conditioned space with not much room to move around in for hours on end, but because the end result—being somewhere totally different when we touch down—far outweighs the inconveniences of plane travel.
This year, when I didn’t step foot into an airport for nearly 10 months, I assumed I had largely forgotten my time-tested air travel rituals—and that my love for flying would be overshadowed by anxieties over social distancing, face masks, and constant hand sanitizing.
I was partially right: From the moment I stepped into the airport, everything felt different. I was flying to my hometown of Taipei for the rest of the year, and my journey included a 16-hour flight to Hong Kong, a five-hour layover, a two-hour flight to Taipei, and then 14 days of mandatory quarantine at home.
The check-in process
The JFK terminal I was flying out of was essentially empty aside from those on my flight, a late-night departure leaving around midnight. I arrived more than two hours before my flight took off, figuring that the COVID-19 paperwork and boarding process, plus a potential pre-holiday rush, would take longer than normal. There was one snafu I didn’t expect: I had to jump through a few extra hoops because my middle name didn’t appear on my COVID results (and therefore didn’t match perfectly with my passport name). I did feel that I was in good hands the entire time. Even though I was flying with Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong–based carrier, the boarding agents were intimately familiar with the rules in my final destination, Taiwan, to ensure that nobody would be turned away upon arrival.
Going through TSA at JFK
It wasn’t until I was approaching security an hour later, elated that I finally had my boarding pass in hand, that I realized that so many of the little steps of air travel that I had been so intimately familiar with completely escaped my mind. Though I had inputted my Known Traveler Number when I booked my flight, I neglected to confirm it was on the boarding pass that the airline printed, and therefore couldn't take advantage of TSA PreCheck. Thankfully, there was absolutely no line at security, but it was a pain to remove my shoes, jacket, and laptop.
I also didn’t realize I’d be asked multiple times to remove my face mask to confirm my identity—somewhat defeating the purpose of attempting not to touch your face once the face mask is on. And though I had been looking forward to going to a lounge and relaxing before my flight, all the lounges in my terminal were sadly closed.
A business class meal on Cathay Pacific
Courtesy Cathay Pacific AirwaysOn board the Cathay Pacific flight
On the plane itself, just about every passenger I saw was taking the protocols seriously. Face masks were required, but many also wore shields (as I did).
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December 18, 2020 at 09:10PM
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Long-Haul Flight: What It’s Like to Take a 16-Hour Flight During COVID-19 - Condé Nast Traveler
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