As I’m sure everyone knows, we are living through a worldwide pandemic right now. We are all being advised to stay home and avoid contact with the outside world as much as possible. This is, of course, great advise that we should all take. The question arises: what if you can’t stay home? What if, for one reason or another, you must travel internationally during this frightening time?
Unfortunately, I can answer that question. I had to travel from northern Italy to Florida, in the midst of the pandemic. It was truly scary and confusing. If my experiences can shed some light on what it is like to travel through a pandemic and help someone be more prepared for us to come, then it will be a little more worth it. I am no expert, I can simply offer my own experiences.
First, I’ll answer the big question: WHY? . As you read this, I am sure you are wondering why someone would travel internationally at this time. My husband is stationed in Italy, and I am in the process of moving to be with him. There are many steps to officially move to Italy. I was in Italy on a passport (you can visit Italy for up to 90 days at a time from the USA on a passport) and nearing the end of my 90 days allowed. I kept hoping that the virus would improve over time, but that did not happen. I had to book a flight back to America to avoid overstaying my legal limit in Italy.
At a time like this, there are not very many flights and the flights that exist are extremely expensive. Originally my husband and I were trying to find flights that had connections that were not in New York. We both really wanted to avoid me having to go through New York while it was the epicenter of the virus. After days of searching, we finally found a flight that would take me to an airport that was drivable from my Florida home without stopping in New York. We were so excited to have found a ticket that was reasonably priced and would help me to stay safer.
On the morning of my first flight (I was to have an over night layover in Rome before flying back to the States) I was prepping my last minute flight materials and checked my flight information on my phone for the thousandth time, but my flights had been cancelled! My flight for that day from Venice to Rome was still going, but my two flights for the next day were both cancelled.
I immediately panicked and called my husband at work. We worked together to call both airlines I was flying with and the hotel I was supposed to stay at that night in the airport. My flight that was still scheduled for that day with Alitalia was easily rescheduled. Once we were able to get through on the phone they were really great about working with us to change the flight to the following week. It turns out my original flights were cancelled, not due to flight regulations, but simply because there were not enough passengers booked on the flight. It took a long time to get through on phone calls and the website, but I was finally able to change my cancelled flights to the same flight for the following week. I sent the hotel an email and they were completely understanding of the circumstances and willing to move my reservation.
I was so glad the hotel worked with us! I purchased insurance on my flight tickets in case anything happened, but my hotel did not have any such policy. It is the only hotel I was able to stay in during this time, because it is located in the airport. I was so grateful to not have to leave the airport at all.
We spent the next week enjoying our bonus days together and checking my flight status daily. My family had already rearranged their schedules to pick me up for the first flight and again for this flight. On the Saturday before my Monday flight, the same flights were cancelled again. Now I was REALLY panicking. There were no more similar flights through this airline. In fact, to rebook on another flight with this airline it would cost me an additional $3000! I did not have to pay a rebooking fee, but I did have to pay any price difference and their prices had skyrocketed.
I started scouring Google Flights and Skyscanner to find another flight for Tuesday from Rome that would get me somewhere within driving distance to my home in Florida. I was almost certain that my flight from Venice to Rome and my hotel would not let me reschedule AGAIN- which is understandable.
After hours of searching I found a flight that was relatively affordable (slightly more than i would typically pay, but not by THOUSANDS of dollars). I booked the new tickets (through a different airline). Now I would have to fly through New York. As frightened as I was to go through the epicenter of the virus, there was really no other choice at this point.
Monday morning came and I checked my flights nervously. They were still on schedule. I was so joyful to see that I was able to check in for all of my flights. Being able to check in made me feel more secure that they would not be cancelled mid trip.
The hour long drive from our home to the airport in Venice was eerie. There were almost no other cars on the road. There were semi trucks carrying supplies, but virtually no cars. I had to ride in the back seat of the car, per current Italian rules. Riding in the back seat of my husband’s car felt very strange, especially for such a long drive.
The airport parking lot was empty. We said our goodbye’s at the car (for the first time ever), he was not allowed to go into the airport. My flight was the ONLY flight leaving that day from the Venice airport. If you have ever been to the Venice airport, you know how strange this is. The typically lively and hectic airport was empty.
I arrived many hours early out of fear of being pulled over on the drive or any issues getting through security. After 2 cancelled flights in a week, I was taking no chances. When I entered the airport, the security lanes were not open. Nobody was working at them yet. That was the strangest sight of the trip. I have never seen such empty airport security lanes.
Eventually, about an hour before we began boarding, they opened the security lanes. I had to fill out a declaration form. This just stated who I am, where I am traveling from, where I am traveling to, and why I am traveling. I knew I was not doing anything wrong, but I was very nervous at this point. I could barely fill in the form, my hands were shaking so much. I waited in the line of less than 20 people and turned in my form. The officer read it over and let me through immediately, I had nothing to worry about. The next step was a temperature screening. I had not been sick at all, but again I felt unexplainably nervous. I felt like I was getting hotter by the second! They took my temperature and once again I made it through with no issues.
There were no stores open, no restaurants open, very few bathrooms open. It was a ghost town. I found a seat at my gate that was not near anyone and waited for boarding. I was pleased to see everyone wearing masks and wearing them appropriately. Some had gloves, some did not. The flight was short and uneventful. There were no snacks and drinks served, but it was barely an hour long flight, so that is to be expected.
When I arrived in Rome it was the same process as boarding in Venice. The ground was marked with places to stand so everyone kept their distance. I filled in another form that was almost identical to the form in Venice. After I turned in my form and they checked my passport, I went through a thermal body scanner. They did not come up to me with a thermometer, I stayed on a line and the scanner checked my temperature and then I went through.
Finding the hotel was very easy. I asked someone at the airport desk which way it was and they were very helpful. I found the correct floor and made my way to the hotel. It was a long walk, but there were plenty of signs to help me find my way. Check in was a breeze and I was able to order food to my room. I was so thankful for this room and that they were still serving room service in this difficult time. The food was actually very tasty! It was much better than I expected for the hotel inside the airport. The room was the perfect size for a quick one night stay and it smelled clean.
In the morning I had breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and made my way back into the airport. This was just as simple as the night before. More forms, temperature screenings, and airport security followed. I felt instantly better when I boarded my flight. It was a direct flight to the US, which would help me be able to communicate more easily if there were another delay or issue. My nerves about contracting the Corona Virus were eased when I saw how empty the plane was. I was in a row by myself. All of the passengers were spread out really well. Passengers were also required to wear face masks for the ENTIRE 9 hour flight. This of course got annoying, but it made me feel so much safer. I commend Alitalia for taking this pandemic so seriously and doing it’s best to keep passengers safe. If a passenger took off the mask or moved it off of their nose and/or mouth at any point the flight attendants asked them to put it back. There was one family who frequently needed reminders of the rules. The dad kept moving his mask. However, the flight attendants did an excellent job reminding the family of the rules. The only exceptions to the mask rule were when you were eating and drinking. There was limited food and beverage service on the flight.
We had meals and a few snacks, but there were not options of different snacks and meals (unless you needed vegetarian meals). They only served water, no beverages for purchase. These were necessary accommodations to cut down on the amount of interactions with flight attendants and passengers. I was disappointed that I could not order a glass of wine to calm my nerves after all of the stress!
I landed in New York and had to fill out yet another form and have my temperature taken. I noticed an immediate difference in the atmosphere in New York from that of Venice and Rome. In Italy, I had not seen anyone not wearing a mask appropriately. For two days in two airports in two cities, every single person I saw was wearing a mask correctly and respecting distances. During my layover in New York, which at this point had more cases than most other places in the world, I was shocked by what I saw. About 50% of people were not wearing a mask. These people also seemed unconcerned about their distance from others. The people who were wearing masks were not wearing them correctly. Almost nobody had the mask covering their nose. Of course it’s difficult to breathe with your nose covered, but it does NO good to have a mask if your nose is hanging out. There were quite a few people who were just wearing the mask on their chin, not covering their mouth and nose, or leaving it hanging off of one ear so they could talk. I was the most surprised by employees of various airlines walking around the airport with no masks. I just kept my distance from everyone and used lots of hand sanitizer when I took off my gloves to use my phone.
The flight from New York to Florida was speedy and easy. There were many people who took off their masks on the flight, but I felt more calm because once again, everyone was spread out. They brought one snack choice and one drink choice for everyone.
I landed in Florida and was SO glad to be finished flying and stressing about if a flight would be cancelled. I turned in my last declaration form and was surprised to see there were no temperature checks. I made my way to a secluded seating area to wait for my family to pick me up.
The trip went very well once I found tickets that were not cancelled. I would not recommend flying at all , especially internationally, right now unless it is necessary. If you find yourself flying during a pandemic my best advise is: buy travel insurance if it is available, take steps to protect yourself, because many others will not do the same, and BRING A PEN. None of the desks with declaration forms had pens, so if you don’t have one you will be borrowing lots of pens. Stay safe out there!
Ashley in Wonderland 