Unfortunately, the year 2020 has been the worst for all those who loved or had to travel. Many airlines went bankrupt as well as other travel companies. It was the first year when we didn’t travel at all until now. Recently, some flights have resumed and some restrictions eased. However, we can never be sure if that doesn’t change in the near future. In this post I will describe what it’s like to fly during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. I also want to add that the flight I took was not for leisure or vacation.

Public transport during the pandemic

The flight I took was from Dublin, Ireland to Krakow, Poland. Of course, in other countries the rules and restrictions may differ - what I am describing here is just my own experience.

I took a public bus to get to the airport in Dublin - the buses ran as normal, however, at that time, the number of seats was limited by half. There was a noticeable change in the number of passengers - normally the bus would have been full in the summer afternoon, this time was nearly empty. Although the use of masks was mandatory on all public transport services, on the particular bus I took, the driver didn’t enforce it and a few passengers got in without wearing any face covering. The journey was quicker than usual as the traffic was slightly lighter due to the fact that fewer people traveled by bus.

Arrival at the airport

If it hadn’t been for the face coverings and half of the seats covered with yellow signs warning not to sit, I would have thought everything was normal. With only one exception - the number of people around. When I arrived at the airport, I was the only passenger getting off the bus. Entering the airport was very smooth and quick - I thought there would be some temperature checks or additional security measures implemented, however, none of the above was present at Dublin airport.

Inside, what I saw was what we all would have dreamed about while flying during “normal” times - the interior of the airport was completely empty - no queues at the check-in counters, no queues for the security check. But at this time that view didn’t make me happy at all - the airport looked as if taken straight of a ghost town - I had never seen anything like that. Most of the coffee shops were completely shut down at the arrival area - same with the tourist information point and the car hire companies.

Tourist Information and car rental companies closed

Security check, boarding and the flight

Even though I arrived at the airport quite early as I had expected some heavier security control/checks, all was as normal. The only difference was the mandatory 2 meters (6 ft.) distance between people. However, it was not respected too much. The security check went extremely fast and smooth - due to the low number of passengers. The screens showing departures displayed only a few flights scheduled for the day - probably 10% of the normal schedule.

Nearly all fast food restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores and other small souvenir stores were closed down. It was a pretty sad sight. Only a pharmacy and several larger perfume stores remained opened. They were all surely making a loss.

Before the security check point, approximately 99% of the passengers wore face masks (it was mandatory). At the boarding gates, way fewer people obeyed that rule. I didn’t see anyone enforcing it either.

The boarding was extremely fast - all passengers were on board the plane before the schedule boarding time and we also took off a few minutes earlier. The plane was filled by approximately 75% of its capacity - there were some free seats but it wasn’t empty. The in-flight safety demonstration was exactly the same as usual - there was only one mention stating that all passengers above 2 years of age should wear face masks. The only exception was for those suffering from asthma. Most of the people kept their masks on, but not everyone and not at all times.

The food services were limited - no hot drinks or dishes. Only snacks. The flight was smooth and we landed 20 minutes before the scheduled landing time.

The things were slightly different after the arrival in Krakow, Poland. The restrictions were slightly more serious here with the exception of the 2 meter (6 ft.) distance between people which no one respected while waiting in the queue to go through the passport control.

In Krakow, only the passengers carrying a boarding pass were allowed to enter the airport, unlike in Dublin where everyone was free to go in. Also, the temperature checks and face coverings were mandatory for everyone inside the airport. Other than that, the airport looked as sad as it was in Dublin, very quiet and nearly all shops closed down.

Overall, the most ironic thing is that during those times, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons, flying was way more smoother and more comfortable than usual. Nevertheless, the feeling that something wasn’t right was stuck with me at all times.