PPE on flight

[JFox]

What extra precautions have you taken for your flight? Additional masks, face shield, hazmat suit?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Just a face mask for us, worn properly and consistently. Delta has been EXCELLENT in ensuring all guests comply, and perhaps we've just been lucky but we've yet to see a Delta passenger with a mask below their nose or under their chin.

We carry our own sanitizer with us everywhere (not just when flying) and use it frequently. We wash our hands at every opportunity. We social distance. And we don't touch anything unless its necessary to do so.

 

[lilmc]

N95 mask with either safety goggles or face shield depending on the family member

 

[KellyKane]

N95 with a surgical mask over it to keep it "clean" for re-use.

 

[alliecat523]

I’ve only used a standard mask. The increase cleaning and air filtration makes things much safer. I think if people feel they need a hazmat suit then perhaps they should not be traveling.

Everyone needs to do what they feel is best.

 

[JFox]

Our NS flight was canceled so now we have 2 flights both ways. I'll have hand sanitizer & disinfecting wipes with us. We will not be eating on either flight.

 

[MrsBooch]

We double masked - cloth mask on top of a disposable mask. And I had my son wear a face shield.

I asked our doctor - she said as long as you can't see through the fibers of the mask when it's held up to light, you should be fine - the air on the flight when the airplane is flying is filtered but the air on the flight when people are boarding and getting off the plane is stale.

She also said she isn't really even sure if the face shield does anything - they're required to wear them at her hospital, and she said our son should just out of an abundance of caution - it doesn't HURT but it might not actually do anything.

We flew American - it was loaded like any other plane, they aren't doing anything to mitigate (i.e. loading from back to front so you aren't passing people by on the way to your seat) but I knew that going into it. We are traveling during a pandemic - and it is what it is.

 

[Kae]

Just a mask. And I did have a cocktail and a snack.

 

[Akck]

We’ve just had our regular masks on the flights we’ve taken, but we do wipe down anything we might touch (used to wipe down only trays before covid), and used hand sanitizer as needed. We have had snacks and drinks on flights. Since June, we’ve taken 3 trips with flights on 14 different planes. We’ve been negative on covid tests after returning home with each trip, so it is possible to be safe traveling.

 

[Avery&Todd]

We've worn N95 masks, and did not partake in drinks/snacks on the plane. I am also a plane germaphobe and have always wiped down the plane areas near me with wipes, so that practice was increased! We've been flying SW and the flights have not even been half full - and they now come around and collect your dirty wipes before take off which is nice!

I've seen folks with masks and face shields and/or googles or gloves - one lady I saw was wearing 2 different types of gloves (one was clear and one was purple and they didnt fit her) and then proceeded to touch everything and then her face UNDER her face shield..

 

[nkereina]

We just wore our regular masks and I carried a travel size pack of Clorox wipes in my carry on. I wiped down our entire row when we sat down. Our flight was so empty (60 out of 180-something seats) that there were very few people near us.

 

[easyas123]

We flew in June & October. Wore masks- just regular masks, and had sanitizer. Distanced as much as we could while in the terminal. Had no one in middle seat (there was two of us traveling) and used a wipe for areas around our individual seats, which is something I started doing a few years ago, so nothing new there.
When we in October it was WAY more crowded and a lot more folks in the terminal than in June, especially at BWI. We flew into Ft. Myers in June, it was dead. Orlando in October - it seemed about the same as 'normal times' to me then.
Considering flying at the end of January/beginning of February, first time without middle seats being blocked (on the carrier we would be using) and not terribly concerned about it, mostly because I'm hoping there won't be a full flight.
But I know there can be, and I'm willing to accept that if I choose to fly now.

 

[Cheburashka]

What extra precautions have you taken for your flight? Additional masks, face shield, hazmat suit?

The most dangerous time in the flight is boarding, because that takes a long time and there is no air filtration. We wait for our flights in a less-crowded area of the terminal, even if that means being a gate or two away from our flight. After our flight is announced, we don't rush forward to line up, but instead hang back, so we can be among the very last people boarding (always have assigned seats), and then go into a mostly prepared plane with few people walking past us. We also sit up front, to avoid being surrounded by too many people. We wear KN-95 masks and wipe down the high touch areas with wipes. We did the latter even before the pandemic.

 

[quandrea]

Haven’t flown yet but when I do, N95 mask, goggles and will wipe down the surrounding area (have always done this due to food allergies). Won’t consume food or drink while in plane.

 

[marinejjh]

We just wore our normal 2ply masks. No issues. Our family looks at it as the airline isn't wiping anything down between flights and we know they aren't changing the filters between flights, so the risk is no more than a grocery store trip. If people are more worried than that, you probably should travel. Keep in mind that Florida is very laced on mask requirements and you will find many in the airport that won't have them on once off a plane. I know many people that have work face shields and make all the time and have still gotten Covid.

 

[DVC-Don]

We wear both a mask and face shield in the terminal, on the plane and in the Uber/Lyft. When we get to where we are going we shower and change clothes. We also wipe down our seat area. Last trip (last week) we did not see anyone without a mask in Albany, NY and Orlando. There were only 48 passengers on our Southwest flight, plane could of held 120+.

 

[cjlong88]

We wear cloth masks. More importantly, we don’t touch our faces the moment we step in the airport. As soon as we are at our destination we beeline it for an empty bathroom and wash our hands for 30 seconds with hot water and, again, not touching our faces until we are safely in our hotel and can remove our masks from the ear loops, then washing our hands quickly thereafter.

A mask will only be effective if you also keep your hands from spreading whatever is around the plane all over your face! Your hands carry so many germs, which is why it’s important to wash your hands frequently (or at the very least hand sanitize) and to not touch your mask once it’s on.

We don’t wear gloves. Gloves would only be effective if, again, you don’t touch your skin or face while you have your gloves on, which most people seem to struggle with during prolonged mask wearing. As someone who now has to wear a mask 8 hours every day, I have no problem leaving an itch unscratched and have gotten very good at keeping my hands off of my face until they are properly washed.

If anything, a face shield on top of a mask might be good for people who struggle with eliminating face touching for long periods of time.

 

[charmed59]

I just wore a regular three layer cloth mask back in Oct/Nov on flights that were full. I did wipe down everything in sight. Now that the cases are over double they were then, and the more virulent strain of Covid has been found in Florida, I don’t feel safe flying at all.

 

[Moliphino]

I just wore a normal mask. The airlines I flew (Delta, American) handed out sanitizing wipes so passengers could wipe down their areas if they wanted to.

 

[hogie1]

Just a face mask for us, worn properly and consistently. Delta has been EXCELLENT in ensuring all guests comply, and perhaps we've just been lucky but we've yet to see a Delta passenger with a mask below their nose or under their chin.

We carry our own sanitizer with us everywhere (not just when flying) and use it frequently. We wash our hands at every opportunity. We social distance. And we don't touch anything unless its necessary to do so.

Gina is right. And hazmat suit would be too cumbersome, you would need self contained breathing and you do not want to know how much you sweat in one! I know first hand as a firefighter/hazmat tech!