No, you (still) can’t bring fireworks. Yes, masks are required. 6 things to know if you haven’t been on a plane during pandemic
Heading to the airport this week for the first time since the pandemic began 15 months ago?
Air travel will look different in some key ways due to COVID-19, but in others its very similar to summer 2019 as vaccinations increase and travel restrictions ease across the country.
Travelers taking off for the long July Fourth holiday weekend will notice one thing the second they reach the airport curb: Crowds are back.
The number of people screened by the Transportation Security Administration at airports across the country has topped 2 million on 10 days in June, the first time that has happened since February 2020, and the numbers are expected to increase as the summer travel surge intensifies in July and August.
Travel volume fell below 100,000 passengers in the early months of the pandemic and didn’t top 1 million again until October.
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The spike in passengers means long lines are back from check in through the security checkpoint, and social distancing is mostly a distant dream at the gate, during boarding and deplaning and in baggage claim.
6 things rusty travelers need to know about flying July 4th weekend
♦ Check, recheck and triple check your reservation and flight status. Airlines still adjusting to the travel resurgence have been changing their flight schedules, sometimes with little notice, frustrating travelers with itinerary changes including a stop where there was none or vastly different departure times. Last-minute flight cancellations and delays have also been a problem due to a variety of factors, including staffing shortages and summer storms, so have a Plan B should your plans go awry. Can’t reach your airline via phone? Reach out to them on Twitter for a (typically) faster response.
Please hold: Airline customer service wait times skyrocket
♦ Brush up on TSA rules so officers don’t confiscate that giant bottle of sunscreen (or fireworks) and you don’t slow down the line.
The TSA has been using social media to remind fliers about prohibited items ahead of the holiday, including fireworks and knives.
Rusty travelers who have questions about whether they can bring a particular item to the airport, whether in a checked bag or carry on, can ask the TSA on Facebook or Twitter.
retailers, since the CDC updated its guidance for vaccinated Americans in May. But the federal mask mandate for transportation has been extended into September. Airlines allow passengers to briefly remove masks while eating or drinking but get ready for frequent reminders that they stay on at all other times. Flight attendants have had to become mask police.American and Southwest, have delayed the return of alcohol sales due to concerns about the role it plays plays in the rising number of unruly passenger incidents. Don’t even think about bringing your own.
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