I ended up going on three trips in the fall of 2020, which worked out to 9 flights total. While travel is an odd topic at the moment, I realize that I am one of the (relative) few people that can share what it's like to actually be at an airport or on a plane right now. If you're considering traveling soon, or just curious about what it's like, here's what you can expect right now.
There aren't many people at KCI, but it sure does feel like there is.
In a nearly empty airport, KCI has consolidated into a narrow arrangement of gates. While there may only be a few flights leaving each hour, the flights are positioned in side-by-side gates, so expect a crowd. You can minimize your exposure by limiting the time you arrive before a flight, and skipping the before-flight visit to the in-terminal Starbucks.
Be prepared to wear a mask for a really long time.
Really. From the moment you arrive at the airport to the point you exit airport property at your final destination, you will be (and should be) in a mask. Wearing a mask is required in the KCI airport at all times, unless you are eating and drinking or seated at a dining establishment. You'll be expected to follow the same rules on the plane, too, and they'll be very heavily enforced on the aircraft.
You're going to get very dehydrated.
There's no way around it. Even if you duck into one of the many empty halls of Kansas City's airport to hydrate until you're blue and swishy, wearing a mask for hours on end is going to keep you from drinking an appropriate amount of water. Whether it's caution or annoyance, you're likely to take very few mask-down water breaks once on the plane. Try to hydrate as much as possible before arriving at the airport, and have water handy for when you arrive at your destination.
You're not going to get the same perks & service you're used to.
I can only speak from my experience on Southwest, but services have been reduced to minimize the amount of contact attendants have with travelers and routines have changed to create more space. It no longer matters if you're A21 or A29; boarding happens 10 people at a time, and there's no system to anything between 0 and 9, so just roll with it. Alcoholic beverages are not offered right now. Travelers are offered a water cup and a snack with no option to buy upgrades.
You may have to roam around a bit.
While the traveling mindset sets us up to sit next to strangers and deal with crowds, right now, we all want as little of that as possible. Most are gathering near restaurants and the in-terminal Starbucks, so you may need to walk around the airport to find empty areas where you can spread out. At the very least, be willing to move when someone sits right next to you and unmasks to eat their takeout (yes, that does happen).
Flights aren't half empty anymore.
On our first two trips, middle seats were guaranteed to be open, and the flights had low occupancy as a whole. Middle seats are now for sale and our last flight, a connection from Chicago Midway to Kansas City, was completely sold out. We sat next to a stranger for the first time since February, and it was a mental adjustment. Fortunately, this stranger followed all rules and stayed in his area. Because of this, though, we've gotten in the routine of refusing the provided snacks and water. Snack time is essentially a mass unmasking and poses the most risk of any other time on the plane.
Flight attendants might be snippy.
Wouldn't you? They are going through a lot. They have more steps to complete between flights with no extra time. They are worried about their health but need to work. They're worried about layoffs that may happen if they can't execute the new standards and help travelers feel safe. Be extremely nice. Do whatever they ask the first time they ask you to do it.
Airports may not have as many amenities as you remember.
With lowered capacity, many restaurants and bars are completely closed or only open limited hours. The Kansas City airport isn't known for its hours of fine dining and entertainment (come talk to us in 2022), but if you end up needing to kill a few hours on a delay or layover, be prepared to do that with a book in a quiet corner. Even major airports have significant closures and limited offerings.
Everything will gross you out more than it ever did before.
Hand rails, security bins, boarding pass kiosks...all of it has been touched thousands of times, and, while we always knew that was gross, it now has the added layer of potentially being laced with lingering covid-19 germs from a careless person. We do our best to touch as little as possible, and I keep a travel-size hand sanitizer on me at all times. When we traveled with our kids, I carried a full pack of wipes so I could completely wipe both sides of their hands and arms whenever needed.
There will be people who care less about the rules and the virus than you do.
For whatever reason, there are still people who don't see the risk. They're just there, taking advantage of the cheap rates, acting like everything is normal. There are people who will hold food or a beverage in a waiting area as an excuse to have their mask off. There are also several chin- or nose-out wearers. I saw one man wearing a single square of fabric strapped over his mouth, loosely flapping around as he talked. There are a lot of large extended family groups traveling while the rates are low and being a little careless to how their group impacts the people around them. For whatever reason, they feel extra secure in their family bubble and feel like they can unmask while they are sitting within their group. They also don't seem to mind pulling down their masks and shouting over others in line or crowding too close to other parties. Fortunately, you can move away from anyone acting this way and all this nonsense comes to a halt on the plane. It is a requirement to wear a proper mask (not an interpretive rendition of a face covering) to board and travel on the plane. Anyone not wearing a proper mask will be denied entry, and flight attendants are very diligent about making sure travelers keep them on during travel.
What else do you want to know? Feel free to drop a comment on instagram to get any additional questions answered. Stay safe!