Air travel
procedures. The 50-minute flight felt relaxed and very safe - although this was no doubt partly due to the rows of empty seats.
checked at the aircraft door and we were directed straight to our seats. Ryanair: The gate number, 105, was announced 50 minutes before the flight. With far fewer departing flights from Dublin and lots of empty gates, there were plenty of unoccupied seats nearby. Passengers were asked to queue to board and tickets were checked before boarding. However, everyone kept their distance and there was no bottleneck situation or sense that it was all a bit too busy and cramped. The cabin crew stopped us at the aircraft's door, to ensure social distancing whilst finding our seats. ONBOARD / THE FLIGHT
Ryanair: I had a window seat, with the middle and aisle seats unoccupied. The flight was relatively busy - around threequarters full - with the three rows ahead and behind me full. Surprisingly, there were no Covid-specific announcements or any guidance as to safety measures we needed to adhere to during the flight. Before take-off, a passenger in a window seat in the row opposite was on his mobile phone for a lenghty time, with his mask down below his chin. During the 55-minute flight the aisle remained mostly passenger free as a request to stay buckled during the duration was observed. Although busier and noisier than my outbound easyJet flight, the flying experience felt as safe, 'normal' and reassuring as it could be during these times. ARRIVAL
Easy Jet: Exiting the aircraft was swift, with social distancing protocols perfectly observed. Belfast International was neardeserted, with all shops, retail outlets and cafĂŠs, etc, shuttered, aside from a small WHSmith. The emptiness and lack of arriving planes and people felt a little eerie. From
There was no one staffing the checkin desk, which had a protective screen in place, with passengers able to walk straight through and down the jet bridge� disembarking to catching a bus to the city centre took less than 15 minutes. Ryanair: After landing at Gatwick we waited 15 minutes for a gate to become available. This was probably the tensest part of the flight, with people anxious to get off the plane. Once the aircraft door was open, several passengers started reaching for their luggage at the same time and gathering in the aisle. I had purposely chosen a forward seat near to the front exit door to avoid this and was one of the first off the plane. Passing through Gatwick was seamless, although the shuttle to South Terminal was crowded. There seems to be no measure in place to restrict the number of people boarding, which made the two-minute journey feel that much longer.
easyJet: I had pre-selected a window seat near the front of the aircraft. Both seats next to me were empty, as were the three rows immediately ahead, behind and opposite. I counted only around 25 passengers on the flight. Announcements were made regarding the requirement to wear a mask during the duration of the flight, which we could take off only whilst eating or drinking. We were told to stay in our seats and, if wanting to use the lavatory, wait until the vacant sign was lit before unbuckling our seat belts. Before take-off we were advised that, on landing, we should stay in our seats and not reach for our baggage until the people ahead of us had moved towards the exit door. A limited food and beverage service was served onboard. Cabin crew and passengers kept their masks on throughout and observed all social distancing
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