Pandemic flying: "Separating fact from fiction in airplane safety."

Apart from considerations about the personal health of my immediate family, my biggest COVID pandemic fear from Day One has been that my country will botch the response, with Americans awakening one morning to a new status as global epidemiological pariahs (you'd think being a worldwide political outlier would be sufficient).

And so we did, and now we are: US travelers 'unlikely' to be allowed into EU as bloc reopens, diplomats say.

Thanks, Trumphole.

Live in a superstitious country without brains, as we definitely do, and pay the consequences of not being able to glimpse civilization elsewhere now and then. It's all I've ever asked, and now it's gone, albeit temporarily.

When the time to fly away comes again, as it will, here are a few thoughts from Scott's Cheap Flights about pandemic airways reality. I'm not afraid of flying, but would prefer being able to leave the plane once we arrive.

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Advice From Scott: The myth of “recirculated air” on planes

Separating fact from fiction in airplane safety to answer the question: During a pandemic, just how risky is it to get on a plane?

👃 Myth #1: There’s no fresh air on airplanes.

When you’re in an airplane at 30,000 feet, many people assume there’s no fresh air. Understandable thought, but it’s not true! Airplanes aren’t hermetically sealed environments. During a flight, fresh air from outside the plane is being continuously circulated into the cabin through complex vents in the engines.

✈️ Myth #2: Cabin air is “stale.”

In addition to bringing in fresh air from the outside, planes have hospital-grade air filters to purify the air onboard. These High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters cycle the air every few minutes, capturing 99.97% of airborne particles. Because of these onboard filters, researchers have found that airplane air is as clean or cleaner than the air in offices, schools, and other indoor settings.

🤒 Myth #3: There’s no chance of getting sick on a plane.

Though fresh air and filters help, you’ll still be sharing an indoor space with quite a few people for an extended period of time. If a sick person sitting next to you coughs, fresh air and HEPA filters aren’t great armor.

Planes, like most places, will never be 100% safe.

Because the risk of infection on a plane isn’t zero, precautions are prudent. Bring hand sanitizer (TSA is allowing up to 12oz in your carry-on) and disinfectant wipes for your seat armrests and table. Sure, the airlines are wiping them down already, but what’s the harm in wiping twice?

💺 Myth #4: Planes are superspreaders.

Dr. Joseph Allen, a Harvard professor and leading infectious disease expert who has studied infectious disease and airplanes for years, wrote recently:

“Billions of people travel by plane every year. [...] If planes made you sick, we would expect to see millions of people sick every year attributable to flights. We haven’t seen it because it’s just not happening.”

Indeed, millions of people have flown since the coronavirus pandemic began, and there’s only been one documented case where someone transmitted covid-19 to two or more other passengers. It’s telling that 2/3 of epidemiologists surveyed by the New York Times said they’d be comfortable getting on a plane in the next 12 months.

😷 Fact #1: Masks are really important.

Per Dr. Allen, a 2008 study found that wearing masks on an airplane "reduced the incidence of infection another 10-fold.”

Though nowadays almost all airlines require masks to board, some have been lax about enforcement during the actual flight. Thankfully, that’s starting to change; United and American Airlines have announced new policies threatening to ban travelers who refuse to wear a mask from future flights.

To quote RCMelic: No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no fly.

🙃 Fact #2: Travel should be fun.

Even with airplane myths debunked, many people still aren’t comfortable flying right now, and that’s a decision I respect 100%. Vacations should be fun, not stressful. Paris and Palm Springs aren’t going anywhere.

None of this is to say everyone should hop on a plane tomorrow. It’s a personal decision. My hope is that knowing more about airplane safety will be reassuring as people begin assessing when they’ll feel safe and comfortable traveling again.

Just been there and done that: "The Consequences of Airplane Classism."

At 6' 4" and a few too many pounds, lemme tell you: Steerage class never, ever was comfortable.

As this article suggests, the inexorable lessening of space in back, when coupled with constant reminders of how humane conditions are available only for those who pay extra, is leading to a phenomenon called air rage.

In my view, it is a form of rage that needs to extend beyond the cabin, to the ground. Feel the Bern, people.

The Consequences of Airplane Classism, by Tanvi Misra (City Lab)

The mere presence of a first-class cabin can “trigger antisocial behavior” in passengers, a new study finds.

 ... Airplane inequality is enough to make anyone a little grumpy. But according to a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it can also predict “air rage”—instances when passengers act out aggressively, become abusive to staff or fellow passengers, or endanger flight safety. According to the study’s authors, Katherine DeCelles of the University of Toronto and Michael Norton of Harvard University, such instances take place usually in the economy section, and are are far more common on flights with a first class than without. They are also much more likely, both among economy and first class passengers, if everyone boards the plane from the front as opposed to the middle. Here is how the researchers put it in the paper:

Although virtually no empirical research examines the antecedents of this hazardous and increasingly common phenomenon, popular explanations for air rage include crowded planes, frustrating delays, and shrinking seats. We advance an alternative view: The modern airplane reflects a social microcosm of class-based society, making inequality salient to passengers through both the physical design of the plane (the presence of a first class cabin) and, more subtly, the boarding procedure (whether economy passengers must pass through the first class cabin).

Estonia Spring Break 2016: Day One, and the joys of steerage class.

(As is my custom when posting trip summaries, I'm backdating them to the actual day of occurrence)

TUESDAY

Given that we haven't traveled as often in recent years, perhaps I failed to appreciate the duration of the commute from Louisville to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. For more on the contemporary thrill of flying: Just been there and done that: "The Consequences of Airplane Classism."

Tuesday, April 26

Delta 2490
Depart Louisville, Kentucky 2:12 pm
Arrive Atlanta, Georgia 3:45 pm

Delta 72
Deaprt Atlanta, Georgia 5:40 pm
Arrive Amsterdam Netherlands 8:30 am on April 27

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 2843 (Operated by Air Baltic Corporation AS)
Depart Amsterdam 10:00 am
Arrive Tallinn 1:20 pm

It's the extra leg that drains. The time difference between Louisville and Tallinn is seven hours, so the three flights (with brief layovers) took about 16.5 hours, allowing for the last flight being a bit late.

Short version: Estonia is quite far away from here.

Estonia (Estonian: Eesti [ˈeːsti]), officially the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Vabariik), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia (338.6 km). Across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north. The territory of Estonia consists of a mainland and 2,222 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea, covering 45,339 km2 (17,505 sq mi) of land, and is influenced by a humid continental climate.

Steerage class occupants have few tricks at their disposal, but here's one: To avoid being fed last on flights where meals as yet are included, make a special dietary request in advance. Our lactose-free vegetarian curry was good, and those making special requests usually get food before the carts make their rounds.

Tomorrow (Day Two), I'll pick up the thread in Tallinn, with an orientation walk through the Old Town.