Vacationing in times of Covid

[Js1 85439]

4 minutes ago, utee94 said:

In July I'll be on my first international flight since 2019, so this news gruntles me.

I have end of August so same 

[Brisketexan 105161]

9 minutes ago, midtown said:

Over the last 3 years I've spent well over $500 and hours getting tested to inbound from varies locations.  It was understandable for a while but it stop making sense over a year ago.

Looks like it will drop midnight Sunday and be reevaluated in 90 days.    Sucks for anyone flying home this wknd.  

Well, at least one of us will get to skip that headache.  The boy had to do it when he came home, we lost fucking TWO HOURS getting it done at our hotel in Mexico a couple of weeks ago, but the girl doesn't fly home for a couple of weeks yet, so, yay....1 for 4 on getting to skip it.

It's long since been time to pull that requirement -- damn near everyone else has.

[texasdago 7575]

Woot woot!!!!!!! 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19120]

1 hour ago, midtown said:

Looks like the idiots in Washington are about to come to their senses and pull the inbound testing requirement.   About damn time

 

 

[Brisketexan 105161]

Per an old friend who works ground crew at ABIA, there was a COVID case with air traffic control, and they are doing a required "deep cleaning" of the tower, so there will be ATC delays going in and out of ABIA the rest of the day.

[4th&Five 41565]

Anyone flown on Lufthansa lately? I just checked in for my flight to Frankfurt from AUS tomorrow and it said they still require an N95. I’m wondering if this is actually the case. 

[utee94 15835]

I'm flying to New Orleans tomorrow, first time flying since 2019.

There are no mask requirements on domestic flights now, correct?  And also, none in the airports?

And for anyone that knows New Orleans recently, any masking or other requirements in that city?

 

 

[After irth 1243]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

I'm flying to New Orleans tomorrow, first time flying since 2019.

There are no mask requirements on domestic flights now, correct?  And also, none in the airports?

And for anyone that knows New Orleans recently, any masking or other requirements in that city?

 

 

Nope. All clear. Go nuts.

[midtown 3346]

I would keep a mask or two around but nothing on domestic flights and no airports I've been in since the revocation. We were actually notified upon boarding our flight to Belize that PGIA required them. But when going back a few weeks ago zero use in the airport.

I guess it's possible that some airports are under the control of the local municipality and could still require masks but yet to hear anything like that.


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[Chewbacca 7780]

3 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

Anyone flown on Lufthansa lately? I just checked in for my flight to Frankfurt from AUS tomorrow and it said they still require an N95. I’m wondering if this is actually the case. 

Air Canada still requires masks, but not N95s.  I wouldn't know where to find an N95 on short notice.

[utee94 15835]

2 minutes ago, After irth said:

Nope. All clear. Go nuts.

Gracias.  My wife and I both got the rona about a month ago after two years of successful dodgeball, was thankfully quite mild for us, but now we're feeling pretty invincible!

 

Just now, midtown said:

I would keep a mask or two around but nothing on domestic flights and no airports I've been in since the revocation. We were actually notified upon boarding our flight to Belize that PGIA required them. But when going back a few weeks ago zero use in the airport.

I guess it's possible that some airports are under the control of the local municipality and could still require masks but yet to hear anything like that.

That's kinda what I was thinking and wondering about.  Thanks.

[Your Mom 4819]

I’ve been in a couple of airports whose city governments still require masks after the federal mandate ended and those local orders have been completely ignored by almost everyone, with hardly a mention that I’ve seen.  Philly, LAX, and the two NYC airports claim to require them.  I’d have one with you if you pass through there, but don’t expect much push back if you don’t wear it.  

[shnsajax 3591]

Air Canada still requires masks, but not N95s.  I wouldn't know where to find an N95 on short notice.

Home Depot has always been my go to.

[4th&Five 41565]

55 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Air Canada still requires masks, but not N95s.  I wouldn't know where to find an N95 on short notice.

They sent an email after I posted that clarified surgical masks were fine. Still sucks on a 10 hour flight. 

[Brew 3049]

14 hours ago, midtown said:

I would keep a mask or two around but nothing on domestic flights and no airports I've been in since the revocation. We were actually notified upon boarding our flight to Belize that PGIA required them. But when going back a few weeks ago zero use in the airport.

I guess it's possible that some airports are under the control of the local municipality and could still require masks but yet to hear anything like that.


Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
 

I still keep them in my backpack when traveling and carry one when out in the bigger cities. If someone has a sign up (which I’ve still seen in Chicago and NYC recently), I’m fine being the guy that puts one on when asked.

[utee94 15835]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:03 AM, Brew said:

I still keep them in my backpack when traveling and carry one when out in the bigger cities. If someone has a sign up (which I’ve still seen in Chicago and NYC recently), I’m fine being the guy that puts one on when asked.

At this point I don't carry masks with me anymore.  If someone wants me to wear a mask inside their business, they'll need to provide it.  But I'm fine with going elsewhere, too.  I'm not trying to make some belligerent point, I just don't ever think to carry a mask.

Anyway in New Orleans there were no mask requirements.  The airport intercom and video messages encouraged wearing masks, but it wasn't required.  I'd say maybe 1 in 25 people in the airport were wearing masks, and probably the same out and about the city.

 

 

[Js1 85439]

On 7/7/2022 at 4:14 PM, 4th&Five said:

Anyone flown on Lufthansa lately? I just checked in for my flight to Frankfurt from AUS tomorrow and it said they still require an N95. I’m wondering if this is actually the case. 

 

On 7/7/2022 at 7:36 PM, midtown said:

I would keep a mask or two around but nothing on domestic flights and no airports I've been in since the revocation. We were actually notified upon boarding our flight to Belize that PGIA required them. But when going back a few weeks ago zero use in the airport.

I guess it's possible that some airports are under the control of the local municipality and could still require masks but yet to hear anything like that.


Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
 

 

On 7/7/2022 at 7:38 PM, Chewbacca said:

Air Canada still requires masks, but not N95s.  I wouldn't know where to find an N95 on short notice.

I mean, it's been 2 months, but when I flew AA to Toronto, we had to wear masks from the Charlotte -> Toronto leg.  And all through the Toronto airport.  Also had to wear them from Toronto -> Charlotte, but they kinda relaxed after we left Canadian airspace. 

[HouTex 1886]

Even Aspen, Colorado no longer has a mask requirement.  

[Chewbacca 7780]

34 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Even Aspen, Colorado no longer has a mask requirement.  

We haven't had mask mandates anywhere in CO in months that I'm aware of.

[HouTex 1886]

16 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

We haven't had mask mandates anywhere in CO in months that I'm aware of.

Not sure when they changed, but Pitkin County had mask mandates in late January 2022 when we were skiing.  Many restaurants even required proof of vaccination before we would be seated.  We didn't see many masks last week--I noticed a few at the food market, and no one asked to see proof of vaccination.  

[Chewbacca 7780]

11 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Not sure when they changed, but Pitkin County had mask mandates in late January 2022 when we were skiing.  Many restaurants even required proof of vaccination before we would be seated.  We didn't see many masks last week--I noticed a few at the food market, and no one asked to see proof of vaccination.  

That was 6 months ago, no?  

[HouTex 1886]

7 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

That was 6 months ago, no?  

Apparently they let the mask mandate expire in February.  So five months.  That was my point.  

[Chewbacca 7780]

3 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Apparently they let the mask mandate expire in February.  So five months.  That was my point.  

That was my point as well.  It's been 5 months.  That's months.  Not sure what nit you're trying to pick here.

[Js1 85439]

1 hour ago, Chewbacca said:

That was my point as well.  It's been 5 months.  That's months.  Not sure what nit you're trying to pick here.

Yeah, weird hill to die on that something had a mask mandate 5 months ago?  Relevance to today is...........

[texasdago 7575]

Flew Air Dolomiti yesterday which is owned by Lufthansa and they required masks.  Part of the rule has to do with German law and I believe Italian law requires it on public transportation.  I wore a KN95... honestly didn't bother me much.  I was more bothered by the guy sitting diagonally from my wife who coughed most of the 11 hour flight from Munich while wearing his mask on his chin.

So... based on very recent experience...

Italian airports handling things relatively well right now since the govt propped them up and they didn't lose as much airport staff

Munich apparently runs better than Frankfurt.  We didn't have many issues other than some reasonable delays and the upside of Munich is they don't make you go back through security if you connect through.  Frankfurt makes you go through another security check and is generally not as well laid out.

Smaller airports seems to be weathering the storm.  Bologna, where we fly in and out, has 14 gates... while the airport is in general a cluster, it was not the same kind of cluster as most other European airports.  Friend who is a pilot with RyanAir in Poland told me that smaller airports are doing OK.  Its big massive hubs that are taking a beating with LHR and AMS leading the charge.

We got lucky - not lost bags.  We only checked one on the way there (packed all of our clothes in roller bags) and then checked four on the way back since we had a bunch of wine and we just didn't care as much.  Had a Tile on one bag and it allowed us to see where the bags were located.  United's app is also good about showing you where the bags are in the journey.  

Our rental car was expensive but it was there so I can't complain.  We drove a lot but maybe used up just barely over a tank of gas.  At $8.00/gallon of diesel, having a car that sipped rather than glugged was helpful.  

We were in areas frequented primarily by Italians and heard maybe a dozen Americans total... otherwise some Germans and other northern Europeans.  We were outside 95% of the time so I think we missed Covid but we have plenty of friends who caught it in the past few weeks while in Europe.

All in all, we were super lucky and I should go play the lottery.

[utee94 15835]

Last weekend's trip to New Orleans was my first air travel since 2019 and given all the horror stories I'd heard about the Austin airport recently, I was expecting and prepared for the worst. We got to each airport 3 hours before our flights, and I had plenty of money to buy booze and self-medicate at airport bars if necessary.

But the entire trip was actually super-easy.  Security lines at Bergstrom were pretty short and moved quickly, same thing for returning through New Orleans, all flights arrived and departed on time.  Really a model experience, couldn't be happier.

[midtown 3346]

On 7/14/2022 at 1:41 PM, utee94 said:

We got to each airport 3 hours before our flights

Good lord.   I still get to a US airport 1 hour before.

[52-80 19189]

Luxury hotel

[midtown 3346]

For any of you going to Canada.   Canada bringing back random mandatory covid inbound testing.   With 10 day quarantine.  LOL

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/07/19/canada-sparks-airline-fury-by-bringing-back-mandatory-random-covid-testing-for-air-travellers/?utm_source=BoardingArea&utm_medium=twitter

Edited July 19, 2022 by midtown

[Chewbacca 7780]

3 minutes ago, midtown said:

For any of you going to Canada.   Canada bringing back random mandatory covid inbound testing.   With 10 day quarantine.  LOL

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/07/19/canada-sparks-airline-fury-by-bringing-back-mandatory-random-covid-testing-for-air-travellers/?utm_source=BoardingArea&utm_medium=twitter

Holy shit, I'm glad we snuck in there when we did.  Between this and Air Canada seemingly getting worse by the day, I would avoid Canadian travel at all costs right now.

[Js1 85439]

You only quarantine if you test positive though. 

I was chosen for random testing in Toronto back in May (flew in on a Wednesday, flew out on a Monday) - I got my result back as I was going to get my COVID test for U.S. return travel on Sunday, lol.  (Negative, luckily)

[WBT 20628]

On 7/12/2022 at 11:31 AM, HouTex said:

Even Aspen, Colorado no longer has a mask requirement.  

I don't know, the French are assholes.

[midtown 3346]

13 minutes ago, Js1 said:

You only quarantine if you test positive though. 

True.  But imagine taking your family to Canada and spending the entire trip in a hotel.   Just like the good ole days of 2021.   Best bet is to get tested before you even go.

[Js1 85439]

9 minutes ago, midtown said:

True.  But imagine taking your family to Canada and spending the entire trip in a hotel.   Just like the good ole days of 2021.   Best bet is to get tested before you even go.

Pretty much your best bet, period.