Travel in a new era or “new normal"... In transition for some time.

Maybe not a new era but certainly different! I arrived at Heathrow on a long-haul flight on the evening of Saturday 8^th February from Asia. As it turned out this was in one sense the start of something new. Aircraft Captains were obliged from this day to report to Heathrow one hour before landing any signs of illness among their passengers. Indeed, there was an individual with a genuinely scary cough on board, so we were given speedy clearance to land.

QUARANTINE?

We then sat at the arrival gate until Public Health England told the Airline what they needed to do. After about 15 minutes two besuited managers arrived and one of them approached the individual in front of me! He asked the passenger how they felt – they had worn a mask for the whole flight which did provide some reassurance, but their cough did not!

The potentially sick passenger then handed a mobile to enable them to speak with a Doctor to assess symptoms. The phone was then returned to the guy in the suit – no sign of any cleaning of the phone upon its return! Although he did say he expected they would need to go into isolation! In his defence he explained that this process had been determined at very short notice, that very morning.

It was then announced that around a dozen of us who were in close proximity needed to wait for PHE to come aboard to give us guidance. As soon as the cabin doors were opened the guy behind me legged it immediately! As the minutes passed, in the absence of PHE, other passengers left the ‘plane too. The suspects had gone. PHE staff never arrived in person but 20 minutes later a form was given to us which asked details of seat number, address in the UK, and some guidance on what to do if you became ill in the next ten days. I have no idea what happened to the person who went into quarantine – hopefully, they are alive and well For my part I continue to take my temperature regularly!

EMPTY AIRPORTS?

It is debatable whether things are much better at our airports these days. To find out I embarked on a short trip to Prague 200 days after my last flight. Thanks to my BA Gold Card for life made the check in and security check a breeze at Terminal 5. T5 was not as empty as I expected probably because Heathrow flights have been consolidated to T2 and T2. Consequently, all One World flights depart from T5 for the present. The First Class Lounge also has significantly fewer seats and the days of noisy passengers shouting down their mobiles are long gone. In this lounge, you order what you would like to eat or drink via the BA app and this is brought to you. The Boarding process was very well handled and all the BA staff at Heathrow T5 were very friendly, helpful, and efficient.

Photos from the Prague visit are now in the Rest of the World gallery

A significant “benefit” of the current situation is significantly greater punctuality at many airports with a dramatic drop in aircraft movements. Sadly, things may still be getting worse as quarantine measures deter passengers. Routes online – routesonline.com – report that BA short hall haul flights will reduce from 1334 to 778 weekly flights.

BA offered a boxed “meal” in Business Class, which was fine Landing at Prague was early, and the cabin crew firmly and professionally handled the exit process. The Airport terminal non-Schengen was almost deserted and with hand baggage only I was off the plane and at the taxi rank in about ten minutes.

Deserted Hotels?

The staff at the MGallery Prague www.group.accor.com were excellent although not unreasonably concerned about what the future may hold; and now probably even more so since the UK imposed quarantine regulations the day after I left! If you haven’t been to Prague go as soon as you can!

As everywhere the number of tourists was low so walking around the City was a pleasure and getting a river boat that wasn’t crowded was very easy indeed…

When looking for hotels these days do be aware that certain services and facilities may have been curtailed or significantly altered. Not all hotels are describing these changes in sufficient detail- so beware! And when you trawl through online hotel reviews pay particular attention to those given since Covid came along.

Room for Improvement!

The return journey was uneventful with only one or two flights departing at midday. Unfortunately, the security check is conducted at the gate rather than centrally, which does lead to clustering of passengers. Upon arrival the Cabin Crew did a poor job controlling exit from the plane by strict seat row sequence. If you want to avoid getting on the little train that links the B and C gates with the main terminal building at T5, remember there is an underground walkway which gets you from to baggage collection / transfer in fifteen minutes of brisk walking. Be aware that the absence of appropriate physical distancing in the immigration/passport hall is – in my opinion -unacceptable.

Transition always delivers surprises

I must confess that I no longer believe in the notion of “new normal” or a new era! Indeed, the notion of travel in a new era is simply wrong. We are in the middle of a global event which is delivering many unexpected consequences. In reality, we are in transition and will be for some time. In the meantime, we should lead our lives as best we can, behaving sensibly, and taking care of ourselves and others. And travelling – with due care – when the opportunity arises!