While during these times some things can be lost or at a hesitation, our wonder for travel will always remain. The travel industry, however, has taken a hit during the coronavirus crisis.

My fiancé and I booked flights home to Kansas City for the 4th of July weekend to be with family, and I wanted to share my most recent travel experience flying to and from Kansas during coronavirus.

Our flight out of Philadelphia was Wednesday, July 1, at 5 p.m. We arranged with friends to drop us off so we did not have to leave our car. We arrived early to make sure we had plenty of time maneuvering the new procedures.

Like many places now, a mask is mandatory when entering the doors to the airport. We walked up to the check-in counter to check in two bags for our Southwest trip. Southwest has individual kiosks where you can check in yourself and add the bags and more to your trip. Then you receive the sticker to tag your bag and walk the bags over to the counter and weigh each bag to send them off to the plane. I did notice, between each passenger, a worker wiped the area and kiosk down.

Making our way to TSA, when showing our IDs they asked to lower our masks so they could verify our identity, a quick process. Proceeding to load carry-on and personal items on the belt for the scanners, I watched each bin get a sanitation wipe before any passenger touched it. Every worker, as you can imagine, is wearing a mask and gloves for the safety of the passengers going through the security checkpoints.

With some time to waste before departure, we stopped by the restaurants. While many were closed, we decided upon Chick-Fil-A. The tables and area were continuously monitored to be sanitized before and after individuals sat down. Outside of taking our masks off to eat and drink, we felt secure to enjoy the meal properly.

While passengers are not at the capacity they “normally” are, it was not like the airport was deserted. There seemed to be a good handful of loyal passengers keeping businesses afloat during these times. Walking through the terminals and passing gates, many airlines are conducting business the best way they can and practicing proper safety guidelines.

When the boarding process began for our Southwest Airlines flight to St. Louis, the announcements were made that boarding would be conducted with groups of 10, then once those 10 were on the plane, the next 10 would start. While this process takes an extra few minutes, it is a relief to see the creativity on all travel aspects. Bonus: At each gate they offered disposable masks if needed. You may think: Well, wait, who does not have a mask on at this point? The answer is, the airlines are prepared to make their customers and passengers comfortable and at ease — say your sewn mask breaks at the most perfect time before walking onto a plane; they have you covered.

When boarded, all flight attendants are wearing masks and gloves, and you can visibly see where the crew came in and sanitized each seat and tray table. The in-flight service was ice water in cups and Southwest snack mix. Masks in flight are required at all times, unless eating or drinking. All middle seats are open, unless there is a family wishing to sit together. While the airline accounts for two-thirds full, the middle seats should be open with plenty of room for passengers. During take-off and landing, the first row and last row allow for flight attendants to space out a bit, too.

Landing in St. Louis, we had a short layover before our next flight to Kansas City, so we did not have much time to walk around and explore. Southwest Airlines, similar to in Philly, had the same protocol in St. Louis for boarding and in flight. A well-communicated team goes far during these times. Now, landing in Kansas City as our final destination, we made our way to baggage claim, and all of the passengers took to spreading out and waiting on luggage.

Departing Kansas City on Sunday, July 5, for our evening flights, MCI airport was much like PHL as far as procedures for checking our bags and going through security. Waiting at the gate, we were able to watch workers load our bags, and they were all wearing gloves. We experienced the same service on our flight to Nashville for a quick layover before making it back to Philadelphia.

I have to say, while not in each airport for hours on end, all had the proper signage for social distancing and practiced all government guidelines for the safety of the passengers traveling through. This process of flying felt normal outside of wearing a mask and sanitizing my hands and surroundings more often than before COVID. This honestly could be the cleanest, most sanitized airports, transportation and restaurants have ever been.

— Lexi Holstin, account executive