Brits in LA Member Gavin Cooper relates the good and the bad when his mum recently flew back to England. Empty terminals but crowded planes and ZERO mask enforcement
Hey everyone! I thought I’d share our experience of LAX and my mum’s experience of flying during these crazy times, just in case anyone is curious!
My mum flew back to the UK on May 5th after staying here since March. She was meant to fly back on March 21st with Air New Zealand, but, y’know… Anyway, after a call to the British Embassy for any updates and advice, they suggested she flew back immediately because they couldn’t guarantee that borders will remain open. Also, we thought that now was the best time because the UK was (apparently) getting its act together, at the very least, there aren’t any protests going on there!
My mum lives on her own in the UK as all family are in LA now. So we wanted to keep her here as long as possible. The airport was exactly what people said it was: a ghost town. I automatically drove at 10mph to the terminal. Force of habit. We pulled up outside Terminal B to see a few people waiting for lifts, all wearing masks. I told my mum I wasn’t sure about going in with her because of the obvious, but I also wanted to help her. So we left the car outside the terminal (Yes, I was having a mild panic attack at the thought of leaving my car parked outside) and I stood inside the doorway to take in the sight of a eerily empty terminal. I kept looking back at the car because I was terrified I’d get a ticket, but there was nobody there. The entire place was deserted. Again, force of habit. (It’s like that feeling of stepping onto a broken escalator and your brain telling you to adjust to the movement, even though there isn’t any. They’re just steps now.)
After pointing my mum in the direction of BA check-in, we said our third goodbye and I headed back to the car. Yep. No ticket. Nobody there. Maybe I was just lucky or maybe I was overthinking it. Either way, that was a strange feeling and I’ll probably never do that again!
What follows was my mum’s experience at her gate and on the flight. She had to take her own food with her because there wasn’t going to be any served during the 10 hour flight. She is gluten intolerant so my sister made her a gluten-free pizza which she took along with apples, crisps and snack bars. I never knew you could take your own food through security, I’d always assumed it’d be confiscated! When she got to her gate, however, she was amazed at the amount of people not wearing masks and not observing basic social distancing. This was a shock, because, it’s an airport! She called me and took photos and I couldn’t believe the attitude people were having. Not only that, but nobody was enforcing it! It really surprised me, being an international terminal, that the airport wasn’t being strict on these things. But that was only the beginning. When we booked her flight with BA, we were under the assumption that there would only be a handful of people on the flight. Well, we all know what assuming does… The flight was packed. Not only were people squashed next to each other, alot weren’t even wearing masks. My mum began to feel claustrophobic and told the flight attendant that she needed to move, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to fly. (She is never usually fussy and has flown countless times in the past, but this would even give me palpitations) Giving them credit, she said the flight attendants were astonished at the lack of masks and how many people were booked. They moved my mum to an empty row but there were still people in front and behind and we all know how cramped cattle class is. The attendants were all wearing masks and worked tirelessly. They told her that people have been more aggressive and rude since this happened and put it down to panic. I don’t envy their job. It was only when they were in the air that announcement was made to say that masks were mandatory for the duration of the flight and if anyone didn’t have one, they would supply them. Too little too late? Who knows?
Passengers were offered orange juice, tea, coffee and water. They were also offered burritos and ham or cheese croissants later in the flight. Nothing gluten free. But the flight was still over $750? Go figure. I know airlines are struggling at the moment, but still. Maybe this is how things will be from now on? She didn’t have any headphones but they offered tiny earbuds in an envelope. I don’t know how safe they are or how they recycle or disinfect them, but there would be no way I’d stick anything in my ears from a plane. Even before all of this kicked off! Needless to say, she only watched Blue Planet with no sound and tried to sleep as much as possible.
Once my mum landed at Heathrow, she said everyone was, typically, pushing each other and standing within centimetres of each other as they left the plane. Then at baggage collection, there were spots on the ground to make sure people kept two metres apart. Like that matters now!? Luckily, we had an awesome friend come and pick her up who had disinfected his car (and was recently tested – negative), which was a HUGE relief for us over here. As a heads up, if you wanted to book a private car (I had to have a plan b) I just googled Heathrow taxis and all they need at the moment is two hours notice, as it’s so quiet there. The cost of a car back to Northampton (Our home town) was £99. My friend took photos of Heathrow Terminal 5 which was also a ghost town. He also mentioned how he thought he had driven on a service road to the terminal because everywhere was deserted!
Needless to say, mum got back home and is now starting her two week self quarantine (her own decision, nobody told the passengers to do that at the airport or on the flight.) I guess attitudes are changing now. I know they are over here. But that should warn us that we’re now entering the most dangerous time. Complacency can kill and we need to be extra vigilant, especially at this time. This won’t last forever and we will be able to hold our loved ones and family members again soon, but to not wear masks or observe social distancing at a time when we need to the most and at a place where the risk is high, can put us all at risk and see the numbers rise to staggering and tragic levels.
The fact that airlines and airports are not being tough on masks and distancing is shocking to me. They’re letting international travellers land in the UK (And I’m assuming the US) with minimal screening and no care for protection or advice. This will only drag the lockdown even further. We’ve come so far and done so much to ensure we can survive this. To be complacent now will be destroying all our hard work and heartache. If you are or know anyone flying soon, use this as a heads up and stay safe! Knowledge is power and we need to look out for each other, now more than ever. I hope everyone is safe and well.
Love to all.
Gavin Cooper
