It might seem odd to write a travel post just as summer winds down but one of the biggest questions I have been getting lately is what it is like to fly right now. Many people who chose staycations or road trips are thinking about traveling later this year. For me, influencer trips are on the horizon. I’ll be heading to Indiana next month, and for my husband conferences are starting up again.

I’d like to begin by saying this isn’t a post to convince anyone that they should be traveling. Of course you have to do what’s best for you and your family. Though I myself am fully vaccinated, traveling right now can still be a little tricky. But judging from the number of people I have seen in airports, many people are traveling for business and pleasure right now and I myself have done a bit of both. So whether you have a trip planned or you’re still mulling it over here are a couple of tips I would recommend.

Get there early-remember when everyone got to the airport 2 hours early due to TSA delays? Well I feel like many people are scaling back their time. I noticed this way before the pandemic but I do understand that most people may want to delay the time they spend in an airport. But things are very busy for most airlines right now. Expect long delays. We actually missed our original flight to Miami (even though we had plenty of time to board) because getting our luggage checked took much longer than we anticipated (lines were incredibly long) and we missed the bag check time. We were able to reroute the same day but we lost lots of time in the sun.

Eat before you go– Now, I won’t point fingers at who caused us to arrive at the airport a little late on the aforementioned tip about getting there early (love you honey) but I will say that I absolutely love getting to the airport early enough to have something to drink or eat in “normal times.” But honestly right now if you can eat before you go, pack a small snack or wait until you get to your destination I would highly recommend it. Many of the restaurants in airports are still closed which means crowded seating areas and very long lines at the few that are open in some airports. If you’re looking to maintain six feet while unmasked to eat or drink it’s going to be tricky.

Upgrade if you can– I know everyone isn’t in a position to do this but if you can- upgrade your seat. Having a little more room on what will likely be a very crowded flight is so worth it in my book. I’ll be honest I never really cared about flying first class. Give me a window seat and I was a happy girl. Add in a chatty seatmate (yes, I love making friends on flights) and the flight seems to fly by (excuse the pun). However, as much as I enjoy flying it definitely feels a little scarier than it used to for me right now. Upgrading to business or first class doesn’t change the air in the plane per se, but it does put a little more distance between you and others on the plane.

Be kind– while I haven’t seen anyone fighting or being duct-taped on a plane (thank goodness) I have seen people throwing down their luggage in frustration, walking through the airport crying, and letting go of strings of profanity. Flying can be stressful. Delays or cancellations can be frustrating but the people working there are doing the very best they can under the circumstances they are under. I have yet to have any airline person not handle any situation I was faced with without grace and care. Extending that same level of grace and kindness to them and other passengers is really the very least that we can do.

There are a lot of things that will be out of your control if you choose to fly right now but remember the one thing you can control is you.

I’d love to hear if you’ve flown lately and what tips you might add or if you’re planning to fly soon.

Until next post,

xo Tonya