The life of an immigrant is full of big and small adventures. Even when you don’t see them coming, they are there for you, and a lot of things that go smooth and simple for most people may turn into real issues if you were born in a different country or on a different continent.
My latest paperwork quest I could foresee well ahead but couldn’t really avoid it. So I went with the flow, which just recently had me travelling to Montreal to do some paperwork. The four planes I had to take to make it there and back became my first experience of air-travelling during the new COVID-19 era, which was quite different from any travelling before.
The changes started as early as the Regina airport and they were getting more intense the closer I was getting to Montreal. In the middle of the day, the usually somewhat busy Regina airport seemed abandoned. I went through check-in online and didn’t have any luggage to drop off, so once inside right away I headed upstairs. It was around 12:30 p.m., but the only other travellers I met on the first level were standing by the escalators, which still weren’t working. (Not that we needed them, but an employee came and started them for us).
Throughout this entire trip, I was quick on sanitizer having my hand on it all the time as cowboys have theirs on guns in westerns. I had my mask on since I entered the airport, however, the first time I was asked to make sure I have it and keep it on was in the screening area. The screening itself felt like it went faster with people not willing to dig through my personal belongings unless they really had to.
(Quite often, I’m the lucky one randomly picked for a drug check or something else, so my bags hardly ever make it through security without being open. I thought it was another “advantage” of having a wrong colour passport, but maybe not).
Masks are our new accessories. They were obligatory to wear during the entire time in the airports and onboards with exceptions made for people with special conditions and little kids. At the boarding area, those who went through check-in online were asked to come to the desk for a temperature check. And even though it was quiet, passengers were spread apart and were wearing masks, humans remained humans and the entire atmosphere was still calm and friendly.
The experience on board the plane was also different. On my first flight, cabin crew members wore single-use coveralls and clear goggles. Passengers were physically distanced with at least one empty spot left in between them and I’d say that plane was a third full.
But even though the pilot said that they were taking extra measures and doing a thorough cleaning, my seat pocket was filled with someone else’s garbage, so along with half of the plane, I ended up wiping everything around.
The pilot also apologized for the absence of their regular services. Not only is there no food, drinks or snacks served as a part of the flight now, but it is also impossible to purchase anything. No menus or magazines to flip through in the seats. Passengers were provided with a bag of goodies: hand sanitizer, gloves, face mask, sanitizing napkins and water. The flight began with an announcement about the health tips the public should take to prevent the spread of the virus and off we went.
The entire experience may have felt pretty different, but nothing could take away the excitement of taking off heading towards the sky. I love flying. Every time I hear the noise of speeding jets my heart starts rushing and a big grin automatically takes over my face even if it’s covered with a mask (by the way, I think I mastered the art of smiling with eyes during this trip). The rest of the flight went along the traditional pattern.
I had a layover in Toronto, where everything seemed stricter than in Regina. Only travellers and employees were allowed to come to the airport. No seats were marked as not to be used in Regina. In Pearson, every second one was asked to be left open, and in Montreal, every two seats had crosses on them. Most restaurants and stores were closed and the open ones had the seating areas taped off. Surprisingly there were no arrows on the floor, but wherever the lines could be formed there were stickers reminding people about distancing.
The departure screens that usually would change a few times before you could see your flight in five hours now were about a quarter filled with no more than 20 flights on. But a couple of them were international flights.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Pearson or Trudeau airports so empty. And even though my flights back were a bit busier (especially one from Toronto to Regina, where the passenger distancing practice was tossed), for the most part the new style flying experience felt safer than grocery shopping in Estevan on a busy afternoon. Nevertheless, it felt incredibly nice to be back.
