Our flight from Austria to the USA to see our family went really well this year!
We weren’t sure what it would be like to fly with the coronavirus pandemic regulations, but it all went very smoothly! The craziest part was that our flights happened as scheduled and we booked them back in January way before flights started getting canceled.
The Vienna airport was very empty compared to normal. Which made it very easy to check in and go through security. The only exception to that was Francis needing extra screening because it was discovered he packed his scissors in his pencil case as a carry-on! They let him keep his scissors in the end :) The kids chose to wear their masks for awhile, but it’s not required that children do so. Everyone else must wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking while in the airports and on the airplanes.
Our flight to Chicago was less than a third full. We got to bring Clare’s car seat on and she got her own seat. We essentially had two rows for our family. The kids did amazing on the 10 hour flight. And Brian and I got to watch several full length movies!
Chicago airport was also very empty compared to normal. Going through customs took minutes compared to hours!! On the plane we had to fill in health forms and after customs firemen took our temperatures. They told us it is recommended that everyone quarantines for 14 days. But it’s not enforced in anyway. Update: on Monday, July 6, someone from the Iowa Health Department called us (using the number & address we provided on the health form we completed) to confirm we knew the CDC’s recommendations. She asked some questions about our travels & asked if we had any questions. Brian asked her why they are taking these extra steps with people like us traveling from Europe where coronavirus cases are far lower than the USA, compared with what they do for domestic travel here. She laughed. Yes, it does seem a bit ironic :)
We had a four hour layover until our flight to Cedar Rapids. The kids play-place was closed, but our kids had plenty of room in empty seating seating sections to run around and play with the little toys they got in their Happy Meals. The toys of course came in plastic baggies and as the kids tried to tear them open, Francis realized he had the perfect thing to help: the scissors he had packed! :)
Our flight to Iowa was almost completely full. It was a smaller plane with just two seats on each side of the aisle. So there was no unsold middle seat or any real attempts at social distancing. But it was just a 32 minute flight and all went well - the older three kids all crashed as it was 1am our time.
My mom and dad met us at the airport and the kids were so excited to see them! Isaac went running down the hallway yelling “NeNe” to give her a big hug!
It is our fifth time flying from Austria to the USA — our first time with four kids (since it is Clare’s first time to America!) — and I must say it was our best experience!
Vienna:
Chicago:
Cedar Rapids:
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