Travel Advice Needed

[Grand58742]

Fly, the airlines as many have stated are vacant.

If you really don't want to drive and have it available, Amtrak is an option as well.

[Det-Sog]

I work for the airlines...

The airports are ghost towns...

The airplanes are empty(we had 1 passenger the other day).

The airports and airplanes are SPOTLESS and have cleaners swarming around.

Fly on the first flight of the day and you can guarantee the airplane was cleaned over night(my airline is doing 6 man hours of cleaning per airplane, I think prior to this it was 1 or 1.5).

Throw a mask on if you want(although I think they are mostly useless against this virus) and wash your hands.

IMO, right now, you have more chance of catching this thing at the grocery store than you do on an airplane.

That. Airline pilot here. My jet that holds 200 people has been going out with about 20-30. If you sit next to someone, move. The crew won't care. I just went on a partially paid leave because no one is flying. As was said, the plane is cleaner than the grocery cart. Bring a couple clorox wipes and wipe your seat area including the tray table area. Wash your hands and don't touch your face, but you already are doing that.

Have the month off now and the range is closed... ^%&$!

[Treehopr]

Fly, for all the reasons stated above.

Safety isn't just getting exposed to COVID-19, you still have all the other hazards associated with driving long distances and I think you'd actually be exposed to less people if you went to the airport and got on a plane. Driving just gives you the illusion of control over the situation

[Grand58742]

If you sit next to someone, move. The crew won't care. !

Sounds like the perfect excuse to move into 1st Class.

[Det-Sog]

Sounds like the perfect excuse to move into 1st Class.

First class is running about 1/2 price now and has been empty, so (A) more people are buying tickets, and (B) airline employee pass travelers are filling the remaining seats. First is pretty packed NOW.

You would be better served getting extra leg room and sitting in coach, then moving back there somewhere.

As someone else said, driving still has more risks, more exposure overall. I'd say the cross oer point would be four hours of driving. Anything more than four hours... Fly.

[Averageman]

No way I would want to breathe air being recirculated on a flight right now.
Even driving I would wear gloves while pumping gas. Your riding an upward curve that doesn't seem to want to flatten out.
Buy some food take a cooler with you, hell, I would sleep in the car.

[sundance435]

I work for the airlines...

The airports are ghost towns...

The airplanes are empty(we had 1 passenger the other day).

The airports and airplanes are SPOTLESS and have cleaners swarming around.

Fly on the first flight of the day and you can guarantee the airplane was cleaned over night(my airline is doing 6 man hours of cleaning per airplane, I think prior to this it was 1 or 1.5).

Throw a mask on if you want(although I think they are mostly useless against this virus) and wash your hands.

IMO, right now, you have more chance of catching this thing at the grocery store than you do on an airplane.

This. If ever there was a time to fly with less fear of getting sick, it's right now. That said, I do love road trips. But with all of the gas pumps, diners, and a hotel you'd encounter, I doubt it's any safer, possibly less so, than flying right now from a coronavirus perspective.

[rjacobs]

No way I would want to breathe air being recirculated on a flight right now.

Such an overblown myth...

The recirculated air simply feeds back through the PACK to help cool the heat exchangers. Its taken from the forward cargo bin(on my airplane). I would have to look at the diagrams, but I believe most of it is dumped overboard as its main function is to provide additional cooling to the heat exchangers(I wont go as far as saying 100% is dumped overboard). The 2 packs push so much air that the cabin air is completely changed out roughly every 5 minutes... The PACKS both have HEPA filtration on them and I know my company has stepped up change out intervals(I dont know what they were or what they are today though to be fair). The air in an airplane is cleaner than in a hospital.

[Det-Sog]

No way I would want to breathe air being recirculated on a flight right now.

Recirculation systems on the planes should not pass the "droplets" of cough/sneeze all the way through. The odds of catching it THAT way would be about equal to driving, then someone in the car in front of you sneezing out their open window, then you drive through the cloud and your cars A/C system sucking it in. Yes, THAT small. Go into an eatery for take out? Going to go inside ANY building open to the public??? Better not breathe the air that is RECIRCULATED through the HVAC then. SAME THING. How long can you hold your breath?

Even driving I would wear gloves while pumping gas. Your riding an upward curve that doesn't seem to want to flatten out.
Buy some food take a cooler with you, hell, I would sleep in the car.

Then get KILLED by someone texting and driving or a DUI. Over all, if I had to choose, I stick with the four hour rule. Anything longer than four hours is safer flying right now imho.

Over/out. Stay well y'all.

[Bulletdog]

No way I would want to breathe air being recirculated on a flight right now.
Even driving I would wear gloves while pumping gas. Your riding an upward curve that doesn't seem to want to flatten out.
Buy some food take a cooler with you, hell, I would sleep in the car.

This would be my preference too. I drive from Los Angeles to New Orleans for work a few times a year. Around 1900 miles. I always do it in two days, no hotels. Get a gallon jug of water and a few snacks. Pull over and nap when you feel the need, and drive the rest of the time. Get a box of rubber gloves and a canister of Lysol wipes if possible.

It would be nice to have a malinois and a Glock as co-pilots, but beggars can't be choosers.

Having said that, if I had to fly right now, I would. I'd just prefer to drive. More things in my control that way.