Little by little, flying is becoming more accessible again. Since I needed to head out of town to take care of some personal things in Arizona, I booked an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles International to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. But, I also want to shed light on what the airport is like, what’s changed in the air, and what American Airlines flights are like during the pandemic.

So my partner and I drove to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport.) Upon arrival, we noticed the emptiness of it all. LAX is one of those airports that’s usually so chaotic and teeming with activity; it was a shock to see it so empty.

Where’s the bustling crowd? Where’s the usual traffic jams? The airport is eerily silent.

We park our car and head into the terminal.

Upon arrival, the terminal is empty. I don’t see a single person. As I head to the pre-check line, I see a line of 15 or so. 

Pre-check was a little different this time. Firstly, everyone entering the airport is required to have a face mask on. The TSA agent asks you to take it off to identify you.

Even with pre-check, I had to take my shoes off. But overall, the experience was great. Mostly, I’m excited to travel again, even if it’s not a vacation.

We get to our gate, and it’s relatively empty. Rows of seats, unoccupied. Everyone is spread out and keeping their distance as per Covid-19 airport regulations.

American Airlines Flights and What to Expect During the Pandemic

We purchased first-class tickets because first-class seats are bigger, which means we’ll have more space between people. Also, first-class has more spacious storage under the seats to store your carry-on. Since I always travel light, I can put my bag under the seat without having to touch the overhead compartments.

I should probably mention I’m very prepared. Not only do I have a face mask on, but I also have a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket, and Clorox wipes to clean my seat, armrest, belt buckles, tray table, and magazine compartment. Basically, I cleaned anything I anticipated touching upon arriving at my seat.

To give you a little perspective on what American Airlines flights are like these days, I should mention my mother flew a few days ago on American, and she said all the middle seats were empty. However, every seat was full on my flight.

So, I think it just depends on your individual flight. Even though American Airlines flights have many rules in place, most people didn’t seem to mind.

American Airlines Flights and Covid-19 Rules on Board

Everyone is required to wear a mask on board and throughout the flight. They say they’re cleaning the seats extensively between flights, but I still cleaned my seat just in case.

It’s okay to take off your mask if you’re eating or drinking. However, there is also no beverage or meal service to anyone sitting in the coach, although I can’t speak for longer flights. On this short one-hour flight, the first-class got beverage service and snacks upon demand.

The flight from LAX to PHX is less than an hour. I managed to drink my traditional in-flight Bloody Mary, which was given to me by the flight attendant who wore gloves on a tray. I mixed it myself as per American Airlines flight rules. It’s safer and more hygienic.

The flight was so fast I didn’t have time to watch anything on my cell phone. I felt very safe and secured during the entire flight. The flight attendants did a great job.

Deboarding American Airlines Flights

Upon arriving in PHX, the flight attendants announced their new deboarding, Covid procedures. They stated that they would be calling each row one by one, so people don’t overcrowd the isles. This will help everyone stay socially distant. When the row in front of you leaves the aircraft, your row can stand, and so on.

No one cared. People rushed the isles and touched the overhead bins with their bare hands. It was chaos. Luckily, I had a backpack under the seat. I grabbed my bag and let the impatient people push ahead, go in front, and deboard. I deboarded calmly.

My flight was great, but most importantly, my nerves of flying during the pandemic were put at ease.

Let me break it down for you:

With all precautionary measures, rest assured that you will feel safe on your American Airlines flights.

The flight attendants are great.

They currently don’t have beverage and food services in coach.

Everyone wore a mask, and no one protested.

I cleaned areas of my seat with a wipe I brought just in case and used hand sanitizer.

Although there’s no beverage or meal service in coach, if you’re seated in first class, you’ll get beverage service and snacks upon demand.