Letters to the Editor

Letter: Flying and COVID-19

I’m not a public health scientist, nor am I affiliated with any airline. But I am a traveler, and I gobble up all COVID-19 information I can find. I’d like to try to answer Eric Olenick’s question, “Is it safe to fly or not?”

The messaging is not actually mixed. Flying is still safer than going to the movies or shopping in stores that do not require masks. “Safer” doesn’t mean your safety is guaranteed. In the face of omicron’s ridiculous transmissibility, so many airline staff were getting sick that flights had to be canceled. You can be sure there is COVID-19 on every flight. The airlines’ response is, understandably, to limit “mask down” time.

The new protocols for limited food and drink serve three purposes, 1. to protect staff, and therefore, revenue, 2. to protect passengers, and therefore, revenue, and 3. to continue to be able to say flying is safe, relative to other activities.

I’m so grateful for the waived cancellation fees, so I can make my own safety decisions. And, to state the obvious, when I do decide the risk to travel is acceptable, I bring my own snacks.

— Jen Huvar

Anchorage

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