By: Lonnie Dutreix

COVID-19 cancelled more than 6,000 flights over the 2021 Christmas Weekend, and the number of TSA Screeners infected rose by 60 percent in the same span.[1] The spread of the Omicron variant prompted the United States’ top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to suggest the government consider a vaccine mandate for domestic flights.[2] Fauci ultimately walked back his remarks, stating he doubted the Biden administration would call for vaccine mandates for domestic flights "in the reasonable foreseeable future," but his comment reflects the uncertainty many Americans currently feel when it comes to the delicate network of planes and terminals that make up our domestic air travel system.[3]

I recently witnessed that system firsthand and considered its current state over eight hours of cross-country airtime. I had flown from New Orleans to Los Angeles to officiate my friends’ vow renewal, who had been married one year earlier in a COVID-friendly ceremony without all their guests. Not only did I make it through both flights, but I was processed through TSA without any identification whatsoever on the way back.

While it is a feat of its own to be operating at all, the web of terminals across the United States have faced exceptional and ever-changing challenges over the past nearly two years since the pandemic began, in addition to those challenges that are typical of managing an international airport. Within the ever-shifting landscape of COVID guidance, think of this as a handy guide for passengers flying for business or pleasure in the new era of air travel within the United States.

Keep in mind that international travel comes with its own set of challenges involving not only the laws of the United States, but of the country[ies] in which your airplane will land, and we will not get into those here.

I tested positive for COVID, should I cancel my air travel plans?

That depends. If you have symptoms, you absolutely should not get onto an airplane. For asymptomatic individuals, the CDC shortened the quarantine time requirement from 10 to 5 days for asymptomatic cases on Monday, December 27, 2021.[4] The new guidelines allow people to leave isolation without getting tested to see if they are still infectious.[5] Therefore, if you do not have symptoms, and your flight does not leave for at least five days, the CDC says that you are “wings up” and can fly. CDC officials say the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the virus are most infectious in the first few days.[6]

Critics of the CDC’s latest guidance note that the CDC has been under pressure from the public and the private sector, including commercial airlines, to explore ways to shorten the isolation and quarantine time and reduce of risk of severe staffing shortages amid the omicron surge.[7]

I’m COVID free and ready to travel, do I need to bring a mask?

Yes, and you’ll need to wear it, too. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through March 18, 2022.[8] Airline travelers should check with their airline on additional inflight restrictions prior to taking their trip. Effective Friday September 10, 2021, the range of civil penalties that may be charged by TSA against individuals who violate the federal mask mandate in U.S. transportation systems will be $500-$1000 for first offenders and $1000-$3000 for second offenders.[9]

In addition, remember that many places you may be travelling to may have local requirements regarding proof of vaccination or negative test, so make sure you brush up on those before you leave home, and plan accordingly.