It's 10:30pm Madrid time, I'm sitting in my fabulous apartment and thinking back over my journey of the last 30 hours.
Overall, it was a truly fantastic experience after much apprehension... some speed bumps here and there, self-imposed drama due to my totally liberal response to COVID regulations. But no bureaucratic issues.
What I first noticed is that at CLT the TSA check points have erected screens between the maze leading to the scanners... There's airflow between them, but better than nothing. There are also marks on the floor to suggest distancing.
I see that there are TSA / airport personnel standing watching... but I also saw jerkoffs removing their masks when their backs were to the hall monitors. Or they pulled them down under their nose.... It's typical American getting-away-with-something behavior and I could barely contain my inner Karen to tattle on these assholes. I mean, this is life or death for goodness sake. But I held my peace. (Can’t decide if I should be proud of not tattling, or be pissed that I didn’t take a stand.)
At the gate it was announced repetitively that the state of NY has some "health disclosure" documentation that must be completed before you're allowed to leave the arrival gate in JFK. You can either use the app from this QR code, or we have limited paper copies at the desk. I quickly popped in line, scanned the QR code, filled out the document, and got my green check mark, which I have to show once I get to NY. You have never heard so much whining from some of the passengers! Oh, the app isn't working for me, I need a paper copy, where is the pen, you should provide me a pen if you're forcing me to fill out this document... tThis whining coming from 20-somethings... who couldn't get the app to work for them. Ummm.
Oh! and while there, since when did CLT Douglas put bars actually IN the gate???!!!
Next, I had read that the flights imposed distancing, but that American flight CLT to JFK was totally booked... butts in all seats, no distancing... I had bought my flying staple M&Ms, but decided I wasn't going to die because of some mouth breather contaminating my M&Ms. So I napped instead.
Disembarking, actually at the mouth of the gate, the Health Police were there to see the green check on the app, or collect your hardcopy document.
Once in JFK everything went smoothly -- which you know is not always the case! My luggage came quickly. I made the terminal transfer on the AirTrain with ease. This is a part I was actually afraid of because the AirTrain is on a different level than the terminal, and usually it's difficult to find elevators instead of escalators... I didn't want a replay of The Great Heathrow Debacle of 2018. But I just followed another guy dragging two suitcases and he led me straight to the elevator.
Plastic screens in CLT
Bar in the gate area