{"id":95652,"date":"2020-08-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/is-it-safe-to-fly\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:56:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:56:21","slug":"is-it-safe-to-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/is-it-safe-to-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"#TravelstartersWhoTravel: Yes, It Is Safe to Fly!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While many of you may be itching to jet off somewhere far far away and melt away your lockdown blues, most people are understandably very hesitant to book a trip, much less climb on an airplane.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of our fearless Travelstarters recently booked domestic and international flights for business trips and to be home with their families.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on as our<\/span><b> #TravelstartersWhoTravel<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> share their detailed, honest experiences of flying during COVID-19, from pre-flight to touchdown.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it safe to fly domestically?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our Senior Commercial Manager, Linda Balme, flew on a recent business trip from Cape Town to Durban via <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/airlines\/mango-airlines\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mango Airlines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Here\u2019s what she had to say:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LYgXyOIhFUU\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>Need to travel between provinces?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/essential-travel\"><b>Book your essential flight and download your required travel documents.<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What about international travel?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After returning home to his family in the UK, our Head of Performance Marketing, Safvan Vali, booked an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/airlines\/emirates-airlines-flights\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emirates flight<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from Manchester back to our office in Dubai.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laura Andreotti, working in BI and Project Management, couldn\u2019t wait to get home to her family in Milan. Her direct Emirates flight from Dubai to Milan departed in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is what they had to say about their trips:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82025 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-07-26-at-05.46.25.jpeg\" alt=\"Travelstart - Is it safe to fly\" width=\"800\" height=\"903\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the flight:<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How did you feel about getting on an airplane?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After having been in the UK for 60 days, much longer than the usual visit back home, I was excited to return back to Dubai.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excited!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What was the price like? Was it any different to when you last flew?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b> On my return flight from Manchester to Dubai, I paid double the price to what I would usually pay for a one-way flight.<\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Super expensive &#8211; 4,000 Dirham for a one-way flight (about R18,800).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What documents or permits did you need?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At the time of booking (29 June), residents outside of the UAE were required to provide the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Return permit for residents outside of the UAE and approval from General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quarantine form (medical and accommodation details in the UAE to ensure \u201csafe\u201d 14 days quarantine if required).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An additional quarantine form had to be completed and handed at the boarding gates at Manchester Airport.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Passport and COVID-19 form (provided at the airport before boarding).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How long was the process to get all the required paperwork?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I received approval to return back to the UAE 48 hours from the time of applying.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you need to undergo a COVID-19 test to board the plane?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No COVID-19 test was required prior to boarding the flight from Manchester.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you experience any challenges?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No. I was keeping up to date with the latest travel announcements. I had joined the \u201cUAE Expats Stuck Abroad\u201d Facebook group which was encouraging while waiting for borders to reopen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How soon before your flight did you need to check in?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Online flight check-in was unavailable. I was required to be at the airport <\/span><b>three hours prior to flight departure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online check-in was not available and I was required to be at the airport three hours prior to departure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82019 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/image00004.jpeg\" alt=\"Travelstart - Is it safe to fly\" width=\"800\" height=\"658\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Describe the safety precautions at the airports<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Only passengers were allowed to enter the airport and only two entrances to Terminal 1 were open. Safety posters were visibly placed outside as well as inside the terminal. There were <\/span><b>hand sanitiser stations across the airport<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and constant reminders of safety rules. <strong>At Manchester Airport a<\/strong><\/span><strong>ll caf\u00e9s and restaurants were closed<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but duty-free shops were open. Unfortunately, the Emirates lounge was closed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b> <b>All the shops and airport facilities at Dubai Airport were open<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including duty-free. People were happily sitting down to eat at restaurants. The baggage drop and check-in process went very quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82020 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/image00008.jpeg\" alt=\"Travelstart - Is it safe to fly\" width=\"800\" height=\"337\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How long did you have to queue at customs and security?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There were no queues at customs and security.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When leaving Dubai, going through security was fast. When I arrived in Milan, the <\/span><b>security process was extremely longer than usual<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It took two hours to get out of the airport. Once you land in Milan you need to pass through two different controls: The first control is a declaration form you must fill in when you land, providing your details and declaring you are going to self-quarantine. After this check, you\u2019ll pass through the passport control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This took very long because the flight had around 20% Italian passengers and 80% were other nationalities, so the police spent a lot of time checking everyone\u2019s forms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, our luggage arrived before we did (which is unusual)!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82022 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/image00013.jpeg\" alt=\"Travelstart - Is it safe to fly\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the flight:<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How was the cabin spacing and seating? Were there any free rows?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There were no free rows but the <\/span><b>middle seats were kept empty<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to ensure distance between passengers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The flight was full, no social distancing!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What was your onboard dining experience like?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The onboard dining experience was no different compared to any other time. Masks could be removed for the duration of the meal service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It was ordinary, nothing different. You can remove your mask while eating your meal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Were there any baggage handling restrictions?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How would you rate the cleanliness and hygiene of the aircraft? How often did staff sanitise areas?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b> <b>Hygiene was up to standard<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Cabin crew regularly announced hygiene reminders and to replace masks and gloves with spares provided in the complimentary travel hygiene kit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I was quite upset to see that the level of hygiene was not as high as I expected, for example, they could have cleaned the toilets more regularly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82024 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-07-26-at-04.21.10.jpeg\" alt=\"Travelstart - Is it safe to fly\" width=\"800\" height=\"415\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How comfortable did the cabin crew make you feel and what was their attitude towards passengers?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan: <\/b>The cabin crew were helpful throughout the flight<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The crew behaved the same as usual.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What sort of protective gear were they wearing (if any)?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The cabin crew wore masks, protective glasses and protective clothing at all times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They wore masks, plastic glasses and protective clothing throughout the flight.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How was the in-flight entertainment?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In-flight entertainment was no different compared to any other time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same as usual.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After touchdown:<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you have to quarantine or self-isolate after you landed?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was required to <\/span><b>sign a COVID-19 declaration form at the end of the flight<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and to download an application \u201cC19 DXB Smart\u201d on my smartphone for general COVID-19 advice and support. I was told to self-quarantine at home or at an institute until I receive my COVID-19 PCR test results. If my test result was positive, I was required to isolate myself for 14 days and follow the instructions given by the health authority.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-82023 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/image00029.jpeg\" alt=\"Travelstart - Is it safe to fly\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 I must quarantine for 14 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you need to take a COVID-19 test before exiting the terminal?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Safvan:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes. I had to take COVID-19 test before exiting the terminal at Dubai airport.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I was then allowed to collect my luggage and leave the airport.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Laura: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is no silver bullet to this pandemic, we can see that airlines and airports have strict safety measures and controls in place to ensure the comfort and security of all its travellers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, it is safe to fly and we cannot wait for the skies to fully open again. Until then, stay safe and keep exploring our beautiful country. Stay tuned for more updates on #TravelstartersWhoTravel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/essential-travel\">Find all essential travel information during Level 3 of the national lockdown.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/sign-up\">sign up to our newsletter\u00a0<\/a>to stay on top of travel news, flight deals and much more.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i>All information on this blog page was correct at the time of publishing and may change at any time without prior notice. Travelstart will not be held liable for loss or inconvenience resulting from the use of out-dated or incorrectly noted information.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While many of you may be itching to jet off somewhere far far away and melt away your lockdown blues, most people are understandably very hesitant to book a trip, much less climb on an airplane.\u00a0 Some of our fearless Travelstarters recently booked domestic and international flights for business trips and to be home with their families. Read on as our #TravelstartersWhoTravel share their detailed, &#8230; <a title=\"#TravelstartersWhoTravel: Yes, It Is Safe to Fly!\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/is-it-safe-to-fly\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about #TravelstartersWhoTravel: Yes, It Is Safe to Fly!\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":95659,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_destination_ratings":[],"_destination_review_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[449,72,456,16,25,459],"tags":[761,412,771,772,773,774,775,515],"class_list":["post-95652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behind-the-scenes-travelstart-stuff","category-blog","category-industry-insight-travel","category-travel","category-travelstart-stuff","category-up-in-the-air-travel","tag-covid19","tag-domestic-flights","tag-emirates-flights","tag-essential-travel","tag-international-flights","tag-latest-updates","tag-mango-flights","tag-travel-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>#TravelstartersWhoTravel: Yes, It Is Safe to Fly! 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