Hello Everyone!
Welcome back to my blog! Thank you so much for being here!
In the end of June, I am in my cousin Skylar’s wedding in Cole Camp, Missouri. For a while, we didn’t know fi the wedding would be going on as planned because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not that the dust seems to be settling on the disease, and things are opening back up, the wedding will be going on as planned, and we are SO EXCITED to be able to attend and support my cousin on this day!
Booking Our Flights
Chase and I prefer to fly southwest any time we ever fly. We find them to be the most reliable airline, with the most enjoyable flying experience, at the best price. We aren’t AVID travelers, but when we have flown with other airlines, we have felt as though we were always dishing out extra money for things like snacks on board the plane or an extra bag, which are free when you fly with Southwest. They also have to BEST customer service. You can change your flight days and times at no additional cost (unless the new flight you want is more expensive than your original flight, obviously) and if you have to cancel your flight, you can redeem your flight “points” for up to a year on any other flight on Southwest! We also have a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards, which we use all month long to pay our bills and rack up those points to use on free flights!
Right now, if you book travel before 8/31/2020 you get 2x the rapid rewards points, which you don’t need the credit card for! All you have to do is sign up for an account to start earning points on flights. They never expire, as long as you make a qualifying purchase every 2 years, so rack up those points and spend them wisely!
Booking flights with Southwest is really easy. Their booking website is a breeze to use, and if you need to change your flight at any time, you can do that online, or call their customer service hotline, and they can assist. I have done it both ways, and both ways were great it getting the job done.
We are flying into Kansas City in late June so I picked my destination as MCI flying from SAN, choose my dates, and then was given a list of times, prices, and flights to choose from.
Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, there are no direct flights from San Diego to Kansas City right now, so we do have to have a layover in Dallas. This is going to be really difficult. with a toddler you rarely like to sit still now. I’m hoping we will be able to entertain her with Mickey Mouse on Disney+ coloring books, toys, and more.
The flight to Dallas will take us a little under three hours, and then we have 35 MINUTES to make our connection in Dallas. I’m hoping, since we are flying Southwest for both flights, that they will be able to hold the plane if we are a little late taking off from San Diego, but our flight is one of the first in the morning, so I’m planning on us making that connection no problem.
A tip I can give you, to never miss your flight connection, is to ALWAYS book the earliest flight possible. There is less of a chance of your first flight being delayed if you are on the first flight that takes off. I haven’t missed a connection yet (knock on wood) and I believe it’s because of this!
Once we take off in Dallas, it’ll be a quick 1.5 flight to Kansas City.
FLYING DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC
I feel as though I need to take extra precaution right now because of COVID-19 and because I am flying with a toddler. I’ve done a little research about what to expect, and I will sum it up for you all here, so you know what to expect when you fly.
We will be getting to the airport even earlier than normal, as Southwest has asked that we do so to make sure we get through all the new protocol and make our flight on time. Our flight leaves at 7:25, so we will get there around 6:00 A.M. This is going to be a very early day for me, because I am a planner, and a little bit of a control freak (at least ai can admit it) so I will be up early making sure everything is packed and ready to go!
CHECK-IN
Southwest has installed plexiglass safeguards at all of their check-in desks. These have been installed to protect their employees and the people checking in. Along with the plexiglass, all employees will be wearing masks, on and off the plane. The airlines are requiring that all persons traveling wear a face covering as well. I’m not sure how well this will go over with my toddler, because I highly doubt she will wear a face covering, but I will get her one, just in case. Southwest has also guaranteed that they will be cleaning airport spaces all throughout the day, so that makes me feel a little better about touching any surfaces while I am there.
We will have to check in with the southwest counter before we get through TSA to get Kennedy her boarding pass since she will be riding on my lap. We have to bring her birth certificate to verify that she is under the age of 2, and when I provide them with that, they will give me her boarding pass.
Once we get through TSA, we’ll go and wait in our assigned gate for our flight. I plan on trying to keep Kennedy off of the ground and in a disinfected seat as much as possible but with a toddler, I don’t know how I’m going to do that. They are only letting groups of 10 board at a time, so being there early will hopefully work in our advantage to get onto the plane earlier and get situated. They are also encouraging flyers to bring mobile boarding passes on their phones, so there is less person to person contact while boarding the plane.
ON THE PLANE
Southwest says that they are blocking middle seats unless a family is in the row and wants to occupy the entire thing. They will be limiting the number of tickets being sold per flight, so that all middle seats can be blocked off, if necessary.
Southwest will be disinfecting planes between each flight using electrostatic disinfectant and microbial spray. They will have masks, sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer available upon request, but encourage flyers to bring their own on board. Each southwest plane is equip with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, “which filter out airborne particles as the air onboard is recirculated with outside air. These same HEPA filters are used in many hospitals to enhance air quality within this environment. (Southwest 5/24/20)”.
IN FLIGHT
Southwest is requiring that all flyers wear a face covering to board the plane. I am not sure about wearing the mask the whole time, but I will update you all in a new post with my post flight experience, soon! There will be no beverage service offered on flights, but flights over 250 miles will be given a snack, so that is nice! I will definitely be bringing my own beverages on this flight, and snacks for Kennedy as well.
I am also planning on making a vlog during this time, so I will be sure to link that HERE once it is up!
CANCELLATIONS
Finally, if you are afraid to fly, or need to cancel your flight for any reason, travel fund can be applied to future travel on Southwest. This is another reason why we always choose to fly Southwest. We always have the option to apply any funds to a new flight, without penalty. You can use these funds for up to one year, which gives you ample time to use these funds for another flight.
I can’t wait to visit my family! I am so excited to see them, and this pandemic is not going to keep us from them!
-KT
