Is it safe to travel yet?

Hannah Guerrero with fellow flight attendant Hannah Glover before their flight began. Hannah Guerrero/ Courtesy

Alaska Airlines flight attendant talks about the safety of traveling during a pandemic

Hannah Guerrero, a flight attendant with Alaska Airl, has been working for nearly a decade in the sky, but does she even believe that people should be stepping on a plane? With many people worried about the history, COVID-19 has seen cases growing and falling due to unnecessary travel.

Guerrero talks about the mandatory policies and prechecks they must go through to get up in the air. And her opinion regarding why people should or shouldn’t start planning their upcoming summer vacations.  

How long have you been working for Alaska Air?

“Almost seven years.”

Can you tell me about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted being a flight attendant?

“Yeah, so it definitely changed the way we work on the planes. We do less service now. Mainly things like limited beverages and food have to be preordered. And it also changed layovers because so many cities have COVID restrictions.”

What cities in particular?

“Cities like Hawaii require negative COVID tests to go out. So when I arrive, I have to quarantine in my room for the most part when I go there until I get my results back. And for layovers, I’m only there for a couple of days, so I don’t have as much free time or relaxing time, if you will, than prior to the pandemic.”

Do you honestly feel that most people should or should not be traveling given the current standing of the pandemic?

“I think that people should do what feels right and mostly safe for them.  If they want to travel, then they should. If they need to travel, then absolutely they should. And if they don’t feel comfortable with traveling at this time, then I think that they should stay home. But yeah, ultimately, it’s up to that individual to make that choice.”

Do you think the mandatory safety policies are enough for those that might be on the fence about traveling right now? 

“I do think that the safety measurements are more than enough. I got put on leave for a few months due to the pandemic. Now I’ve been back since July of 2020 and have luckily not got COVID… I’m passing so many travelers. But everyone is different, and I feel like the airlines are doing everything they possibly can to make sure everything is as safe as possible with travelers on the plane.”

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