I would like to preface this by saying that this is not a tips and tricks guideline for traveling during the Covid-19 global pandemic. My personal opinion about people traveling for ‘holiday’ or ‘vacation’ during this time is that they shouldn’t. Hopefully you understand the difference between what I’m classifying as a ‘holiday’ vs. going for an extended period of time to see family, or travel for work, etc. Be safe, be considerate of others and wear a mask!
It was 3pm and I was laying on my couch, my back to the almost mute TV with the blinds shut. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this hungover. Before you judge me about drinking during Coronavirus, I was not at a bar, I was at my best friends house and we’d been drinking just the two of us. No, wait, that sounds pathetic, so maybe some judgement. I had rolled over from a nap to check my phone. It was an email from the airline saying my trip was cancelled. I said, NOPE. Rolled back the other way and ignored/denied. There was not way that after the anxiety of planning a trip during a pandemic, the only direct flight was gonna go ahead and cancel on me. Nope, not today.
I was very apprehensive about booking a ticket in the first place. I had spent months upstate with my family during the first wave of cases; so to go from a sheltered safe space, to traveling abroad was a big step. My fears were less about myself getting sick, but becoming a super spreader of sorts. I could picture the headlines in Helsinki “27 year old reckless female from New York City comes to our humble, safe ‘happiest country in the world’ Finland and wreaks havoc on Finland’s low, contained coronavirus numbers”. Bit intense and self-inflating but anxiety can make a mind run wild! You may be asking, why bother traveling in the first place?
Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? The year was 2014, I was walking up the stairs of the bar where my now Fiancé was waiting to meet for the first time. He was better looking than I had expected. What a relief. What? Too far back? Alright. Well, I live in New York City and my Fiancé lives in Helsinki. This is not an ideal scenario in any circumstances, but the pandemic definitely did not help in aiding our opportunities to see each other. I had originally booked a flight for August with Finnair but it got cancelled. Side note, It was very difficult to find a replacement flight. Prices were soaring anywhere between 2,000- 3,000 dollars for flights that I would even consider taking. My new non-negotiable for flights were: only one stopover and in an airport I was familiar with, preferably in a country with low numbers.
I was able to find tickets through KLM with a stopover in Amsterdam Schiphol airport. I used to live in Amsterdam, so I felt comfortable with this option since I know the airport fairly well.
Details of the trip:
When: September 3rd to October 1st
Flights: New York JFK -> AMS Schiphol -> HEL airport (reverse on return)
How was I able to travel?
At the time, the EU was not open to American Tourists.* I am a Duel-Citizen holding both a US and Finnish Passport. As a citizen of Finland I have the right to enter the country.
The Airports
If you are familiar with JFK then you know it can be a nightmare. You mentally prepare yourself to feel crowded and anxious. Traveling through there recently, it felt like the airport in Tucson, Arizona on a warm weekend evening. Dead. There were no lines, painless security, barely any shops open, and all the space in the world to social distance. What would’ve made me feel more at ease is if I had seen someone disinfecting around security since that was where people congregated the most. Despite there being fewer travelers, security officers made no effort to separate groups of travelers while going through. So, you were just as close to others as you normally would be going through security. However, they did have several hand sanitizing stations set up throughout the terminal, along with wipes that you could use to wipe down your luggage handles, etc.
KLM had a mandatory document you had to sign confirming that you did not come in contact with anyone in the past 14 days who tested positive for covid-19 nor did you have any symptoms in the past 24 hours. This was a paper document you had to have present throughout your flight, which they checked several times throughout the journey. This process was easier on the return trip as it became integrated into the online check in system. I did have a paper version as backup but it was never needed.
The Flight to Helsinki
When you travel several times throughout the year it’s always a possibility that you’re struck with a bit of luck and you land yourself a whole row to yourself. Generally, that experience will go a little something like this: You get to your seat, there’s no one there yet. You take your seat (mine is usually by the window). Then you tell yourself not to get too excited, but you can’t help yourself. With every passing passenger your hopes rise. Perhaps you already take the liberty of putting your bag under the seat next you, instead of in front. Then it happens, you hear the most angelic voice radiate off the walls and into your eardrums. ‘Boarding complete’. Almost immediately, you sprawl out claiming your territory. Then a tingle goes down your spine and you think ‘there better not be any middle seat opportunists looking for a better seat’. But it doesn’t happen.
But what was I saying? Oh, right. This flight wasn’t like that at all. I could tell even prior to boarding that there weren’t nearly as many passengers as usual for a flight this size. I got to my seat, spread out, and got ready to enjoy a double-masked, dry over-sanitized hand, journey to Amsterdam. Although I had mentally prepared myself to keep my mask on for the duration of the trip, it felt safe enough to remove to eat, etc. For the most part, people were respectful and kept their masks on. You could tell some took advantage of eating and drinking times leaving it off for extended periods. They did provide ‘doggy bags’ for breakfast, so that they did not have to do another round of serving. This reduced the amount of times they would have to be in direct contact with people. The crew tried to give instructions when it came to de-boarding: ‘please wait till the row in front of you has left before getting up to remove luggage and deplane’. Didn’t happen.
When transferring in Amsterdam, there were several airport staff waiting as people de-planed. They were asking whether your final destination was Amsterdam. If not, you showed your paper and went on your merry way. If so, then you were escorted to a covid-19 testing area. This was mandatory for anyone entering the country. I cannot speak more to this process as I did not experience it, but good to note that most EU countries have testing set up at their borders.
A shout out and thank you to KLM and their staff for making everyone feel safe and comfortable during this stressful time. Also, I would like to mention the newer planes they have are really nice. Bathrooms were upgraded, nicely designed, and the traditional window shades were switched out with an automated button that enabled to control the amount of light that came through with a press of a button. I mean, technology, am I right?
The Return flights
Just briefly, I wanted to note that I had very similar experiences on my return flights. However, the 2.5 hour flight from Helsinki to Amsterdam was packed! To the point where people were confused which seat they were in. It seems the fall brought on more travel inside the Schengen area*, most likely work related.
The Arrival in Finland
On arrival at Helsinki airport they escort everyone from the flight onto buses, to be transported to a designated area in the airport set up specifically for free covid testing. Mandatory testing was being facilitated for all flights arriving from ‘red zones’, and since The Netherlands was on that list at the time everyone on my flight was tested. First, they had me fill out a document to provide my contact information, which I then gave to the nurse in the private booths. They then took a mouth swab and deep nasal swab, and informed me that I would receive a text if negative, or a call from a doctor if I was positive.
After the testing, they loaded everyone into buses again and off to passport control we went. At passport control, they handed everyone a pamphlet which included covid symptoms / tips on what to do to be safe. Once you exited baggage claim, there were several airport staff members advising covid precautions in place for everyone’s safety. For example, one man was advising not to use public transport for 2 weeks and self quarantine, another woman was advising where the info center was for free testing.
Passport control in all countries seemed to be a bit more vigorous than usual, and automated machines were not available for use. Although no major difference, I did feel they kept us lingering for longer than felt the norm.
In Finland
My test from the airport came back the next morning at 7am (sooo fast). It was negative, but we decided to keep our original plan of going into quarantine after I arrived. The test may have not yet picked up any signs of the virus I potentially could have contracted in transit. I am not a doctor. This statement makes sense to me and anything to be extra safe and extra antisocial, yes, please and thank you. We ordered our groceries for pick up, and went straight to mökki (summer house) where we stayed for 10 day out of the 14 day quarantine.
Most of this trip was spent outdoors, hiking, paddle boarding, and spending time with family. Finland is known for its vast and lux lakes and forests, and that’s exactly what we spent most of our time together exploring. I’ll be sharing that in the next post, with some gorgeous photos of scenery and lots of recommendations!
Arriving back into the US
Nothing. No paperwork, no testing, no information where you can get tested, no recommendations on what to do when you arrive into the country to stay safe. Airports were less crowded on arrival so social distancing was in place, but that’s about it. God Bless the USA, she needs it.
Out of curiosity, I did some research as to what Covid-19 border control measures the US had in place. It was hard to believe that all other airports had extensive measures in place while New York fell flat. It seems they do have measures in place which they implemented back at the start of September. They are providing rapid testing (15 min wait time for results) and antibodies testing at JFK terminal 4 but you have to pay. Both are available at departure and returns. There are thermal cameras set up throughout the airport screening for temperatures. If you were flying from a level 2 or 3 country, you have to quarantine and fill out a NYS Department of Health traveler health form. 🤷🏼♀️ There has been an update as of November 4th you can read more about here.
I took the liberty of going to get tested on my return at my local CityMed MD. They have free testing for all New Yorkers with results in 3-5 days. The process was painless and safe (they only allow 3 individuals inside the waiting room at one time). Even with a line outdoors the whole process, from waiting to leaving, took a total of 30-40 minutes. Not bad considering that’s without an appointment.
Overall, I felt safe. If you have to travel soon for work or to see family, I would say not to worry. If you’re flexible on dates, I would recommend choosing a flight at a not so busy time. I would assume, as borders open up, that flights will only get busier and being on a full flight in these conditions can bring on some serious anxiety, so consider all your options.
Stay safe out there, be considerate of others and wear a mask! ♥️
*Schengen area: “signifies a zone where 26 European countries, abolished their internal borders, for the free and unrestricted movement of people, in harmony with common rules for controlling external borders and fighting criminality by strengthening the common judicial system and police cooperation”
*American Tourists traveling to the EU. The border control regulations are changing all the time as covid-19 numbers around the world ween and wade. I tried finding an article to link here but it’s best to look for the latest information.
Coronavirus (covid-19) information
Updates on the latest information regarding covid-19 in New York state
Updates on the latest information regarding covid-19 in Finland
SILVARAYMCLAREN 