There is no joy in flying right now

I went from multiple trips by plane per week when I left consulting to still regular travel to a full stand-still like everybody when Covid hit.

While a lot of flights were grounded or just to tedious, I shifted to making the necessary trips by car or train.

Flying has started to come back — but I don‘t like it.

The whole experience somehow seems to run counter to everything that has defined „feeling normal“ over the last 18 months.

I used to like flying. I liked airports, I liked the overall notion of traveling and being on the move, I liked flying.

Right now, however, crowds at airports feel misplaced and chaotic, all involved processes (once at the forefront with regard to the depth of digital support) feel not up to the task:

• Getting an electronic boarding pass is a nightmare due to the hastily plugged in additional information requirements (that then don‘t work)
• Security and other areas are understaffed, creating a feeling that the airport does not „want“ people to come back to flying
• Filling in a paper registration for contract tracing in the lounge when they have just scanned my boarding pass to gain entry.
• Having not thought one bit how to manage the traffic flow onto the plane better and avoiding people crawling close to each other (or standing waiting) in the galley from the gate to the plane
• In general, you move from areas where you are constantly reminded to maintain distance to a situation where you are sitting as close to your seat neighbor as before

This is not to say, that all of the above could easily be solved or fully solved at all. It just does not feel like anybody had 18 months to come up with something that is still resembles a pleasant customer experience — which is where my disappointment ultimately comes from.

I’m looking forward to flying more again in the future. But right now, it’s no fun.