I flew with British Airways to London Heathrow airport from Edinburgh and in this article I will be showing you what the experience is like flying in lockdown.

When at Edinburgh you have to follow certain procedures. At ‘Check In’ you have to follow the 2 metre floor markers and it is mandatory to wear a face mask. To get to the departure lounge you have to go through back corridors which are usually closed off for general public. Security is normal but the queue is very quiet.

No shops or cafes are open and the only way to get food is to use one of the very expensive vending machines for sweets, crisps and bottles of juice and water. Before you board, the airline staff let people board 10 rows at a time, and when you board the aircraft the cabin crew hand out hand gel and sanitising wipes. When the safety announcement is being made, the staff on board inform you that the aircraft has been deep cleaned before boarding.

One bad thing is that there is no social distancing on the flight - they try to put one party per row but there is no way to keep two metres distance. On the flight you are also handed some snacks and a small bottle of water for which is included in the price of your ticket. When exiting the cabin the cabin crew let 3 rows out at a time reminding passengers that they have to maintain social distancing of two metres.

When arriving at London Heathrow it is very quiet. Only a few shops are open and only twenty customers are allowed in one shop at a time. Even though there are still very many aircraft flying in and out of Heathrow every day, most flights are carrying PPE.

In summary, it is mandatory to wear a face covering in both airports. Both airports look like ghost towns because they are so quiet and if you go to any UK airport during a pandemic don't expect all the shops to be open – it’s very limited. All duty free is closed off and you cannot buy anything on board but you do get given food on board, which is a great bonus. 

Overall, the airport experience is not great fun and you should only travel if it is absolutely essential. 

Hopefully we can all be flying away soon!