Photo Essay: Passports Out Again
Travelling from Wellington, New Zealand to London, UK
I'’d always said that I would enjoy where I was. I vowed not to miss where I wasn’t. This was the migrant magic solution that had worked for me. This is the way you didn’t miss people.
That worked until I had kids. That worked until the pandemic.
Now, it’s all falling apart. And the doors haven’t even closed on my shortest flight of the three I need to take to get to London.
This is going to be complicated. And emotionally hard for all involved. Those who I’m going to see, those who I’m leaving behind. And me.
Flight NZ6: Auckland to Los Angeles
There are a lot of babies and young ones on this flight. As someone who has done that a few times before, I look at them with a recognition of the journey that lies before them. A little nostalgic, but mostly relieved. I’m keeping an eye out for how I might help, but also aware how strange that may look as a male travelling alone. I’ve tried before. Fortunately, there seem to be a lot of aunties on board who are helping.
It’s a packed plane - absolutely full in premium economy and business premier. I imagine there are a few upgrades being used, burning holes in back pockets, itching to be used. I tried to use one of mine, but I’m nowhere near far up enough up the pecking order for that to clear.
I definitely feel rusty at this international travel. I keep thinking I’ve put something down or forgotten something. A kind of low-level anxiety nagging away at me. It never leaves.
I appear to be surrounded by people who have been visiting family in NZ and are now returning home to the USA or the UK. I have no idea of how representative of “now” this may be, but that’s the vibe on NZ6 today. The age profile is closer to me than what we think of as the typical OEer / even if you add 2-3 years delay because of the pandemic. Perhaps the younger wave of departures doesn’t do Air New Zealand via the USA.
We are only about an hour into this second flight. I’ve had a mask mostly on for about 6 hours now. That’s probably the longest I’ve had to wear one and I’ll be setting some more records yet.
40 minutes away from LA
Now that this is my first long distance flight for over 2.5 years, I’m reminded how difficult it is to sleep on one of these. Especially when travelling alone. Semi-conscious arm wrestling for armrest space or constantly touching or being nudged by strangers does not set me up for quality sleep. Or any kind of sleep. How does anyone sleep like this?
Back to the mask. It’s not been too bad at all. I’m wearing a KN95 that my wife recommended I try. It’s made by Meo and it’s been great, until I tried to wear it in combination with an eye mask. I really couldn’t tolerate that, as it stopped the limited airflow out of the top of the mask and made it more difficult to breathe. And as I need an eye mask to sleep on a plane because of the bright lights of screens and how it changes all the time, that meant sleep was even more elusive.
It’s interesting that the surliest people on board this flight so far have been the crew. One particular member erupted when she found discarded food trays in the galley prep area, yelling out.
“FERAL!”
I’m sure she meant to be overheard. It was loud enough over the sound of the engines and I was a few metres away. It’s a tough job, though - I sure wouldn’t want to do it. Getting back to this life is hard, and I suppose especially so when dealing with desocialised passengers.
The plane really is jam-packed. I’m sure this is partly because of a lack of capacity. Few carriers are flying to and from NZ at the moment. I’m sure that will change by the end of the year.
Air New Zealand will have to watch out. The long-haul economy product is ok. But only just that. It doesn’t really feel like it has changed since I last flew. Whether that is going to be good enough as we go through 2022/23, who knows?
Who knows anything with any confidence about travel these days?
“This flight is packed, and they have been for weeks and for weeks to come. Close the borders again, I say. It’s great.” The surly attendant again.
Travel definitely doesn’t feel as slick as it did before. Up until the LA arrival, everything feels a little rough cut. A few edges to knock off here and there. Or maybe this is it and I’m just looking at this through rose-tinted expectations of 2019. Maybe baseline expectations are different now. Maybe they are being set that way on purpose.
Border Security: LAX
LAX. Why? Why did I do this to myself? Well, it was a complex calculus of wanting to ensure that I was as safe as possible in terms of vaccination and masking requirements for my combination of flights. This routing seemed to present the least exposure to pandemic transmission - at least until themask mandate was quashed. Even then, it still seemed the least risky. Plus avoiding overflying tricky areas of Central Europe right now. That’s why I submitted myself to the experience of border security at LAX.
I was not looking forward to this.
How wrong I was.
The line / queue wasn’t too long. Just under an hour, snaking our way up and down the arrival hall. The mood was fairly buoyant. Not the mad crush I had expected. And gauging from the mood, others had been surprised and relieved to find things moving too. Even the US Border staff seemed ebullient. But no-one more so than the officer who processed me.
“What do you do, sir?”
“I’m a psychologist and a writer.”
“What have you written recently?”
I told him about Finding Calm.
“Can I buy this book? I was in the Navy for 24 years, where I served as a counsellor. I’d be very interested in buying your book.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely, sir.”
He handed me a piece of paper for me to write my name and book titles.
He saluted me and sent me on my way. I told him what a pleasure it had been to meet him.
You really can find the most unusual lovely experiences in the most unexpected of places.
United flight UA923: Los Angeles to London Heathrow
I scored an Economy Plus window seat on my united flight. Yes, it has a door bulkhead in front me me but it’s a lot more legroom and no other economy seat descending down on me. Nice staff sorted it for me, so I’m grateful for that.
It’s another full flight apparently, so we will see how full “full” really is once we get going. (Note: it was really full). I think the last time I took transcontinental / transatlantic on United was back in 2009/10. And a lot has happened in between times. I was lucky enough to get into the United Club in T7 at LAX. That was nicer than I expected it to be and spacious too. Handy in these times.
I was seated next to John and Rosetta from LA going to London and Ireland on holiday. One of their adult kids and their husband were sat further back in ecomony, but not together. They weren’t together enough to organise being sat together. John and Rosetta were laughing as they took a hands-off approach.
“They can deal with it”, they laughed
John and Rosetta were excellent company along they way - 33 years married, and still gently teasing each other with good grace. I got the sense that helicopter parenting wasn’t their thing. They seemed good at it on an airplane anyway.
7.42am UK time
I am so done wearing a mask. I’ve noticed the headphones, glasses, mask combination is really sore now too. I have about 3.5 hours to go on this flight. I have had zero sleep. It’s been a better flight than the Air New Zealand that got me to Los Angeles. The service has been a bit better, and I’d say the food has been much better - chicken with quinoa for the main meal, plus a sandwich snack, and then a light breakfast before landing.
I forgot how cold it gets by the exit doors. Glad I brought extra layers.
UK Border
Of course the E-gates won’t work for me. I wasn’t alone in this experience. And of course, joining the other queue meant that I got through the border some 90 minutes after arrival. From what I could see from other passengers, I would have got processed quicker if I had our kids with us. They’re too young to use the E-gates.
There are some advantages to travelling with kids.
Do the E Gates not work in order to check for extra documentation (covid)