what would you do? Fly vs Drive

[rodi]

DH wants to see his mother (93, almost 94... and starting to "go" physically). She's in a memory unit in Detroit. He also wants to see his brother - who recently was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer. BIL lives in Philadelphia.

He has a new car that he bought in November... So he was thinking of doing a road trip. He'd take younger son with him to share the driving. Son would do his zoom classes from the road (hot spot mobile phone to his laptop).

It's a long drive - even with two drivers... and they'd have potential covid exposure at motels, gas stations, restaurants.

Lodging in both Detroit and Philly is with family in a covid safe manner - The brother that lives near mom has a split level with a downstairs bedroom that can be accessed separately from the rest of the house. The brother in Philly has a walk out basement with a bedroom - again can be separate from the rest of the house. Visits would be masked and outside.
We estimate it would cost about $2000-$2500 and be two weeks round trip.

If he flies to Detroit, then drives to Philly, then flies home. With 1 person, premium economy, full size rental car, meals, etc... It would be <$1500 and be a 1 week trip.

He is worried about a 4.5 hour plane ride (covid risk)... but the drive has risks also.

Give me your pros and cons for it all. I don't think cancelling or postponing for a long time are options - both his mom and brother have a shelf life fast approaching.

 

[MBAustin]

Personally I would do Option 2. I do think motels and restaurants are the biggest issues on the road, and airports and planes as well are not great. Try to pick an airline that is still leaving middle seats open (I think Southwest and Delta are at least on most flights). There was a NYT article recently on road trips and it recommended to ask for a motel room that has not been occupied for at least 3 nights. Also eat outdoors or get takeout and eat in your motel room. Sanitize hands before and after using public restrooms (that's probably a good idea anywhere now). Take lots of masks and use a clean one every day.

All that said, I think the risk is worth it in this case whichever way he decides to go. Good luck with everything!

 

[aja8888]

I drive to Connecticut every year (two trips) to visit my remaining family. I also make stops to see old friends in other states so the trip is broken up. I go alone and stay in motels. I haven't done this Fall's trip yet as CT is not allowing Texas residents in without pre admission, Covid testing, etc.

It's better to drive if you have the time and it also gives one more flexibility. With two drivers, it will help from a tiring standpoint.

I'm done with flying on a personal basis after almost 40 years of being on the road 26+ weeks of the year.

 

[MissMolly]

Per MIT, it may not be so bad flying as one might think:

https://medical.mit.edu/covid-19-updates/2020/07/how-safe-air-travel

Under the circumstances, I would probably take a chance and fly. I have not gone anywhere except to Kroger and the dentist, so this statement is coming from a person who is very careful about what she is doing

 

[njhowie]

Fly - he's in the plane for the period of the plane ride and that's it. The airlines are all taking extra precautions at this time.

As you point out, with the long drive, there would be numerous stops along the way with different standards of protection being implemented. In my mind, that means more potential for contagion.

 

[MichaelB]

I’ve seen multiple articles lately promoting the safety of flying. None mention the risk from hours in the airport, the TSA line, the airplane boarding, airport transportation, etc.

I don’t like to drive but if any of my kids were to help I’d take the driving option before they had a chance to change their mind. I’ve driven long road trips with DD and DS and we all have very fond memories of the trips.

 

[Walt34]

Depending on how well they get along together a road trip like that could be a lot of fun. Consider some camping along the way instead of hotels? Maybe buy a used pop-up tent and sell it when done? If time is not of the essence they could take some fun side trips on the way back that could make it a memorable trip for both.

Airlines are fast but boring. If I had the time I'd want to do the road trip.

 

[RunningBum]

I'll start with a disclaimer that I have not flown nor driven more than 2 hours since mid-March. In general, I prefer to drive over flying, up to a limit.

I assume the start is San Diego, since that's your location. I would fly. The biggest factor is that I think a drive that long has much higher non-COVID risks, even if it's almost entirely on interstates.

I'm hearing that airlines are taking very serious precautions with wiping surfaces, air filters, and not allowing someone without a mask from boarding. I would try to book on Delta since they are blocking middle seats unless you have a party of 3 that will sit together. I would also try for direct flights if possible, to avoid the intermediate airport exposure.

I feel like a drive that long would seriously fatigue them, and they might get a little careless about precautions. I don't have any medical basis for this but I think if they are fatigued their bodies would have less able to fight off a virus. I think in general people get more sick when tired, but maybe that has no bearing on a virus.

 

[braumeister]

We took a road trip in July that was about 1,800 miles each way (3 days driving) and it was just fine.

I took another one of the same length just a week ago, still no problem.

We also did an airline trip in August that was a 4 hour flight each way, and a rental car to our destination.

It was all good, no problems. Here are my thoughts:

For flying, I can't recommend Delta highly enough. Plenty of empty seats due to low booking limits, middle seats not used. They are keenly aware of how we feel, and they do everything in their power to make us feel confident.

Hertz also does an impressive job on their end, and I had no qualms at all about how they were handling things in terms of sanitizing cars and everything else.

The Hilton brands of hotels were superb. Great performance on sanitizing and just generally doing the right thing. We used Hampton Inns, Hilton Garden Inns, and Homewood Suites.

I kept a plastic glove in the car that I used when filling the gas tank, and it gave me some feeling of confidence, although it probably wasn't really necessary.

We also avoided restaurants by taking most of our own food and just eating as we liked in highway rest areas. See this thread for a really great cooler you can use as a refrigerator in the car.

Those highway rest areas are mostly superior to any you remember. Since the pandemic began, I've found 95% of them to be excellent. Very clean, easy to properly wash your hands, and almost everyone is good about wearing a mask and social distancing.

So, bottom line, I think you'd be fine with either driving or flying.

 

[REWahoo]

I’ve seen multiple articles lately promoting the safety of flying. None mention the risk from hours in the airport, the TSA line, the airplane boarding, airport transportation, etc.

I don’t like to drive but if any of my kids were to help I’d take the driving option before they had a chance to change their mind. I’ve driven long road trips with DD and DS and we all have very fond memories of the trips.

^ This.

Driving allows for far more control of your environment, something you relinquish almost entirely if you fly, as Michael notes above.

Road trip!!!

 

[cathy63]

I'd say drive as long as you're confident that younger son can keep up with the schoolwork. I can't read or do anything like a video call in a moving car, but I know there are lots of lucky people who don't get motion sick. Also, we found on our trip to CO last summer that there are long stretches of highway (even Interstates) with no cell coverage. If those aren't issues, then the chance for father and son to do this trip together is something they'll probably both get a lot out of.

I don't think covid exposure while pumping gas is a concern. They're outside and can wear masks and use disposable gloves.

For motels, I think they should bring their own pillows. Otherwise I don't see a huge risk there. They can bring some Lysol wipes and do a quick wipe down of surfaces, TV remote, phone before use.

The main risk seems to me to be in the use of public restrooms at gas stations or rest stops, and I don't know how to mitigate that other than wearing masks and washing hands.

 

[38Chevy454]

I think either way can work. But option 2 flying will give a lot more time to be with mother and brother. He will still drive between Detroit and Philadelphia I assume? That way you just make a round trip San Diego to Detroit. Get the rental car for couple weeks and stay long enough to make the trip worthwhile and meaningful.

 

[jollystomper]

We flew for 2.5 hours each way to/from Florida less than two weeks ago, and felt very safe. We briefly debated driving (a 2100+ mile round rip), but for that distance and effort we decided we would rather fly.

The airports themselves were not crowded at all and easy to social distance, even on the security lines. For the plane. A lot depends on the airline. We flew Southwest, they are keeping the middle seats open, and the plane felt well ventilated.

We also did not find rental cars to be an issue, it was contactless (no other people) pickup and dropoff.

For lodging, instead of staying at relatives home, we chose to stay at a hotel a few miles away. Again, few people, room felt very clean and sanitized, no issues.

For what it is worth, upon return, since we were in a Florida "hotspot" area, we got tested for COVID. The results were negative.

That was our experience. We would feel comfortable flying again.

 

[audreyh1]

Sounds like the perfect use for a new car.

We had no concerns about using public restrooms or hotels on our recent road trips. We generally used rest areas, not gas station bathrooms. The rest areas weren’t crowded, which was nice.

We have not been in anyone else’s house since March. Hotels we felt safe. Did a little extra cleaning. It was easy to avoid crowds during our trips.

We took our own food as well in a big cooler. We were only 2 nights on the road each trip, so it was easily doable. Otherwise takeout only for us.

Not ready to fly yet. DH would totally refuse anyway.

 

[Ronstar]

I say drive it. Good bonding time between your son and husband.

As far as Covid is concerned, I would trust hotels and gas stations to be safer than airports and planes.

 

[W2R]

Personally I wouldn't choose either option! I'd try to see if some sort of online visit could be arranged.

OK, OK... if I absolutely HAD to choose one of the options, I suppose I'd probably fly. My reasoning is that I have driven clear across the entire country before, and it was awful and much longer and farther than I ever imagined prior to actually doing it. Yes, it was THAT bad, worse than my fears of riding in a closed metal tube in close proximity with a hundred sneezing strangers. I'd fly and take all the PPE I could find, masks, sanitizer, gloves, and so on.

 

[cyber888]

For me frankly, it really depends on the car .. it boils down to the car.. if I have a lousy beat up car, I would take the plane. Now if I have a really nice newer car .. like the new Audi A6 wagon or an RS6 superwagon with a WiFi hotspot in my car .. I would take the road trip.

 

[Aerides]

When I think about the safety of travel, I think less about the facilities and their cleaning operations than I do my exposure and closeness to other people.

I can avoid anything beyond a 1 minute interaction with anyone in a hotel, a gas station, etc. I can control and limit my "shared air" moments, and always with a mask on. So I have zero worries about dining outside (picking a well spaced table), or hotel rooms - a can of wipes can come on the trip for any worries there.

The flying thing, I think I'd be ok on a plane too, and I have promised myself a good upgrade when I do eventually travel, and book a direct flight where possible. It's the TSA lines, the boarding lines, the other passengers, etc., that I'm most concerned about...

And while I've read those same articles "hey flying isn't that risky!" - well how do you know that? Where pray tell in this country is contact tracing is being done effectively? Are people getting called 10 days after they fly and ask if they got sick? And answering honestly? (nope)

But that is a LOT of driving, so if you can find direct flights, and DH isn't in a high risk category, eh.... I agree the trip should happen either way, but I'm on the side that the flying has slightly more risk than the extra hotel stops.

 

[athena53]

OK, OK... if I absolutely HAD to choose one of the options, I suppose I'd probably fly. My reasoning is that I have driven clear across the entire country before, and it was awful and much longer and farther than I ever imagined prior to actually doing it. Yes, it was THAT bad, worse than my fears of riding in a closed metal tube in close proximity with a hundred sneezing strangers. I'd fly and take all the PPE I could find, masks, sanitizer, gloves, and so on.

I've concluded that after the third (partial) day of driving, I'm done. I would not drive from CA to the East Coast.

Having said that- last month I drove from KC to SC to visit my 89-year old Dad in LTC. He's failing and I figured if I waited till the facilities were open he might not even know who I was. I brought food and snacks in a cooler to minimize stops, did overnights each way at a Hampton Inn and stayed with family while there. I got back 8/18 and no apparent ill effects. I WAS quite unhappy to see the number of convenience stores and Subway shops with employees not wearing masks. I could have walked out again, of course, but that would have meant another stop somewhere else. I used masks and hand sanitizer.

I'd choose the fly to DTW drive to Philly option to cut down on the road trip. While I haven't flown since March, the fact that so far no COVID outbreaks have been traced back to plane flights is encouraging.

 

[rodi]

For me frankly, it really depends on the car .. it boils down to the car.. if I have a lousy beat up car, I would take the plane. Now if I have a really nice newer car .. like the new Audi A6 wagon or an RS6 superwagon with a WiFi hotspot in my car .. I would take the road trip.

Not that fancy of a car - it's a 1999 Rav4... but a lot better than the 95 Dodge Ram pickup he used to drive.

But that is a LOT of driving, so if you can find direct flights, and DH isn't in a high risk category, eh.... I agree the trip should happen either way, but I'm on the side that the flying has slightly more risk than the extra hotel stops.

His only risk factor is age... He's 68.

 

[Tiger8693]

I’ve seen multiple articles lately promoting the safety of flying. None mention the risk from hours in the airport, the TSA line, the airplane boarding, airport transportation, etc.

I don’t like to drive but if any of my kids were to help I’d take the driving option before they had a chance to change their mind. I’ve driven long road trips with DD and DS and we all have very fond memories of the trips.

While I see the point, I have flown several times and think this is minimal when compared to other "ventures out". At least in the airports I went through, the TSA was well separated, masks were (mostly) required and adhered to, and frankly, there weren't many people in the airport. There are a helluva lot more at the grocery and Wal-mart for sure.

 

[RunningBum]

He has a new car that he bought in November...

Not that fancy of a car - it's a 1999 Rav4... but a lot better than the 95 Dodge Ram pickup he used to drive.

Wow, really? His new car is 21 years old? How certain is he of the reliability? I really did a double take on this, because when you said new car, I thought you were talking about a brand new, fairly luxurious car.

Sticking with my answer to fly.

 

[2017ish]

Given the relative safety of flying versus driving (even apart from covid), I'd think the flight would be better in his situation. (Sounds like he isn't in the "let's do a 7000 mile roadtrip for kicks" group and the '99 car would be questionable for me if I had just bought it.)

I agree with others that the interstate stops/stations/restaurants have been quite clean the past few months (Although, in our experience, venturing onto long stretches on state/US highways would be a bit more interesting for anyone very concerned about covid)

But we also have seen that the airlines (so far, SWA and 6-8 flights on Alaska) are working hard on distancing and requiring masks. Combine that with the lack of evidence of any mass spread on flights even before April and the superior safety of airtravel, and I think it is probably the best option.

(Take with appropriate loads of salt from someone who has been pretty aggressive about not staying in the house or state.)

 

[MRG]

Not that fancy of a car - it's a 1999 Rav4... but a lot better than the 95 Dodge Ram pickup he used to drive.




His only risk factor is age... He's 68.

Go rent something new and drive it.

I agree with a poster above, this could be an adventure. They should enjoy the trip and document the fun parts.

 

[Nick12]

Not that fancy of a car - it's a 1999 Rav4... but a lot better than the 95 Dodge Ram pickup he used to drive.




His only risk factor is age... He's 68.

I have been flying. The prices are dirt cheap for basic economy. I snagged a United roundtrip from FL to NJ / NYC area for $70. Some days in late Sept are $38 roundtrip the last time I checked. The flight was full and I noticed many if not all were young people and their kids. Everyone was masked up. With low numbers at the airport I did noticed all in my line at TSA were pat down searched before proceeding to the gates.