The surreal experience of flying during the pandemic

Demand for air travel has all but evaporated with the arrival of coronavirus. But airlines are still flying. And now, passengers have to wear masks. Here’s what it’s like to take a flight from Washington, D.C. into Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport. Mandatory stay-at-home orders have pushed demand for flying to almost zero, wrecking airline finances. Carriers are parking hundreds of planes anywhere they can, including on a runway at Atlanta. Inside the concourses there, crowds are nowhere near what they were in mid-March, as coronavirus started to shut life down. Most restaurants and shops are closed. On board flights, passengers will find blocked seats, to encourage social distancing. And inflight service consisting of water and snacks stuffed into a plastic baggie, to limit the interaction flight attendants have with fliers.