Internet Travel With Context
May 17-May 23, 2020
May 17-May 23, 2020
Read all about it! As the national Coronavirus death toll surges past the 85,000 90,000 95,000 96,000 mark, all eyes are on the states that opened quickly. Will their infection and death rates spike? Asia deals with zero tourism as bans on visitors continue. European countries sweat the decisions to open to some tourism. Flying is still down more than 90 percent compared to 2019, but surges for Memorial Day. Here's how we're covering it. The latest items are at the top. Read up from the bottom for context.
Coronavirus Update for May 23, 2020
Hertz and many of its subsidiaries declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last night. If you're reading that it's "because of Coronavirus," change news sources. Even before the pandemic's deleterious effects, the rental firm was groaning under $17 billion in debt, had suffered a decade of frightful management and was dealing with massive defections of business travelers. Here are today's other developments:
Waterloo Two The United Kingdom finally announced rules for its 14-day self-quarantine for visitors and returning nationals. It goes into effect on June 8. The details are here. France immediately responded by saying it "will reciprocally ask travellers arriving from the UK to go into quarantine." Island alliance Ireland has essentially aligned its quarantine rules with Britain's regulations. Travelers must self-quarantine for 14 days. The edict is effective May 28 and reviewable on June 18. Big "boom" two The TSA says 348,673 people passed through airport checkpoints on Friday compared to 2,792,670 on the Friday before Memorial Day in 2019. That means travel is now at 12.4 percent of 2019 levels. Texas has rolled back its quarantine order for travelers arriving from certain U.S. destinations. Details are here. Michigan has extended its stay-at-home rule until June 12. The edict does have new exceptions, however.Coronavirus Update for May 22, 2020
President Trump yesterday wore a mask inside a Ford facility that requires a mask for all. We know because a photo was leaked. Otherwise, Trump refuses to wear a mask in public. In fairness, he is tested every day and doesn't pose a contamination risk to others. Everyone else who has access to a daily test is also exempt from the polite act of wearing a mask to avoid infecting others. Here are today's other developments: The big "boom" The TSA says 318,449 people passed through airport checkpoints on Thursday, a jump of nearly 90,000 from Wednesday. It's also the busiest day at the airports since March 23. And at nearly 12 percent of last year's 2,673,635 on a similar travel day, it is the best performance of the post-pandemic period. But, still, 12 percent of normal is 12 percent of normal. Southwest Airlines says it will operate about 50 percent of its pre-pandemic schedule in June, up from 30-40 percent in May. Britain apparently will release details today of its self-quarantine program for travelers. The Guardian has details. Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center says it will reopen on June 8. The property has a 10-acre pool and water feature popular with locals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Second wave ahead The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a major research facility, says as many as 17 states have seen an upsurge in Coronavirus infection. Details and latest developments here.Coronavirus Update for May 21, 2020
There are indications that Coronavirus deaths are picking up as America opens up. The days ahead will tell the tale. Meanwhile, more than five million people have been infected worldwide. Here are today's other developments: Step up The TSA says 230,367 people passed through airport checkpoints on Wednesday, a smart jump in traffic over Tuesday. That brings traffic back to around 91 percent down year-on-year. Air New Zealand says about 5,000 people flew yesterday, a sharp jump over several weeks ago, when the airline traffic numbered in the hundreds. Easyjet, the huge European discount carrier, says it will resume flying on June 15. Initial flight schedule will include 21 airports. Lufthansa, which claims it continues to lose a million euros per hour, flew just 3,000 passengers per day in April. That compares to about 350,000 daily before the pandemic. The airline has grounded all but 60 of its 760 aircraft. Singapore says flyers will again be permitted to transit Changi Airport effective June 2. Details haven't been finalized, but connecting travelers will be isolated and not allowed to use most amenities. Italy says all airports will reopen on June 3.Coronavirus Update for May 20, 2020
All 50 states will have some sort of re-opening plans in place by the weekend. For good or bad. We won't know for quite some time how it will affect infection and death rates. Here are today's other developments: Step back The TSA says about 190,000 people passed through airport checkpoints on Tuesday, traditionally the lowest flying day of the week. That's a backward step, meaning travel is down about 92 percent from last year's numbers. In recent days, it had plateaued at 90-91 percent down. China hotels Hilton says it has reopened all of its hotels in China. Kempinski said earlier this week that all of its China properties are open, too. American Airlines said its load factor in May has been about 35 percent, up from 15 percent in April. That's a bit of misdirect, however, since American is flying much less capacity in May compared to April. France quarantine French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that citizens returning from non-EU countries should put themselves in 14 days of self-quarantine. The request is effective today. Coronavirus Update for May 19, 2020
The TSA says about 244,000 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. That means flying remains on the plateau of being 91+ percent down compared to 2019. Here are today's developments: Feel the burn Executives at Southwest Airlines say its daily cash burn will be $25 million in the second quarter, but down to around $20 million during June. American Airlines says its cash burn is $70 million, down from $100 million. It hopes to reduce it to $50 million in June. Delta Air Lines says its burn will be down to $40 million by the end of June, $10 million less than earlier projections. The statistics come from airline presentations today at a major investment conference. Everything's relative Meanwhile, United Airlines told the conference that its gross bookings were down 95 percent in April compared to last year. The airline has reduced May and June capacity by 90 percent. In July, United says its capacity will be down "only" 75 percent compared to 2019. Southern cooking Yesterday it was Georgia caught playing with Coronavirus data. Meanwhile, Florida has removed the woman who designed the state's much-lauded Covid-19 dashboard. She says it's because she refused to manipulate data to support the state's reopening plans. Details are here. Allegiant, the airline and travel company, flew just 36,000 customers in April. Revenue was down 97 percent compared to 2019. Load factor dropped to 19.3 percent even as the company cut departures by 88.3 percent. Qantas says passengers will be given masks and sanitary wipes to use in-flight. The Australian carrier will not require the masks be worn and will not block middle seats, however. The new policy is effective June 12. Safety first saves lives Stay-at-home rules saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Details are here. One thing that isn't risky? Flying. Details are here.Coronavirus Update for May 18, 2020
News of a possible vaccine sent the stock market into a buying frenzy today. This the same day Federal Reserve Chairman Powell said unemployment could reach 25 percent and we passed the 90,000-death mark. So, you know, six of one ... Here are today's developments: Basis for optimism The TSA says 253,807 people passed through checkpoints yesterday compared to more than 2.6 million on a similar day last year. That represents a decline of a little less than 91 percent, a basis-point improvement over recent days. Asia abandoned Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon of Hong Kong carried 13,729 pax combined in April, off 99.6 percent from last year. Hong Kong Airport handled 32,000 passengers in April, down 99.5 percent. (As reported yesterday, 4,100 people visited Hong Kong during the month.) Meanwhile, the Singapore Airlines Group reported that revenue passenger kilometers, a measure of airline traffic, dropped 99.6 percent in April. Available seat kilometers, a measure of airline capacity, fell 96.3 percent. Singapore Air's load factor: 9.1 percent. Pittsburgh Airport says masks or face coverings are now required at the terminals. Cooked and skewed Georgia, one of the first states to press its reopening agenda, apparently has cooked books and skewed data to make its Coronavirus statistics look better. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has details. Maybe they'll get a voucher instead Although airlines have received the CARES Act bailout funds to underwrite their payrolls, not a penny of other financial aid has been disbursed. TheHill.com has details. Coronavirus Update for May 17, 2020
Two weeks before the official start of the hurricane season, we've got our first named Atlantic storm. Because Africa's plague of locust and global pestilence wasn't enough. Here are today's developments: Hong Kong tourism was down 99.9 percent in April. About 4,100 visitors were recorded. Stasis The TSA says 193,340 people passed through airport checkpoints on Saturday, consistent with this week's 91 percent decline in traffic compared to last year. Thailand has extended its ban on international flight arrivals until June 30. Lone Star Spike? There seem to be conflicting numbers about Texas' experience since it began aggressively reopening the state. This report says there's been an increase in deaths.