Internet Travel With Context
June 14-June 20, 2020
June 14-June 20, 2020
Read all about it! The nation's Coronavirus death toll surges past 115,000 119,000. The second wave seems to be starting in states that opened early. More airlines around the world resume service. U.S. airlines add back some flights, but traffic remains below 20 percent of 2019's totals. And more. Here's how we're covering it. Latest items are at the top. Read up from the bottom for context.
Coronavirus Update for June 20, 2020
The U.S. cruise industry has bowed to reality. All member cruise lines will cancel journeys until at least September 15. Here are today's other travel developments:
Hawaii has recorded the fewest Coronavirus infections per capita of any state, remarkable given its reliance on tourism. Aggressive action--and a 14-day mandatory quarantine for all arrivals--may have saved the day. Whether tourism recovers, however, remains to be seen. Politico has details. Phoenix now requires masks or face coverings to be worn in public. TSA turmoil A TSA whistleblower says bad choices and management incompetence put employees and travelers at greater risk for the Coronavirus. NPR has details. Singapore sting Singapore says any traveler--including returning citizens--will be required to bear the cost of mandatory Coronavirus tests and dedicated quarantine facilities.Coronavirus Update for June 19, 2020
Today is Juneteenth, which seems to have much more relevance this year than in the recent past. Here are today's travel developments: Traveling like its 1999. Well, March of 2020 anyway. The TSA says 576,514 people passed through airport checkpoints on Thursday, the most since the first day of spring. And at 21.12 percent of 2019 volume, it the highest "recovery rate" since pandemic lows in mid-April. Unmasked maniac Airlines spent the week trying to convince the world they've tightened the rules about wearing masks in-flight and are serious about enforcement. But instructions the carriers have given to flight crews clearly indicate the opposite. If a plane is sitting on the ground, however, it's easier to eject a maskless flyer. So it was that a D-List right-wing activist was at the center of a low-rent drama when he was removed or disembarked from American Airlines flights. The Washington Post also noted his string of social-media lies about this week's events. Meanwhile, Forbes says he'll attempt to fly again this weekend. While all this was going on, in Canada an unmasked flyer who decided to smoke on a flight was arrested. Sauce for the Florida gander New Yorkers stewed when states such as Florida and Texas imposed quarantines when New York was at the height of its Coronavirus infection stage. Now that Florida's virus rate is growing too fast, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is mulling quarantines for incoming Floridians. That's a lot of stewing and mulling, by the way. California says everyone must wear a mask or face covering when they cannot safely distance from other people in public. The rule is effective immediately now that infections in the state have spiked again. Airport agonistes Add Boston and Raleigh to the lists of airports pumping the brakes on expansion plans. Both cities decided yesterday not to proceed with previously approved capital projects given the uncertain state of future flying demand. SAS Scandinavian says it will operate about 40 aircraft in July, up from around 30 in June. Well, duh ... Bankrupt Hertz has officially abandoned plans to issue $500 million in new stock. Hertz warned shares would probably be "worthless" even as it was announcing the plan. But the car rental firm was buoyed when existing shares rose more than 400 percent after its May 22 bankruptcy filing. The SEC was not thrilled with Hertz's sale even though the company's bankruptcy court had approved up to $1 billion worth of new common stock.Coronavirus Update for June 18, 2020
President Trump continues to insist that the Coronavirus will "fade away." The numbers say otherwise. Twenty-three states are reporting more cases. Florida's daily infection toll has surged past 3,000, the highest on record. Only some of the increase can be attributed to increased testing. Here are today's travel developments: Delta Air Lines says a small uptick in revenue and extensive unpaid leave will cut its daily cash burn to $30 million by the end of the month. It was around $100 million a day earlier in the pandemic. Salt Lake City Airport said traffic had fallen to about 1,300 passengers a day--or just 5 percent of 2019 volume. Traffic is now around 20-25 percent of 2019, says airport executive director Bill Wyatt. Canada continues to defend its decision not to demand airlines refund passengers for flights the carriers cancelled. "I'm encouraging airlines to provide the best possible compensation to passengers when circumstances permit," transport minister Marc Garneau says. "Some of these airlines are not in a position to do this at this time." Orlando International Airport is in a numeric pissing match with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He says more than half the 500 workers tested there proved positive for Coronavirus. The airport says the governor, a noted Coronavirus skeptic, is misreading the numbers. ClickOrlando.com has details. Wednesday wobble The TSA says 441,829 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints on Wednesday. That's 17.31 percent of 2019 volume. That's a bit better than Tuesday, but indicates the 20 percent level of 2019--reached on the weekend--is still wobbly. Travel tumble Travel spending in the United States is predicted to drop 45 percent in 2020. Spending by domestic travelers may fall by 40 percent while spending by international visitors will tumble by 75 percent. The statistics are from the U.S. Travel Association, which is advocating another bundle of bailouts and tax incentives.Coronavirus Update for June 17, 2020
Tulsa is reporting a surge of Coronavirus cases just as President Trump plans a rally there on Saturday. If held, it'll be the largest gathering anywhere in the world since the pandemic hit. But Vice President Pence said this morning the event may be moved to an outdoor venue. Potential attendees already have to agree not to sue Trump if they catch the virus at the rally. Here are today's travel developments: Southwest Airlines doesn't assign seats, of course, but the carrier says it will restrict ticket sales per aircraft until September 30. That should allow middle seats to remain empty. Sure, why not? About half the states in the nation are reporting an upsurge in positive virus cases. So why be surprised that more than a dozen people at a Florida bar contracted the Coronavirus? Fox News has details. Tuesday tumble The TSA says 417,924 people came through airport checkpoints on Tuesday. That represents 16.9 percent of 2019 volume, notably lower than recent days. Tuesday and Wednesday are always the lowest travel days, of course. New York may lose as many as 25,000 hotel rooms or 20 percent of its inventory as a result of permanent closures after the pandemic. That's the equivalent of the entire hotel inventory of Louisville, Kentucky, or Jacksonville, Florida. The Wall Street Journal has details. Qantas has cancelled all international flights until October 24. That's the start of the airline industry's so-called winter schedules. The one exception: trans-Tasman flights to New Zealand.Coronavirus Update for June 16, 2020
The TSA says airport-checkpoint traffic on Monday dropped slightly below the 20-percent-of-2019 level. Here are today's other travel developments: WestJet said its flight schedule through August 4 will be 24 percent of 2019 levels. United Airlines says it expects June load factor to be about 50 percent, up from 35 percent in May and 16 percent in April. It expects available seat miles in June to be down 85 percent compared to 2019 levels. It was down 88 percent in April and May. London/Gatwick handled 11 scheduled flights on Monday. That is down from 435 scheduled flights on a similar day last June. Transport Canada has published its plans to implement its rules to require temperature checks at all Canadian airports. The details are here. Singapore says the Formula 1 race scheduled for September 20 has been cancelled.Coronavirus Update for June 15, 2020
The TSA says around 544,000 people passed through airport security checkpoints on Sunday (June 14). That is 20.5 percent of 2019 traffic, the highest level since pandemic lows were hit in mid-April. It's also the first time traffic has rebounded to the 20-percent level. Here are today's other travel developments: Carrying the Coronavirus Airline passengers brought the Coronavirus to LAX from New York on a mid-March flight operated by American Airlines. A few days earlier, a flight from Seoul also carried virus-infected travelers. The Los Angeles Times has details. British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz says the airline operated a total of 485 flights in May, equivalent to a half-day's schedule in May, 2019. Cathay Pacific Airways continues to release stunning operational numbers. It and its Cathay Dragon subsidiary carried 18,473 passengers in May, down 99.4 percent from May, 2019. The carrier plans to operate just 3.5 percent of 2019 capacity in June and 9.4 percent in July. Europe skies are busier. There was an average of 6,376 daily flights in Europe last week. That's 589 more flights per day over the previous week, a 10 percent increase, says Eurocontrol. Austrian Airlines resumed flying today, the first time since March 18.Coronavirus Update for June 14, 2020
Larry Kudlow, TV personality turned presidential economic advisor, says there'll be "no second wave" of Coronavirus. Of course, he also assured us there'd be no recession in 2008 and said in February that the Coronavirus was under control and posed no threat. Here are today's travel developments: EasyJet, the huge European low-fare/high-fee carrier, resumes flights on Monday after being grounded for 11 weeks. Passport pile-up Passport services have resumed and State Department functionaries are once again issuing the little blue travel books. The problem? There's a backlog of 1.7 million applications and it could take two months to clear. The New York Times has details. Tulsa trembles The health director of Tulsa really wishes that President Trump wouldn't hold a mass indoor rally next weekend in the city. The Tulsa World has details. Florida frenzy The 64 Florida counties that moved into the second phase of reopening on June 5 saw a more than 40 percent increase in new cases. Testing increased by only 8 percent. The Miami Herald has details. Beijing backtrack Beijing has ended tourism in the Chinese capital after a Coronavirus cluster was found at or near a wholesale market. CNBC.com has details.