Internet Travel With Context
July 26-August 1, 2020
July 26-August 1, 2020
Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 145,000 150,000 154,000 as new cases and rising hospitalization rates tax hospitals in Florida, Texas and many other Sunbelt states. European countries consider requirements for returning residents to test after holidays. The travel industry worries about the fragility--and shallow nature--of the "recovery." Latest items are at the top. Read up from the bottom for context.
Coronavirus Update for August 1, 2020
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says there were 15,488 flights for the week ending July 25. That is more than double the lowpoint during the pandemic--7,062 for the week ending April 25--but around half the number of flights for the same week last year. Here are today's other travel developments:
Europe skies this July handled about 40 percent of 2019's volume of flights, according to Eurocontrol, the unified European air-traffic operation. National Hockey League games resume today. They'll be the first games since March 11. British Airways has abandoned plans to restart flights at London/Gatwick on September 7. The new target date is November 9. Bewley's, the iconic "oriental" coffee café on Dublin's Grafton Street, now says it will reopen sometime later this month. The company said in May that it would close permanently. Of course, Bewley's has a checkered history on Grafton Street. The shop first opened in 1927, closed in 2004, reopened, closed again in 2015 and reopened in 2017. Norway has refused to reopen its borders to a dozen countries on the EU list of approved nations. The country's Ministry of Health says it will consider the situation during the month. Details are here.Coronavirus Update for July 31, 2020
Today we passed 4.5 million confirmed Coronavirus infections nationwide. Experts suggest there are actually 10 times as many people infected. But since we have a dreadful testing regimen, we don't know. Here are today's travel developments: Flatlining The 718,310 people who passed through TSA security checkpoints yesterday represented 26.1 percent of 2019 volume. (Last year's comparative day was one of the ten busiest in TSA history.) But growth has stalled. Last Thursday, the traffic was 26 percent of 2019's volume. Disney disillusion Although Disney's theme parks in Orlando have reopened, the company is pushing back the reopening of many of its hotels. Two properties closed since March now won't open before mid-autumn despite an earlier plan to open in August. At least two other properties have no reopening date at all. Wisconsin has ordered masks to be worn at all indoor public places. The order from Governor Tony Evers is effective beginning tomorrow. Evers earlier said he didn't have the power to issue the mandate. Air France/KLM says the two eponymous carriers will operate 45 percent of its 2019 capacity in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the airlines hope to offer 65 percent of 2019 capacity. Air Canada says its second-quarter revenue fell 89 percent on a 92 percent drop in capacity. It expects to fly just 20 percent of 2019 capacity in the third quarter. Bailing on bankers British Airways said it is immediately retiring its fleet of Airbus A318 aircraft. That means the end of the unique flights connecting New York/JFK with London/City, the airport adjacent to London's Canary Wharf. The 32-seat, all-business-class flights were popular with bankers on the crucial NyLon run. It hasn't run since March and BA confirms it will not return with the retirement of the A318s.Coronavirus Update for July 30, 2020
In the second quarter, the U.S. economy contracted at an annualized rate of 33 percent. So, you know, good times. Here are today's travel developments: Stalling at takeoff The nascent and shaky travel "recovery" has stalled. The TSA says 573,200 people passed through airport security checkpoints on Wednesday. That's just 22.5 percent of 2019 volume. It was just 22 percent on Tuesday. Michigan says bars can no longer offer indoor service. The mandate takes effect on Friday. Dribbling in a bubble The NBA season resumes tonight in a bubble in Orlando. Texas has now joined California and Florida in surpassing New York State in the total number of Coronavirus infections. Antwerp, Belgium, has imposed a curfew between 11:30pm and 6am. Vietnam had been considered a relative haven where Coronavirus had been controlled and conquered. Now the country is rushing to handle outbreaks. Reuters has the details.Coronavirus Update for July 29, 2020
Another dreadful red-letter day: There are now at least 150,000 deaths in the United States due to the Coronavirus. Here are today's travel developments: JetBlue Airways says it flew just 15 percent of its 2019 schedule in this year's second quarter. Its capacity dropped 84.9 percent year-over-year and passenger traffic was down 94.4 percent. At best, it says capacity will be 55 percent of 2019 numbers during the third quarter. Hawaiian Airlines says its second-quarter capacity and revenues fell 92 percent compared to 2019. Frankfurt Airport, one of Europe's key hubs, served about 322,000 passengers during the week of July 20-26. That's down 79.7 percent compared to the same week in 2019. Tri-State triage New York, New Jersey and Connecticut now require 14-day quarantines for travelers from 34 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. Spain suffers. Tourism is around 12 percent of Spain's economy so this number will hurt: Nationwide hotel occupancy in the first six months of 2020 was 33 percent compared to 73 percent during the first six months of 2019. Eternally creative A Roman entrepreneur whose tourist-oriented shops have been devastated by the Coronavirus lockdown and the subsequent banning of most non-EC tourists has a new idea: Mask shops. Prodded by his children, he's converted several of his Rome stores to Lamaska, the first all-mask retailer in town. The Washington Post has details.Coronavirus Update for July 28, 2020
IATA, the global airline trade group, now says it will be 2024 before airline traffic returns to 2019 levels. Here are today's other travel developments: Business travel is dead. Google says it will keep all employees--about 200,000 people--working from home for another year. Meanwhile, the in-person Consumer Electronics Show is cancelled. In other words, business travel is not coming back anytime soon. TSA troubles The TSA confirms that seven more screeners at Atlanta/Hartsfield have tested positive for Coronavirus. The details are here. Washington, DC has expanded its 14-day quarantine rule to arrivals from 27 "high-risk" states. The details are here. Kentucky has closed bars again for two weeks and restaurants will be limited to 25 percent of indoor capacity. Tennessee won't slow down its reopening despite a warning from White House Coronavirus advisor Dr. Deborah Birx. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee awkwardly rejected Birx's advice at a joint press conference. TheHill.com has the details. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has bailed on an emergency judicial hearing today that he'd demanded in his suit to stop Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from enforcing a mask mandate. Kemp's suit now will proceed at normal pace while Bottoms' mask mandate remains in force. Emirates Airline says it will cover your costs if you contract the Coronavirus during a trip. The fine print is extensive, of course. The details are here. Turkey in peace. Walmart and Target have both announced that they will not open their stores on Thanksgiving Day. That should take some steam out of the in-person Black Friday chaos.Coronavirus Update for July 27, 2020
About 10,000 more people passed through TSA airport security checkpoints last weekend (July 24-26) compared to the previous one (July 17-19). That represents a 50-basis-point improvement over 2019 travel volume. Here are today's other travel developments: Florida has now passed New York State in the number of total Coronavirus cases. However, the mortality rate so far has been much lower. California now leads the nation in confirmed cases. Delta Air Lines returned an Atlanta-bound flight back to the gate at its Detroit/Metro hub Thursday when two passengers refused to wear a mask. MLive.com has the details. If god wanted planes to sit on the ground ... The FAA issued an emergency inspection order for thousands of older-generation Boeing 737s grounded since the pandemic. Valve corrosion during storage may lead to engine shutdowns. Bloomberg has the details. Hong Kong reverses Hong Kong continues to reverse its reopening. Effective Wednesday local time, dining indoors in restaurants is once again banned as are public gatherings of more than two non-family members. Masks will now be required in indoor as well as outdoor public spaces. Cuomo confirmation A CDC report confirms a key contention of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: The travel shutdowns from China and Europe ordered by President Trump came too late. The Coronavirus was already in New York by that time. The details are here.Coronavirus Update for July 26, 2020
Eurocontrol says July airline traffic will only be about 38 percent of 2019's volume and even those gains are threatened by a rise is new cases. Here are today's other travel developments: Hawaiian Airlines confirms a flight attendant died from Coronavirus after attending an in-person training event. NBC News has the details. Eternal perhaps, but certainly mostly closed. Rome's hotel association says 90 percent of the lodgings in The Eternal City remain closed. The name's controversial, too John Wayne/Orange County airport says passenger volume in June was down 80 percent compared to 2019. The airport is also battling protesters who want the place to stop calling itself John Wayne, whose racial views were, um, less than pristine. We'll always have the George V. Four Seasons says the Georges V, perhaps the most famous hotel in Paris, won't reopen until September 1. Southwest Airlines says it will not lay off any employees on October 1, when the CARES Act payroll support ends. The airline has prided itself on never laying off an employee. But that claim is somewhat specious: About 17,000 employees--a quarter of the staff--already have accepted buyouts and Southwest admits its promise to restore 100 percent of its 2019 schedule by the end of the year is now unlikely.