Read all about it! More than 214,000 215,000 219,000 Americans have died during the virus pandemic as the second wave takes hold around the world. Cities and countries eschew total lockdowns, but restrictions on daily life return. Airlines and hotel chains warn it will be years before 2019 travel patterns return. Airline third-quarter numbers are predictably dreary. Read up from the bottom for context.

Coronavirus Update for October 17, 2020

A reminder of where we are as the United States moves into the fall and winter Coronavirus wave. There have been 33,337 death in New York State, followed by Texas (17,375), California (16,923), New Jersey (16,202) and Florida (15,830). Here are today's other developments:
        Been there, flown that The TSA says that 973,046 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 36.8 percent of 2019 volume, exactly the same as Thursday.
        Dire outlook A third of the members of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association expect that they will either have to hand back the keys to their lender or be forced into a sale.
        Really? Bahamas Paradise Cruise Lines, which operates between Florida and the islands, wants to be the first U.S.-based cruise line to resume service. It wants to start on December 18. That'll require the CDC to lift its no-cruise order, however.
        Ryanair, the huge European discount carrier, is slamming the brakes on its service resumptions. Although it will fly to about two-thirds of its previous destinations, it will close bases in Shannon, Cork and Toulouse and make major cuts in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Spain. Until March, it expects to fly 40 percent of its 2019 levels instead of the previously announced 60 percent.

Coronavirus Update for October 16, 2020

France and Germany are reporting a record number of new Coronavirus cases. And today we will pass 8 million cases in the United States. Good thing this thing is just going to disappear like a miracle ... Here are today's other developments:
        On the other hand The TSA says about 950,000 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 36.8 percent of 2019 volume. Not great, to be sure, but it's a nearly 5-point jump from Thursday, September 17, which generated 31.9 percent of 2019 volume. Airlines say their numbers are down, but a 5-point jump in a month is nothing to sneeze at during a pandemic.
        Connection to nowhere Fourteen passengers were detained in Melbourne, Australia, after they arrived from New Zealand. They flew to Sydney, then hopped a connecting flight to Melbourne, but that city isn't currently accepting international visitors. Australia's ABC Network has the details.
        The glass, the hotels and your philosophy U.S. hotel occupancy hit 50 percent for the week ending October 10, according to lodging statistician STR. It's only the second time since the pandemic began that weekly occupancy hit 50 percent. But before you muse about half-full/half-empty glasses, remember that statistic is 50 percent of open hotels. Many properties remain closed and would crater occupancy rates if they were included.
        All better now Statistics from Chinese aviation regulators indicate there were more domestic flights in September than in September, 2019. Passenger volume was 47.75 million, 98 percent of the September, 2019, total, regulators say.
        Kirby opines United chief executive Scott Kirby says he doesn't expect business travel to return to 2019 levels until 2024. Can't fool him ...
        Little Britain The number of arriving and departing flights in the United Kingdom has fallen 71 percent since March 1. Passenger volume is down 83 percent.

Coronavirus Update for October 15, 2020

The second wave has arrived in Europe and is hitting the United States hard. But never fear: President Trump says we've turned the corner so everything will be fine. Here are today's other developments:
        Progress by the fraction The TSA says 717,940 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. It represents 30.9 percent of 2019 traffic, several basis points higher than the performance on the two most recent Wednesdays.
        United Airlines says its daily cash burn was $25 million in the third quarter compared to $40 million in the second quarter.
        France has imposed a nightly curfew in nine of its largest cities. Beginning Saturday, a 9pm-to-6am curfew will be in effect for four weeks in Paris, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, Montpellier and Toulouse.
        The Czech Republic has closed schools nationwide. Restaurants and bars can only operate until 8 pm and only offer take-away meals. The Czech Republic has the highest percentage of virus infections per capita in Europe.
        Northern Ireland has told bars, pubs and restaurants they may only offer take-away service and must close at 11pm. Supermarkets and liquor shops cannot sell alcohol after 8pm.
        Barcelona and Catalonia have ordered all bars and restaurants to close on-premises operations. For the next 15 days, they can only sell to-go items.
        Austria is locking down the town of Kuchl near Salzburg and the Bavarian border. Beginning Saturday, only essential traffic into and out of the city of 6,600 people is allowed. Kuchl has the highest number of new infections in the country.

Coronavirus Update for October 14, 2020

Thirty-six states have more Coronavirus cases today than last week, according to CNN. A dozen states have positivity rates above 10 percent. There are now around 50,000 new cases per day, up from about 20,000 in May. Death rates have plateaued at about 800 per day, but invariably spike upward in the days following increased cases and positivity rate. Here are today's other developments:
        Tuesday tumble The TSA says 680,894 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. It represents 29.4 percent of 2019 traffic, the first time that number fell below 30 percent since, um, last Tuesday. That's because Tuesday and Wednesday are historically the slowest travel days of the week.
        We're closed! The tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut added three more states to its unclean list: Ohio, Michigan and Virginia. That means arrivals from 36 states and two U.S. territories must quarantine for 14 days.
        The Netherlands retreats to a partial lockdown effective today. Cafes, bars and restaurants must close for two weeks although Prime Minister Mark Rutte promises a two-week review. Alcohol sales are banned after 8pm.
        Delta Air Lines says it expects fourth-quarter revenue to be 30-35 percent of 2019 levels. "We believe it could be two years or more before we see a normalized revenue environment," says Delta chief executive Ed Bastian.
        Hello, goodbye Just weeks after they reopened, bars, pubs, gyms and casinos in Liverpool and the surrounding areas of Northern England must close. Liverpool is the first English area to enter the new third and highest Coronavirus danger zone.
        Qantas resumes Trans-Tasman flights on Friday with four weekly flights between its Sydney hub and Auckland, New Zealand.
        Poor Pret Upside of being a fast-growing fast-casual dining chain? Ubiquitous storefronts in global cities with teeming numbers of office workers. The downside during a pandemic? Ubiquitous storefronts in global cities when office workers aren't going to the office. Hence the current struggle of Pret a Manger. The New York Times has the details.

Coronavirus Update for October 13, 2020

At least a half-dozen media outlets have pulled their reporters from President Trump's traveling pool because they are concerned about the lack of safety precautions and worried about the health of their employees. The Washington Examiner has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        Treading travel water The TSA says that 958,440 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. It represents 36.6 percent of 2019 traffic, right where it was at the start of the Columbus Day weekend.
        Porter Airlines has again delayed its restart. The Toronto/City Island carrier now promises a December 15 relaunch.
        Where we stand U.S. passenger airlines last week carried 34 percent of 2019 volume while operating 53 percent of their schedules with 75 percent of their fleets.
        Go west ... Delta Air Lines says "the west is recovering far faster than the east," according to Joe Esposito, the carrier's senior vice president of network planning. His proof? In November, Delta will run about 90 percent of its schedule at Salt Lake City, but only 20-25 percent at New York/Kennedy and LaGuardia.
        Italy says restaurants and bars now can offer only table service after 9pm and must close at midnight. Face masks must be worn in public and outdoors.

Coronavirus Update for October 12, 2020

Watch for tough new (or revived) Coronavirus restrictions in France, Italy and Britain today as all three nations await speeches or proclamations from their respective prime ministers. Here are today's other developments:
        Big man in tiny town The TSA says 984,234 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. That is the highest one-day total since the pandemic low point of April 14 and the highest since March 17. It represents 38.5 percent of 2019 traffic, still short of the best one-day performance registered during the Labor Day weekend boomlet.
        No travel for you International air travel within Asia was down 97 percent in August, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. That's because most countries still bar travel even within the region.
        Merde Two more French cities--Toulouse and Montpellier--have gone to maximum crisis level. That means bars are closed as are gyms and sports centers. Paris, Marseille and several other cities are already at crisis level.
        Euroslip There were fewer than 100,000 flights in Europe's skies last week, the lowest number since mid-July, according to Eurocontrol, the continent's air traffic coordinator.
        Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is going into quarantine after one member of his security detail tested positive for Coronavirus.

Coronavirus Update for October 11, 2020

The President held a public event at the White House yesterday and his current favorite medical expert--the radiologist Dr. Scott Atlas--wasn't wearing a mask. So there's that. Here are today's other developments:
        Second-wave alert France, the Netherlands and Poland are all registering record-high numbers of new Coronavirus cases over the weekend. In France, the one-day total was around 27,000. Its highest total during the first wave in April? About 7,500.
        Aloha Oy! Hawaiian Airlines says it is (temporarily) shutting its commuter carrier beginning November 1. The (temporary) closure of 'Ohana will hit the islands of Lanai and Molokai particularly hard. They'll now be left only with 9-seat flights from Mokulele Airlines.
        Saturday's shiny object The TSA says 769,868 people passed through airport checkpoints yesterday. While that is down in absolute numbers from recent days, it is 37.1 percent of 2019 volume, the "best" performance since the brief Labor Day spike.
        Finnair was aggressively building back its schedule in hopes of winning market share. Hasn't worked. The airline is now trimming service it had restored for the fall and winter months. Until the end of March, it will now operate about 75 flights a day to 45 destinations. It also closed the lounge in the Schengen area of its Helsinki hub. Its other lounge at Vantaa closed in March.
        Don't blame Canada If you are looking for ways to judge the United States Coronavirus response, consider: Canada has recorded about 260 deaths per million citizens since the pandemic began. The United States has 648 per million. We've recorded more deaths per million citizens than Italy, the spring epicenter of the pandemic.

Coronavirus Update for October 4-10, 2020

Read all about it! More than 209,000 210,000 214,000 Americans have died during the pandemic as a second wave engulfs many Western nations. Cities once past the worst of the Coronavirus begin new shutdowns. The White House Coronavirus crisis deepens. Airlines rethink international routes. And more. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for Sept. 27-October 3, 2020

Read all about it! More than 204,000 205,000 209,000 Americans have died during the pandemic as global deaths pass one million. Airlines trim fall/winter transatlantic flights since there's little chance countries will open their borders to the United States. And more. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for September 20-26, 2020

Read all about it! More than 199,000 200,000 204,000 Americans have died during the Coronavirus pandemic. Airlines and hotels cut back because there is little traffic to support more optimistic approaches. Europe resumes some limited lockdowns. Airline bosses expect the worst. And more. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for September 13-19, 2020

Read all about it! More than 193,000 195,000 199,000 Americans have died during the virus pandemic as positive cases pass the 6.5-million mark. Countries that once "beat" the virus experience a dreaded second wave. Flying numbers fall as both business and leisure travel slows. Hotels are closing forever. Ground borders in North America remain closed. And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for September 6-12, 2020

Read all about it! More than 188,000 190,000 193,000 have died during the pandemic in the United States. Schools and universities continue to cancel or curtail in-person classes. U.S. airlines press for another bailout, but the Senate omits it from its bill. The travel industry begins autumn cutbacks as the summer uptick flattens. And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for August 30-Sept. 5, 2020

Read all about it! The United States has now passed 6 million confirmed cases and 182,000 185,000 188,000 dead. That's about 24 percent of the global cases and 20 percent of the death toll. We are 4 percent of the world's population. Meanwhile, more and more 2021 events are cancelled as travel dials back from a brief summer "high." And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for August 23-August 29, 2020

Read all about it! The death toll from Coronavirus surges past 175,000 180,000 182,000 as European and Asian nations deal with resurgences of the virus. Flying hits the wall as daily traffic sags noticeably. Airlines globally begin to pull down service again. And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for August 16-August 22, 2020

Read all about it! As the nation begins two weeks of Zoom-like political conventions, the death toll from Coronavirus surges past 169,000 175,000 176,000. As many places open, others shut back down. Travel continues to wobble: Airline passenger volume flattens, hotel occupancy rates remain far below 2019 levels. And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for August 9-August 15, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 162,000 165,000 169,000. There are now more than 20 million cases worldwide and a quarter of them have been in the United States. Travel continues to be in an extended holding pattern as Americans fret about schools, the football season--and the post office. And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for August 2-August 8, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll spikes dramatically as the nationwide tally surges past 155,000 160,000 162,000. Countries that thought they'd tamed the virus are scaling back activities just as the August vacation season kicks into high gear. U.S. carriers and hotels face the wreckage of a shrunken travel industry. And more. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for July 26-August 1, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 146,000 150,000 154,000 as new cases and rising hospitalization rates tax hospitals in Florida, Texas and 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." And more. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for July 19-25, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 140,000 145,000 146,000 while infections rage out of control throughout the Sunbelt. Countries close their borders again and reopenings in the United States are rolled back or curtailed. The travel industry faces a hard reality: There's no V-shaped recovery. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for July 12-18, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 135,000 140,000 while countries such as New Zealand can declare themselves virus-free. New York City, however, said it had its first death-free day since mid-March. Meanwhile, Florida is the new global epicenter of Coronavirus. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for July 5-11, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 130,000 135,000 and new virus infections are rising around the nation and around the world. The question is now what a post-Fourth travel scene will look like as several states with key hubs--California, Arizona, Texas, Florida--report record-breaking infection numbers. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for June 28-July 4, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 125,000 130,000. As the Coronavirus rages throughout the South, reality sets in about the pace of any possible "recovery" and reopenings. Europe drops most of its intra-continental travel restrictions, but most foreign visitors, including Americans, are still barred. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for June 21-27, 2020

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll surges past 115,000 120,000 125,000 126,000. Deaths slowed last week, but the infection rate is growing in half the states. U.S. travel picks up. The Northeast states that suffered in earlier months now quarantine arrivals from the high-infection states. European carriers grow capacity as the continent prepares for a July 1 reopening that may not permit Americans to visit. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for June 14-20, 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. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for June 7-13, 2020

Read all about it! The nation's Coronavirus death toll surges past 110,000 115,000 and the number of confirmed cases passes the two-million mark. Protests around the nation overshadow the pandemic and its effects. New York City opens up just as London and Britain launch 14-day quarantines. Flight traffic jumps yet remains a small fraction of 2019 volume. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for May 31-June 6, 2020

Read all about it! As the nation's Coronavirus death toll surges past 100,000 105,000 110,000, the nation's cities are hit with peaceful protests and violent riots. European carriers begin to fly again and the continent's major tourist countries plan to reopen to the world. U.S travel inches up from its mid-April floor. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for May 24-May 30, 2020

Read all about it! As the nation's Coronavirus death toll surges past 95,000 100,000 103,000, holiday travel "surges" back to about 13 percent of 2019's numbers. Some international travel resumes, but new bans are instituted, too. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for 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. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for May 10-May 16, 2020

Read all about it! The nationwide Coronavirus death toll surges past the 75,000 80,000 85,000 88,000 mark. European countries make plans for slow, phased openings. The United States is more chaotic. Airlines and airports go beyond masks to temperature checks. Travel is picking up--if you squint and squeeze the numbers. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for May 3-May 9, 2020

Read all about it! The nationwide Coronavirus death toll surges past the 65,000 70,000 75,000 78,000 mark. We enter the era of the masked flyer. New York closes its subways for the first time ever. Airline losses keep piling up. Traffic doesn't. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for April 26-May 2, 2020

Read all about it! The nationwide Coronavirus death toll surges past the 50,000 55,000 60,000 65,000 66,000 mark. Some states loosen restrictions while European countries will keep things closed into the summer. U.S. airline traffic begins to nudge up as airline earnings plunge. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for April 19-April 25, 2020

Read all about it! The nationwide Coronavirus death toll surges past the 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 52,000 mark, but progress is made in Italy, Spain, Austria and France. Governors start opening their states. Airlines begin to declare bankruptcy and the first tranche of first-quarter financial results are brutal. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for April 12-April 18, 2020

U.S. governors talk about when the states can reopen even as nationwide Coronavirus deaths surge past the 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 mark. Airlines whine about the terms of the bailout money they're getting from the nation's taxpayers. And only fools and self-important pundits know anything about the future of travel. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for April 5-April 11, 2020

Read all about it! As the world convulses with the waves of Coronavirus, the toll on the travel industry is revealed. Remaining flights are essentially empty, airports are shutting terminals and business travelers have nowhere to go--and aren't in a rush to get there. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for March 29-April 4, 2020

Read all about it! Domestic travel is down more than 90 percent from last year. More states impose stay-at-home orders. The death toll in Italy and Spain continues to skyrocket. And doctors and nurses are scrambling for supplies to help Coronavirus patients--and protect themselves. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for March 22-28, 2020

The new "new normal"? International transit airports barring transit passengers. U.S. states demanding arrivals from other U.S. states quarantine themselves on arrival. U.S. passenger volume dropping by 90 percent in a matter of days. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for March 15-21, 2020

Read all about it! The world is closing--and we watch in personal and transportation isolation. Countries are closing borders, airlines are all but shut and hotels are putting the keys in the door. Here's how we're covering it. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for March 8-14, 2020

Read all about it! Italy, Spain, France and Israel shut down. Other countries close their borders as the United States preps for what's to come. The Trump Administration botches the roll out of a ban on "all travel from Europe." U.S. carriers begin cutting service to the bone. Here's how it's happening. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for March 1-7, 2020

Read all about it! Italy emerges as the new Coronavirus hotspot so airlines begin making huge service cuts there. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines resume some flying. The chief rabbi of Israel says don't kiss the mezuzah. The travel industry starts tallying the financial damage. Here's how it's happening. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for February 15-29, 2020

Read all about it! The Coronavirus spreads around the globe. Japan, South Korea and Italy are hit hard and airlines quickly drop their flights. Tourism disappears and companies begin telling employees to curtail business travel. The Tokyo Summer Olympics may be threatened. Airlines begin rolling out gimmicky fee waivers to nervous flyers. Click here for the day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for February 1-14, 2020

Read all about it! The spread of the Coronavirus is still mostly affecting mainland China, but Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are losing flights and visitors, too. As Chinese tourists stay home, however, the travel industry learns how much they mean to airline traffic, cruise ships and hotels. Click here for day-to-day details.

Coronavirus Update for January 23-31, 2020

Read all about it! As the Coronavirus worsens, airlines have reacted by slashing service to Hong Kong and mainland China. Retailers and food-service giants such as McDonald's are closing locations, too. And neighboring countries are closing their borders. Click here for the day-to-day details.