After repeated calls from foreign airlines and partners, Biden’s management, despite everything, removed Covid testing requirements to enter the United States. Is it time to spice up summer, or too little, too late?
Until an anonymous “senior management official” announced its end, the Covid testing requirement for travelers making plans to enter the United States had been in place since January 2021. The testing requirement implemented for foreign and U. S. travelers to return to the United States. Vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers were required to be tested.
Travelers had to take a Covid check (and obviously, a negative check) within 24 hours of the flight. Otherwise, they had to replace the reserves, stay overseas until they tested negative, and fly later.
But the mysterious senior management official said, according to The Hill, “the CDC has decided, based on science and knowledge, that this requirement is no longer mandatory at this time. “
It can be debated whether the testing requirement has limited the spread of Covid, which has inflamed 85 million Americans (including this writer). What is transparent is that uncertainty (can I fly to the U. S. )UU. on the date of my reservation?) It prevented millions of American and foreign travelers from flying.
Will thousands of Europeans and other foreign tourists start traveling to the United States this summer?Or have they already done other projects?
The prospect of testing before his planned return was also a fear for Americans. As Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, a provider of luxury river cruises in Europe, said: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, our U. S. has been in the process of being able to do so. USA Consumers have stated that the requirement of back-to-school testing is the most important thing preventing them from returning from abroad, and we are very pleased that this barrier has been removed.
The CDC’s online page recently says, “Before boarding a flight to the United States, you will need to show a negative Covid-19 check result taken no more than 1 day prior to travel. There is also an option for other people who have documented their recovery from Covid-19 in the last 90 days. Children under 2 years old do not want to check.
The update will take effect from 00:01 on Sunday, June 12. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can re-evaluate resolution in 3 months. Management made noise to register a lawsuit to revoke the resolution. To date, it has not done so.
Airline officials had long advocated ending pre-flight testing. Delta CEO Ed Bastian noted that many other countries require testing on arrival.
Therefore, airlines and hotel industries were naturally very happy when the testing requirement was removed.
Nick Calio, Chief Executive Officer and President of Airlines for America Commercial Group, said, “We look to the future to welcome the millions of travelers who are in a position to come to the United States for vacations, business and meetings with their loved ones.
“Today’s announcement is a vital victory for hotels and the industry at large,” said Chip Rogers, president and chief executive officer of American Hotel.
Rogers warmly thanked a bipartisan organization of U. S. senators. He added each and every senator from Nevada and Florida’s tourist hotspots for driving change. He noted, “Removing the requirement will make it less difficult, make it less difficult for more foreign visitors and assistance hotels Continue on the road to recovery, especially as the peak season approaches this summer. “
The question is whether the update comes in time to save the summer travel season. Journalists continue to float the idea of a “revenge trip,” claiming what we missed during the pandemic.
Domestic travel has almost returned to what it used to be, airlines lack pilots, and many flights have been removed from the schedule. Meanwhile, thousands of cancellations and delays have made travel painful. No wonder airline stocks have taken a hit.
InternationalArray, a major contributor to airline revenue, is still underwater. Airlines for America reports that in May, foreign air to and from the U. S. UU. se remained 24% below 2019 levels.
And while Las Vegas has almost returned to previous levels, foreign visits are still lagging behind. The same applies to hotel occupancy (84% in April 2022 to 91% in April 2019) and to congress visitors (377,000 in April 2022 to 529,000 in April 2019).
With flight cargo, fuel and hotel rooms skyrocketing due to inflation, can the industry have a successful comeback this summer?
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises hopes to stoke demand with a two-for-one sale. The provider offers two visitors for the value of a fee on 20 of its all-inclusive itineraries on European rivers as part of a friends offer.
Meanwhile, foreign airlines like LEVEL and French Bee are fighting for American consumers with cheap flights to Barcelona and Paris. And newcomer Norse Atlantic already has tickets on sale for the fall, which will take Americans to London, Berlin or Oslo starting at under $200. road.
Whatever happens with this summer’s volume, the completion of pre-flight COVID testing will end with at least one source of anxiety for passengers.