Rising concern about the fast-spreading
“We haven't seen any impact at all on bookings, which continue to just get stronger and stronger every week,”
More than 2 million people a day, mostly summer vacationers, are packing
The travel recovery took hold earlier this year as vaccinations rose and infection cases fell. Now variants are fueling a tripling in new reported cases of COVID-19 in the
Earlier in the pandemic, airlines saw that bad headlines about the virus would prompt large numbers of people to cancel trips. For much of 2020, cancellations outpaced ticket sales. Americans seem less skittish about the variants now that many of them are vaccinated, airline executives say.
United said its cancellation rate has not changed in the last few weeks, although it remains higher than before the pandemic. It could be due to the millions of Americans — particularly those who travel — who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
About 57% of Americans who are old enough for the shots are fully vaccinated, according to government figures. United said that 84% of the members of its frequent-flyer program are vaccinated.
Even if travelers are unmoved by the headlines, investors have been spooked. They worry that the rise of variants could lead governments to reimpose travel restrictions that might short-circuit the travel recovery.
Airline officials are lobbying the Biden administration to lift restrictions that prevent most Europeans from entering
“We are working closely with the government, and it’s a two-way conversation where they are getting input from us, input for them,” Kirby said on a call with analysts and reporters. “All of us want to make sure we do this safely.”
Kirby said the industry has shown willingness to accept vaccination requirements, as many other countries require of visitors from the
“We give American citizens guidelines. They make their own decisions about whether they travel to certain countries around the world," she said. “Any decisions about reopening international travel (to the
After they persuaded thousands of employees to quit last year, some airlines have been caught short-staffed by the pace of the travel recovery, leading to a surge in delayed or canceled flights. Now the hiring signs are out.
American told employees Wednesday that it expects to hire 350 pilots this year and more than 1,000 next year — more than previously planned. Just last week, American said it will recall 3,300 flight attendants from voluntary leave this year to help handle holiday traffic and hire about 800 more by next spring. Other airlines have also announced hiring goals.
In trading Wednesday, shares of American and United closed up 4%,
David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter
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