- Travelers set to travel internationally next week can expect busier airports and border crossings, as the U.S. reopens to foreign visitors from dozens of countries.
- “It’s going to be a bit sloppy at first, I can assure you,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said last week.
- United Airlines expects more than 30,000 people to fly into the U.S. that day.
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Travelers set to travel internationally next week can expect busier airports and border crossings, as the U.S. reopens to foreign visitors from dozens of countries, amid new entry requirements for international visitors.
“It’s going to be a bit sloppy at first, I can assure you,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said last week at a U.S. Travel Association conference. “There will be lines, unfortunately.”
Many of Virgin Atlantic’s U.S.-bound flights on Monday, including its first flight to the U.S. that day from London to New York, were sold out, according to spokesperson Andrew Scott.
United Airlines expects more than 30,000 people to fly into the U.S. that day, equal to a peak summer day for the airline.
Most of the flights will be “fairly full,” according to spokesperson Nicole Carriere.
Delta Air Lines said many of its Monday flights to the U.S. were sold out and that planes were expected to be relatively full in the following weeks.
Officials report that the most popular destinations are New York, Atlanta, Boston and Orlando, Florida.
British Airways is operating 26 flights on Monday to 15 destinations, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Airlines expect some international travelers to be unfamiliar with the new rules, which could slow things down at airports. Most are informing passengers via emails and on their websites about entry restrictions and advising them to arrive at airports at least three hours early.
For U.S. citizens and international travelers from countries not subject to the travel ban, clearing the U.S. Customs process upon arrival at U.S. airports has been relatively simple.
“Now, are you going to see an increase in wait times … because we have more people coming in,” said Aaron Bowker of U.S. Customs, as quoted by USA Today.
He advised people catching international flights to the U.S. in the near future to be prepared and not to expect brief pandemic wait times, such as an average of 20 minutes at New York’s JFK airport.
It’s a different story for U.S. Customs officers at land crossings, because they will be tasked with verifying documents.
U.S. Customs suggests travelers who are crossing the border come prepared with the correct documentation in hand. Travelers can also take advantage of U.S. Customs programs, such as its facial biometrics or its One mobile application.
