The Biden administration is implementing new international travel policies that affect both Americans and non-citizens who want to fly to the USA
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The Biden administration is implementing new international travel policies that affect both Americans and non-citizens who want to fly to the United States.
The goal is to restore more normal air travel after 18 months of disruption caused by COVID-19. The general rules, which will take effect in November, will replace a mix of confusing restrictions.
Some details of the plan announced on Monday are being worked out, but here are some questions and answers on what to expect:
WHAT IS THE NEW POLICY IN BRIEF?
All adult foreign nationals traveling to the United States will need to be fully vaccinated before boarding the flight.
This is in addition to the current requirement that travelers show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departing for the United States.
Once the vaccination requirement is in place, the White House will loosen all country-specific restrictions on international travel that have prevented non-citizens who have been to the UK, EU, China, India, Iran, Republic of of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa in the 14 days prior to entering the United States.
HOW DOES THIS INFLUENCE AMERICANS?
Fully vaccinated Americans will only need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of leaving for the United States.
WHAT ABOUT UNVACCINATED AMERICANS?
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not fully vaccinated will still be able to travel to the United States, but they will see more stringent testing and contact tracing protocols.
They will need to be tested within 24 hours of boarding a flight to the United States, as well as being tested upon their return to the country. It remains to be seen, however, how the federal government will enforce the return testing requirement.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT CHILDREN?
The new US policy only requires adult foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated to enter the United States. The White House did not immediately say whether unvaccinated children will face different testing protocols when flying into the country.
WHICH VACCINES ARE ACCEPTABLE?
The CDC says the United States will accept full vaccination of travelers with any COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, including those from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson used in the U.S. Other vaccines are also approved by the WHO and widely used around the world, including by AstraZeneca and the Chinese Sinovac, with varying degrees of effectiveness against COVID-19 and its most transmissible delta variant.
WHO is looking into Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, but has not approved it.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT AIR RATES?
Adit Damodaran, an economist at travel research firm Hopper, predicted that rising demand is likely to drive higher prices for flights from Europe, although the push to book flights may be slowed by the delta option and high rates of COVID-19 in the United States. ... an increase in tariffs would mean a sharp change in prices since the start of the pandemic.
WILL THE AIRLINES COLLECT PASSENGER DATA?
The CDC will require airlines to collect passenger information and submit it to the health agency if it needs to conduct contact tracing. Airlines resisted a similar change last year when it was proposed by the CDC and ultimately blocked by the Trump administration. What about traveling abroad? The administration's restrictions on crossing the land borders from Mexico and Canada to the United States are to remain unchanged for the time being. This means that in some cases, fully vaccinated people from the two American neighbors will soon be able to travel to the United States, but may not be able to make the same trip by car.
HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY?
Analysts and industry officials believe this will help. The United States Chamber of Commerce has said lifting current restrictions on international travelers will help sustain a recovery in the US economy.
Prior to Monday, the United States was on the verge of losing $ 175 billion in export revenue from international visitors this year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
HOW HAVE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTED INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL?
They made it easier for Americans to visit Europe than the other way around. International travel to the United States in August was down 54% from two years ago, and arrivals of non-U.S. Citizens were down 74%, according to Airlines for America.
HOW DO THE CHANGES AFFECT BUSINESS TRAVEL?
There is a pending demand among business travelers from Europe. Vaccinated foreign leaders no longer need to prove that their trip to the United States is in the "national interest" of the United States - a time-consuming process.
Koenig reported from Dallas. Associated Press author Mike Stobbe of New York contributed to this report.
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