The travel industry is in a really tough place right now. I can’t see how airlines will survive without government financial aid.

Every airline is making major changes. The tally is one airline shut down forever, six who have suspended all operations for a period of time and several who have made massive cuts to operations.

What do you need to do?

Whatever they are doing, if you are tickets, then you and/or the airline will probably be making some sort of changes to flight time, date or destination. If you have booked through a travel agent, do not call the airline. If you are booked with the airline, then do not rush to  contact them, you won’t get through. If you are booked to travel within 72 hours, try.  Otherwise, wait for things to die down a little after this week.

What is your airline doing?

Air Baltic – suspended all flights from from 17 March until 14 April . If you are a citizen or permanent  resident of Latvia, you can indicate if you need a repatriation flight back to Riga. If your flight has been cancelled, check the “My booking” section on their website and see options there.

Air New Zealand – shares were suspended from trading on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. They will reduce capacity on domestic flights by 30% and international flights by 85%.

American-  a 75% cut in American’s international capacity which will be accompanied by a 20% cut in its  domestic capacity

Austrian Airlines -all regular flight operations cease evening  of March 18. They ask passengers whose planned flights are not scheduled during the next seven days to refrain from contacting their phone hotline instead to use their contact form on austrian.com

Brussels Airlines-suspended all regularly scheduled flight from March 21 to April 19, 2020.

Delta- 70% cut in capacity and 50% of fleet grounded

Egyptair – all flights ceased

Emirates – total shutdown

Etihad – total shutdown

La Compagnie  -suspended operations until the US travel restrictions lift.

LOT Polish Airlines-  temporarily suspending all flight operations, after Poland announced to close its borders and halt international travel from March 15 to at least March 28. LOT Airlines are organising special charter flights to various regions of the world to bring Polish citizens home.

Norwegian Air –  set to cancel 4,000 flights,  temporarily laying off about half of its staff and grounding 40% of its planes because of the coronavirus outbreak with immediate effect. Their CEO Jacob Schram—has asked the Norwegian government for urgent help saying the airline is weeks from collapse.

Philippines – total shutdown

Porter Airlines – all services from 19 March

Qantas– all international flights  from 19 March, major cuts to domestic flights and 2/3 of  staff stood down

Qatar Airways – still flying but all incoming flights into Doha are suspended effective Wednesday (March 18) for a  preliminary and renewable 14-day-period- transit is okay.

Royal Air Maroc – grounded third of their fleet and adopted austerity measures. The airline was due to join One World in April. I had planned my first flight with them in May.  Not happening now.

Royal Jordanian Airlines -suspending all of its flights from March 17 until the end of March.

Ryanair- complete shutdown until end of May

SAS-put most of its operations on hold, starting Monday March 16

Singapore – 50% cut

Southwest – cancelled 1,500 daily flights

Tiger Airways – ceasing all operations

TUI -suspends the vast majority of flight operations until further notice and advises investors that it will apply for state aid until this crisis is over

United Airlines – 50% capacity cut for April & May schedule with Corporate officers’ salaries to cut by 50%. March 2020 revenue will be $US1.5bn lower.

Virgin Atlantic – 80% of flights will be cut by March 26 with 75% of Virgin Atlantic’s fleet  grounded by March 26, and 85% will be grounded by April., They will permanently close their Newark operations

Virgin Australia –suspended all international flights,  planes to be grounded from March 30 to June 14.  50 per cent of domestic flights  suspended from March 18 until further notice

I will update this information as things develop. Thinking of all those doing it tough right now in the travel industry.

Virus Information

• WHO information on the virus
• CDC: People at Higher Risk
• Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations (including schools)
• Communication Resources for Travel

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