Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect AA has not yet extended elite status.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CBS Thursday that leisure travel might be back on the books by summer 2020 if the United States can maintain its current progress toward “flattening the curve” of coronavirus infection spread until the summer months.
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“It can be in the cards,” Fauci said regarding the possibility of a summer filled with traditional social activities such as vacations, baseball games, weddings or family reunions. But Fauci warned that the coronavirus “makes the timeline” on when it would be safe again to travel. Without the right precautions in place, he said, the U.S. would go right back to experiencing “spikes” of outbreak cases.
Related: When will we start traveling again? Here’s a hint from the major U.S. carriers
Fauci also pointed out that the timeline for eliminating social distancing would be different from region to region, with some areas of the country returning to everyday life more rapidly than others.
But Crystal Watson, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins’ public health school, told CNN Thursday that “we’re not there yet,” referring to the nation’s success in limiting the outbreak. Lifting non-essential activity bans would risk “a huge resurgence — and much worse than what we’ve seen already,” Watson said on CNN’s “New Day.”
Fauci’s prediction seems optimistic in the face of what major U.S. carriers appear to anticipate. In an unprecedented move, Alaska Airlines, Delta, and United have announced elite status extensions for at least one additional year, while many airlines have extended generous change, cancellation and voucher policies. (We are still waiting to hear what American Airlines plans to do).
While this appears to be a boon for travelers on the surface, TPG’s Zach Griff cautioned that this announcement is “nuanced,” pointing out that these measures likely imply that airlines expect greatly reduced routes and traffic for many more months to come.
Follow TPG’s complete coverage of the coronavirus impact here
Featured photo by Getty Images.
