The United States will again allow international flights from the European Union and the United Kingdom from November, after 18 months of prohibition and in which the citizens of these countries have had to fight with cross-border separations that have prevented them from traveling to the country or see their relatives.
User searches for all international flights to the United States increased 27% between the day the announcement was made public, September 20, and the following day, according to data published by travel booking platform Hopper. . But the experience will not be the same as before the coronavirus arrived, something very important for the illusions of these people, who must take into account the pandemic situation.
"Travel should not anticipate anything like pre-pandemic travel," Robert Cottey, a London-based analyst at A2 Global Risk told CNN.
Entry restrictions
All foreign nationals must be vaccinated, with a vaccine approved for use by the United States or the World Health Organization, and must show proof of vaccination. The latter is important, since the North American country, like Europe, does not recognize the Sputnik vaccine, so that person who has been vaccinated with the Russian vaccine will not be able to enter. It is also essential to submit a negative PCR, taken at most 72 hours before.
US citizens who have their place of residence in the United States and are not vaccinated must undergo other tests, such as a mandatory quarantine, in addition to the delivery of a negative PCR with a maximum validity of three days.
In the case of children (in Europe, vaccination exempts those under 12 years of age), they must show a negative test, from at most three days ago, including those under two years of age or older.
Security measures in the United States
Masks are mandatory both inside the plane and at airports, just like public transport (trains, subways...).
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Health and safety regulations vary depending on the state to which each citizen is directed. For example, Florida is an anti-mask state, while New York requires the mask and showing the vaccination certificate for activities such as dining indoors. San Francisco or New Orleans also have their own vaccination requirements for certain indoor spaces (restaurants included).
In any case, the visitor must find out about the sanitary measures in each area.
Shortage
Tourists are not going to find a country like the one they could witness in 2019, when covid-19 was not lurking in the world. Although tourism is going to return, the hotel industry continues with its shortage. Millions of jobs for cashiers, receptionists, housekeepers and other employees were left vacant after the resignations or dismissals that have occurred in these months of uncertainty and health crisis. This can cause longer queues in supermarkets, as well as check-in or check-out or hotel customer service regularly being delayed or cleaning services not working normally.
Some citizens are used to renting cars instead of using public transport in the country, but these are also in short supply. Online reservations can collapse and experts warn that prepayment is not a 100% guarantee, despite the fact that most operators prioritize these types more than pay-on-arrival rentals. It is best to book as far in advance as possible to avoid bad experiences.
The higher the demand and the lower the supply, the higher the price.
Based on the above, the shortage and the announcement that tourists are returning to the country will almost certainly cause hotels or establishments to take advantage and raise their prices. The volume of vacation rental bookings in November and December of this year (the first two months that foreign nationals will return after the pandemic) is 377% higher compared to 2020. Even 91% higher than the same dates in 2019 , when the virus was not in our lives.
For example, Thanksgiving Day, the last Thursday of November, has an average cost of 415 dollars/night (about 350 euros), 58% more than 2019. Thus, the average Christmas rates are 599 euros/night. (about 510 euros), for the 332 dollars/night two years ago. Increases in products from supermarkets, restaurants... are not ruled out either.
Health situation in the country
We have been repeating it since the beginning of the pandemic: the relaxation of measures against the coronavirus does not mean its disappearance. Therefore, although it is possible to travel to the United States again, the virus that has had such a global impact remains, and the dangers of contagion continue.
The United States has faced a new wave of positive cases since the beginning of the summer, not as deadly or contagious as the previous winter, and it appears to have peaked a few weeks ago and is leveling off. However, deaths continue to rise. Last Tuesday, September 21, the country reported 130,208 positive cases and 2,366 deaths from the disease.
With the rise of the Delta variant, the European Union removed the United States from its safe list, in addition to some European countries imposing a ban on non-essential travel from there. Travelers could be subject to quarantines, additional testing, or other possible complications.
Limited trial options
In Europe, citizens are used to rapid and, in some cases, free covid-19 tests, something that does not happen in the United States and must be taken into account for the return trip.
For this reason, it is of extreme insistence that the traveler plan absolutely his entire trip (advance reservations, request for proofs within a time interval of 72 hours at the latest before departure and return, knowing the measurements of the cities to which who travels...).
