- How long the travel between the US and the European countries has been enforced
The United States will allow vaccinated travelers from the UK and Europe from November, according to reports on September 20, 2021. The expected news will be welcomed by not only travelers, but will also be a relief for airlines that fly across the Atlantic, such as Air France-KLM, British Airways parent IAG, Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA), Delta and American Airlines (A1G) (AAL), among others. Any US easing of restrictions will likely boost leisure travel in time for the Thanksgiving holiday and also provide a lift for corporate travel, where many legacy airlines make more profit by selling higher-priced tickets.
The expected boost was reflected in airline share prices ahead of the announcement, with IAG up 9%, Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) up 5% and Air France-KLM up 6% after the Financial Times reported that the restrictions would be eased. The ban on travel to the United States, which meant only those with US passports or holders of green cards could enter the country, has been in place for 18 months. Europeans and Brits were left frustrated this summer after vaccinated US travelers were allowed across the Atlantic to visit for leisure, but the United States did not reciprocate. The EU on August 30, 2021, removed the US from its safe travel list, allowing member states to impose their own restrictions if they wished.
