Y’all can book your US flights this fall!

A SPIKE in US flight bookings is expected after the White House yesterday confirmed its travel ban will be lifted on November 8.

Experts say a ‘huge pent-up demand’ is expected to cause a surge in bookings over the weekend. It is the first opportunity Irish people have had to visit the US since early 2020.

Paul Hackett, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, said the announcement was a relief. He said: ‘Airlines were anxious about even promoting the United States in the last couple of weeks.

‘Now the date is in place, they will ramp up their schedules.’

Flights to San Francisco and Orlando will restart in November, and experts hope other popular destinations including Miami, Seattle and Los Angeles will join them. Travel expert Eoghan Corry said the aviation industry is now focused on ‘getting their flights back into shape’ after the pandemic.

He said it was ‘really important’ the date was earlier in November as many people were hoping to go to the US for Thanksgiving on November 25. However, he said it left airlines with ‘very little time’ to increase their number of flights.

Mr Hackett said prices of flights will ‘begin to inch up’ as demand increases, although a return to ‘good capacity on core routes’ will minimise the risk of a ‘huge spike in prices’.

He added that winter is traditionally the time when Americans don’t travel as much, so ‘there will be great value to travel before Christmas’.

The US said all fully vaccinated travellers will be able to enter, including those with the AstraZeneca jab. Non-US air travellers will need to show proof of vaccination and proof of a recent negative Covid test before boarding a flight. Aer Lingus has already announced the re-start of its direct service between Dublin and San Francisco, from December 12.