TRYING TIMES

US airlines and hotels are extending options for customers to rebook travel.

US airlines and hotels are extending options for customers to rebook travel to a growing list of countries, including Italy, as coronavirus cases spiked outside of China and sparked fears of a global pandemic.

The United States told Americans on Tuesday to begin preparing for the coronavirus to spread within the country as outbreaks in Iran, South Korea and Italy escalated, triggering concerns of a hit to global travel demand.

Delta Air Lines said that reservations through March 2 on flights to Bologna, Milan and Venice in northern Italy, where cases have climbed, were eligible for rescheduling. Air Canada has also added parts of Italy to its list of places eligible for rebookings.

Hyatt Hotels said it would allow travellers from South Korea, Japan and Italy to cancel or change their hotel bookings for free, updating a policy it has already rolled out for guests from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

The cancellations or booking changes at Hyatt are valid for reservations made through March 31, the US hotel operator said on its official Chinese social media account on WeChat.

Major airlines have also issued travel waivers, eliminating change fees, for flights to South Korea.

United Airlines and American Airlines said on Tuesday they were still monitoring developments in Italy.

So far US airlines have only cancelled flights to China, a move that followed the US State Department’s decision to elevate a travel advisory to the country to the same level as Afghanistan and Iraq.

American Airlines shares dropped 9.3% to $23.12 on Tuesday, below their price after the company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013.

“It’s not just the airlines that are being impacted by people making different travel plans. It’s the car rental companies, hotels, retail concessions and restaurants in airports and of course, the cruise lines,” Cowen analyst Helane Becker said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises said it has cancelled 30 sailings in Southeast Asia and changed several itineraries in the region due to the coronavirus outbreak, hitting its 2020 earnings per share by about $0.90.

Hyatt’s larger rivals Marriott International Inc and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc have also issued cancellation waivers for guests affected by the outbreak in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan until March 31.

The hotel chains did not immediately respond to requests for comment if they were extending the waiver to South Korea, Japan and Italy as well.