More travelers staying at home
Pandemic altering many Thanksgiving plans as Cuomo warns of spike in cases
At Albany International Airport, parking spaces are easy to find, lines are short and travelers are keeping their distance from one another.
Looking around, it’s hard to believe we’re approaching what has traditionally been the busiest travel holiday of the year.
But airport officials aren’t surprised.
“While this is a time when families and friends traditionally travel long distances to celebrate together, we find that people are listening to health professionals and are electing to forgo travel to ensure their safety in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Philip Calderone, CEO of the Albany County Airport Authority.
All through last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned New
Yorkers — and everyone else — to avoid traveling as well as the large Thanksgiving gatherings that serve as our destinations this time of year.
“You know what’s going to happen at Thanksgiving: People will travel; people will come together,” Cuomo said. “I am telling you — I will wager you that if people are not extraordinarily diligent and act in a way they’ve never acted before, you’re going to see a very large spike in COVID cases.”
With cases already spiking to new highs in the Capital Region and across the nation, passenger boardings are down 70 percent or more at Albany’s airport. And airlines aren’t the only businesses seeing dire impacts.
Amtrak has stepped up cleaning of its rail cars and marketing its bedrooms and roomettes on long-distance trains as safe ways to social-distance while on the move. Late last week, rooms on the Lake Shore Limited serving Albany were still available for the Thanksgiving holiday. Overall, the trains were about 45 percent full.
Greyhound also touted the stepped-up cleaning of its buses and reminded travelers of its mask and social-distancing requirements.
Even travel by private vehicle is expected to be down this Thanksgiving.
AAA’S initial forecasts of a nearly 10 percent drop in travel overall were based on data from mid- October, when the current national spike was far less perilous. Now, with the federal Centers for Disease Control telling the public that staying home is the best way to halt the spread, many would-be travelers are reconsidering.
“The wait-and-see travel trend continues to impact final travel decisions, especially for the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “The decision to travel is a personal one. For those who are considering making a trip, the majority will go by car, which provides the flexibility to modify holiday travel plans up until the day of departure.”
But even travel by car presents risks, as travelers stop for gas, or snack and bathroom breaks.
AAA expects car trips will be shorter both in distance and in duration.
In New York, Cuomo has in the past suspended
construction on highways during the holiday period to ease traffic flow. It’s not clear whether that will be the case this year.
The New York State Thruway earlier this month switched to cashless tolling, eliminating the need to stop at the booth when entering and leaving the highway. That’s also expected to ease traf
fic backups.
While tolls remain the same, gasoline is cheaper than last year. Drivers this week were paying an average of $2.24 per gallon of unleaded regular at pumps in the Capital Region, down from $2.62 a year ago.
With demand for air travel collapsing, fares have followed. The average
ticket out of Albany, adjusted for inflation, was the lowest since the U.S. Department of Transportation first began compiling such data in 1995. The same was true of air fares nationally for the second quarter, the most recent data available.
And while flights likely will get more crowded right around the holiday, the number of travelers is still about a third of what it was a year ago. On Saturday, for example, just under 1,400 passengers were expected to board flights at Albany, compared to 4,400 last year.
Some airlines are still blocking out center seats to give passengers more social distancing. Albany International and the airlines serving it all require masks be worn by passengers and crew.
And it might be time to refresh what you know about security procedures. If you’re bringing food with you, you’ll want to check tsa.gov to see what you can carry on board and what needs to go into your checked luggage. One change: While most liquids in containers larger than 3.4 ounces are still prohibited in carry-ons, the Transportation Security Administration has made an exception for hand sanitizer, for which containers up to 12 ounces are permitted.
TSA officers also will use new scanners on your identification that can authenticate the information, eliminating a touch point to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
And you’ll see other tweaks to the screening process, as the TSA works to limit other touch points.
Travelers this holiday who plan to stay at a hotel will want to check to make sure the hotel is still open, and what the options for dining might be once they arrive. And they’ll want to ask the hotel what cleaning protocols it has introduced. Many hotels have outlined these changes on their websites.
If you’re renting a car, AAA advises you to ask what has been done to clean the vehicle. And bring a package of disinfecting wipes.
If you are taking the risk to visit others for the holiday, you’ll want to wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands frequently. Don’t be surprised if you’re told to quarantine — either at your destination or when you return home.
And if you’re not feeling well, stay home. As the CDC has stated, it’s the best way to prevent the spread.