As shots take off, so do jets
Vaccines play key role as Albany airport handles more passengers Wednesday than it did a year ago
After a financially devastating year, airlines serving Albany International Airport had something to celebrate last week.
On Wednesday, March 17, they collectively carried more passengers out of Albany than on the same day during the previous year.
A year ago, the economy was shutting down as the coronavirus pandemic accelerated, eventually claiming more than half a million lives nationwide.
International borders closed and airlines saw their traffic plunge. Soon, flights disappeared from schedules. Seats on the few flights still operating were blocked to maintain social distancing between masked passengers.
The arrival of vaccines is starting to have an impact. While supplies are still limited, the number of fully vaccinated individuals is growing. And after a yearlong lockdown, they want to travel.
“People are starting to book again, especially people who have been vaccinated,” said Jean Gagnon, who operates Plaza Travel in Latham. They’re going to the Bahamas, to Jamaica, and to a number of domestic destinations, she added.
International travelers are being tested at the beginning of their trip and again as they depart for home. “You can even pay for a VIP service where they’ll come to your hotel to test you,” she said.
“People have the expectation
this is going to be under control,” said Albany International Airport spokesman Doug Myers. “The vaccinations have played a significant role in people resuming their travel.”
Many destinations — including most of Europe — remain off limits to Americans. And while Canadians can enter the United States by air, American leisure travelers are prohibited from entering Canada.
Airlines, hotels and tour operators have been willing to allow travelers to reschedule their trips and accommodations, Gagnon said, adding that “99.5 percent of our clients have not lost a single penny.”
Bargains have been plentiful during the past year as a way for airlines and hotels to induce people to travel. But now that the pool of fully vaccinated individuals is growing, the deals are disappearing.
“There are attractive prices, but they’re not
going to be out there long,” Gagnon said. “People are starting to book.”
The airport terminal is slowly returning to normal. Starbucks, which was closed during the height of the pandemic, has reopened, although with limited hours. Hudson Valley Beer Union is expected to open in April.
Airlines and the travel industry are working to develop a way to identify people who have been fully vaccinated. And travel guidelines for individual cities continue to be in flux. Paris this week entered a new lockdown, for example.
Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein reminds travelers that masks are still required, whether you’re on a plane, train or bus. And it’s a good time to refresh your knowledge of what’s permitted and prohibited in your carry-on baggage, as well as acceptable forms of identification at the checkpoint.
You may also want to consider enrolling in the TSA Pre-check program, which offers expedited screening at checkpoints. More details, including packing tips are available online at tsa.gov.