Ignoring CDC, millions fly on holiday weekend

PROVIDENCE, R. I. — Millions of Americans bought tickets to f ly somewhere for Thanksgiving before the nation’s top public health agency pleaded with them to not travel for the holiday.

So what are they doing now? In many cases, they’re still crowding airports and boarding planes.

More than 2 million people went through security screenings at U. S. airports on Friday and Saturday, according to the Transportation Security Administration. While that’s far fewer than during the same time last year, Friday was only the second time since mid- March that daily airport security checks topped 1 million.

That’s despite the fact that, a day earlier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised Americans to skip Thanksgiving travel and avoid spending the holiday with people from outside their household. The travel rush also comes despite the relatively lenient cancellation policies that major airlines have implemented since the COVID- 19 pandemic emerged this year.

“Consumers should feel comfortable changing their plans and canceling their f lights if they need to for health reasons,” said John Breyault of the National Consumers League.

Most airlines won’t pay cash to refund a f light if you decide to heed national health warnings, but they are waiving fees and offering vouchers. Breyault advised consumers to “familiarize yourself with the policies,” because the voucher specifics vary by airline and can depend on when the ticket was booked.

It’s unclear how many people are taking those vouchers. Images that emerged over the weekend of crowded airport terminals showed that plenty of people are deciding to f ly.

The nation’s top infectious- disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Sunday that he was worried that crowding at airports due to Thanksgiving travel could lead to a perilous situation as COVID- 19 cases surge.

Fauci told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that people at airports “are going to get us into even more trouble than we’re in right now.” He said new COVID- 19 cases due to exposure over Thanksgiving won’t become evident until weeks later, making it “very difficult” as the disease spirals out of control heading into colder weather and the December holiday season.

Airlines have emphasized their measures to sanitize gates and kiosks, shorten lines and purify the air on planes. But most are also offering opportunities for people to skip their holiday f lights and travel later, though travelers might have to pay extra for the replacement f light if it’s more expensive.

Sen. Edward J. Markey ( D- Mass.) said people who dropped their Thanksgiving travel plans were doing the right thing in following public health guidance.

“Airlines, which have already received billions in government bailouts, should provide passengers cash refunds when they are spending the holiday without both family and economic certainty,” Markey said in a statement Sunday.

Meanwhile, the TSA said it had prepared for higher traffic this week, increasing staff levels to keep lines shorter and maintain social distancing. Some airports, such as Los Angeles International Airport, are offering coronavirus tests.

“We have been handling passenger volumes reaching more than 900,000 a day frequently since early October,” the agency said in an emailed statement Sunday.