Holiday travel rebounds despite COVID cases going up
MONTGOMERY– For Kenneth Byrnes, this will be the first time he has travelled to celebrate holidays with family in New England in a year and a half, since the pandemic disrupted travel and gatherings for his family and so many others.
“A couple years ago I would take a cheap flight at the Stewart Airport, but it’s not very possible right now,” Byrnes said. “We choose to drive because it’s a little bit more economical even though the gas price is going up a lot.”
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While a survey by the market research company Morning Consult shows nearly 60{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of Americans are unlikely to travel for holidays, crowded airports and gatherings are nevertheless expected this season.
An estimate of 1.4 million passengers used the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey airports during the Thanksgiving break, the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic, and nearly 85 percent of passenger volume seen during the same period in 2019, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The agency had projected 4,000 passengers at New York Stewart International Airport during Thanksgiving, compared to 5,000 passengers for 2019.
The final count of Thanksgiving holiday travelers using Stewart is not yet in.
Last October, JetBlue Airways and Delta suspended operations at Stewart airport indefinitely as revenue and demand had plummeted amid the pandemic. While the air traffic is picking up, those airlines have not yet resumed their service.
Travel hesitancy continues
The survey by Morning Consult also shows 33{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of people are likely to travel for Christmas — an increase from 24{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} compared to 2020. Many who plan to travel over the holidays expect to drive.
Chip Rogers, American Hotel and Lodging Association president, said in a news release that while vaccines have helped travelers feel more comfortable, rising gas prices and continued concerns about the pandemic are making many Americans hesitant to travel during the holidays.
Meanwhile, COVID cases tick upward once more as the winter holiday season is approaching. In Orange County, the numbers of positive cases have reached the highest level since April. On Dec. 2, 317 residents tested positive and recorded the highest one-day total in eight months, according to state Department of Health figures. On Dec. 5, there were 130 residents who tested positive.
Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman said typically the case numbers increase as more people move indoors. As the weather gets colder and more people start to gather inside, COVID spreads much more easily than when people are outdoors, she said. She encouraged people to follow all COVID guidelines, including masking and social distancing for unvaccinated individuals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued updated guidelines for the upcoming holiday season, urging people to continue to get vaccinated and encouraging mask wearing in public spaces.
As Kenneth Byrnes, a Montgomery police officer, was giving out Thanksgiving meals to some families in the Valley Central School District, he was thankful for the ones that he loves and cares the most are safe and healthy.
While his own children have all been vaccinated, he prefers to guard against the virus and take extra precautions. And that’s one reason he’s driving this holiday season to visit family.
“I truly believe that spending time with the ones you love is the most important because there is no guarantee about tomorrow,” said Byrnes. “Just be thankful and don’t take anything for granted.”
hwang@gannett.com