US-based travelers almost doubled bookings to foreign destinations last month as Americans seek to travel internationally once again, according to data released this week by CheapOair. The data shows a significant increase of 89 percent for international travel, with 7 of the top 10 destinations showing increases of more than 100 percent.
In April, US travelers’ top 10 international travel destinations ranked by percent of bookings increase, are Greece, showing a 337 percent increase in airline ticket bookings when compared to January numbers; Israel: 259 percent; the Bahamas: 203 percent; Jamaica: 143 percent; the Dominican Republic: 134 percent; Costa Rica: 106 percent; Puerto Rico: 103 percent; Mexico: 95 percent; El Salvador: 67 percent, and India: 19 percent. Naturally, this snapshot of international travel was taken before the recent surge, if not tsunami, of COVID cases in India, as new variants and flagging medical supplies continue to plague the population. Nor was Israel beset at the time by mounting conflicts with Hamas seen in bombings and street fighting in its cities.
“Vaccinations are continuing to roll out across the USA, so the American consumer is becoming more confident where travel is concerned. This, coupled with the stringent hygiene protocols put in place by airlines and airports worldwide, is fueling rising interest in booking airline tickets to global destinations,” said Glenn Cusano, Co-CEO of Fareportal, the parent company of CheapOair and One Travel. “The most recent information from the CDC shows that 58.9 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. That is a 79 percent increase from slightly more than one month ago. Air travel numbers are moving upward, and we expect to see them continue to rise as summer arrives in the northern hemisphere.”
For the latest country-specific information for international travel, consumers should check with the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs before departing for their destination.
Traveling Abroad? Take the Home Test
Those travelers who wish to embark on an international travel adventure but have not yet been vaccinated can now manage a “self-test” protocol that will give instant results, save time and money in seeking out these in a foreign country, and is accepted by U.S. agencies as a valid form of showing a Covid-free status.
United Airlines and Abbott Labs have partnered up to make the return flight to U.S. “worry free” for International travelers through the distribution of home-testing kits. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration to use Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Home Test and Abbott’s NAVICA app international travel experience stands to become more seamless.
United customers can travel internationally with the BinaxNOW Home Test in their carry-on bag and administer the test via the eMed digital health platform while overseas, avoiding the need to find a testing center abroad. United is the only airline so far to offer end-to-end integration between a digital platform and a testing app with the integration between the United Travel Ready Center platform and Abbott’s NAVICA app for passengers to use when departing and re-entering the United States. The Travel-Ready Center allows travelers to easily access testing or vaccine requirements needed for travel destinations, upload completed test results and vaccine records, as well as have them verified, all within the United app.
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test can help restore a sense of normalcy by providing additional confidence while traveling, and making it easier to do international business. More than 200 million BinaxNOW tests have been distributed throughout the United States, where they’ve been used by K-12 schools, universities, nursing homes, and underserved communities and serve as a powerful tool to help prevent the virus from spreading.
The new international travel convenience comes on the heels of recently updated CDC guidelines that permit travelers to self-administer a rapid antigen test under the real-time supervision of a telehealth service and use the verified negative test result to board an international flight to the U.S. if they test negative.
The BinaxNOW Home Test kit is lightweight, about the size of a day planner and fits easily into a passenger’s carry-on luggage, briefcase or purse. It is recommended that passengers travel with more than one BinaxNOW test in their possession in the event of an inconclusive test result.
The Abbott BinaxNOW™ Home Test meets the the CDC’s guidance (** see bottom of article) due to the unique digital proctor experience through eMed, which provides observed sample collection, testing and digitally verified test results. Abbott’s recently authorized BinaxNOW™ Self Test for over-the-counter purchase is not eligible for travel purposes.
Another option for travelers to consider, whether traveling internationally on United or another airline, is the convenience of ordering the Abbott BinaxNOW™ kits directly from eMed, a telehealth company specializing in easy and affordable at-home healthcare testing, for $150 for a bundle of six tests. They include certified results in minutes and along with automated reporting.
CDC guidelines to note:
International air passengers traveling to the United States can use a self-test (sometimes referred to as home test) that meets the following criteria:
The test must be a SARS-CoV-2 viral test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen test) with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. Some FDA-authorized self-tests that include a telehealth service may require a prescription.
The telehealth provider must confirm the person’s identity, observe the specimen collection and testing procedures, confirm the test result, and issue a report that meets the requirements of CDC’s Order (see “What information must be included in the test result?” below).
Airlines and other aircraft operators must be able to review and confirm the person’s identity and the test result details. The passenger must also be able to present the documentation of test results to U.S. officials at the port of entry and local/state health departments, if requested.
For travelers who test positive, CDC recommends the telehealth provider report positive test results to relevant public health authorities in the traveler’s location following local requirements. The telehealth provider should also counsel the traveler on what they and their close contacts should do. This would include not traveling until they complete isolation (if infected) or quarantine (if exposed), in accordance with local requirements.
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