Some airlines have completely suspended service during coronavirus pandemic
The airline industry has been on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic, which has left carriers across the globe scrambling as demand for travel has plummeted. One of the latest updates come in the UK, where Virgin Atlantic has pushed back resuming flights until at least August after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all international visitors would be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
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Another move underscoring the colossal shift underway comes in Europe, where the continent’s two largest low-cost carriers – Ryanair and EasyJet – suspended all operations. Ryanair has since announced its plans to resume 40% of its flights starting on July 1, 2020 and EasyJet will resume a small number of flights between the UK and France on June 15, 2020, along with Geneva, Lisbon and Porto in Portugal and Barcelona, reports The Guardian.
In the U.S., the big three carriers of American, Delta and United have all slashed their schedules as passenger traffic has dried up. This has also led to the early retirement of American Airlines Boeing 767s and 757s and Delta Airlines 777s. The carriers also have cut domestic flights, as have other airlines, including Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue.
Related reading: When will international travel return? A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery
Across the globe, a number of airlines have made even more drastic changes. In Colombia, Avianca has entered bankruptcy and all flights are grounded.
A number of other operators — both in Europe and elsewhere — have move to either completely or mostly suspend their entire operation as they wait for the pandemic to ease. The fallout has even spread to Africa, where Rwanda’s RwandAir has joined the list of carriers suspending their entire operation.
More: Some airlines cut back on in-flight service to combat coronavirus. Will those changes stick?
Here's a look at some other major carriers that are suspending all or most of their operations during the pandemic. This post shows a limited selection of carriers and is not meant to be comprehensive. It may be updated with other airlines and information as news develops.
Air Baltic will continue to decrease its capacity until Oct. 31.
Air France has reduced its network by up to 95%, including a permanent grounding of its Airbus A380 fleet.
Avianca has entered bankruptcy and will remain grounded.
Austrian Airlines will temporarily suspend all operations until June 14.
Cathay Pacific is currently operating at 3% capacity with hopes of increasing it to 5% in June.
Copa has suspended all flights through June 26.
KLM reduced its network by up to 90%, including retiring its Boeing 747 fleet.
IN THE U.S.: American Airlines retires its Boeing 767s and 757s and Delta Airlines has retired its 777s.
La Compagnie has suspended all flights until at least June 15.
LOT Polish Airlines has suspended all international flights, on order of the Polish government, through June 14.
Lufthansa is paring down its network, but will continue serving select destinations in the U.S. and other countries.
Norwegian has cut 95% of its network, including all long-haul fights, and will temporarily lay off 7,300 of its employees. The airline doesn't expect to resume its European short-haul and long-haul operations until April 2021 at the earliest.
Qantas is suspending all international flights, except between Australia and New Zealand through at least the end of July, and reduce frequencies on its domestic network.
Royal Air Maroc suspended all flights until further notice.
RwandAir has suspended all passenger flights until further notice. However, it has begun operating cargo flights.
Singapore Airlines cut 96% of its network capacity through at least the end of April, but has not announced a date for the resumption of normal services.
South African Airways has suspended all international flights through the end of May.
Turkish has suspended all domestic flights until June 4 and all international flights until June 10.
Virgin Atlantic has suspended service until at least August after the UK's decision to implement a 14-day quarantine for all arriving passengers.
Virgin Australia is cutting all international flying through at least June 14 and significantly reducing its domestic network.
Additional reporting by Liz Hund
Related reading: Should I travel? Advice for the coronavirus outbreak
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.