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Travelers returning to the US face hourslong waits, chaos in airports

March 15, 2020
•
3 min read
As Long Lines In Airports Rise, TSA Struggles To Cut Waiting Times
Travelers returning to the US face hourslong waits, chaos in airports
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On March 11, President Trump shocked the aviation industry by unilaterally suspending the entry of foreign nationals who had been in or transited through the European Schengen Area in the prior 14 days in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Anyone flying into the United States past March 13 at 11:59 p.m. would be restricted to a small handful of international gateway airports for an “enhanced entry screening.” The Department of Homeland Security issued guidance that the enhanced measures would include questions about passengers' medical history, current health condition, contact information for local authorities and most importantly, written guidance about COVID-19 and direction to immediately home-quarantine upon arrival to their final destination.

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By many accounts, several of the approved arrival airports quickly became a health hazard themselves. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with little time to prepare for the mandate, seemed to put forward few or none of the announced measures while simultaneously creating multi-hour backups to clear customs and immigration.

Related: Should I travel? Advice for the coronavirus outbreak

Photos quickly emerged on social media of throngs of passengers queued up in close quarters at airports, seemingly with no access to disinfectants or protective gear:

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Images of packed customs halls at Dallas-Fort Worth, O'Hare and Newark showed scenes that would be considered organized chaos on the best of days, and an outright dangerous scene in light of the communicable virus.

Passengers are said to have been stuck for four to six hours in arrivals halls, with "zero temperature checks or questions about their travel" from CBP.

Firsthand accounts tell of CBP officers not wearing masks and passengers having to use fingerprint scanners that were not being sanitized between uses.

Several elected and government officials have not minced words, calling on CBP to improve its screening processes and to fully staff points of entry to stop creating passenger bottlenecks, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, after the wait at O'Hare is said to have reached six hours just to get through baggage claim.


DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf tweeted that the DHS was aware of the long lines at its facilities and that it was working to add additional screening capacity.

At the rate airlines are drawing down their international flight schedule, however, it may be a moot point as fewer and fewer passengers are able to enter the country. American Airlines announced Saturday night that it would cut back its international route network to just serve London Heathrow to Dallas and Miami once a day, as well as Dallas to Tokyo Narita three times a week.

For more on travel during the coronavirus outbreak, see:

Featured image by Getty Images

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Why We Chose It

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)

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  • 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.