Doughnuts and delays as Europeans fly to US after 600 days

After waiting for more than 600 days, passengers across Europe crowded into airports to catch their first flights to the U.S. since early in the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Among the travelers anxious to finally reunite with relatives, get some business done in the U.S. or simply enjoy a vacation was Alize Berthemy. 

The 23-year-old French business student headed for Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport Monday to board an 8:15 a.m. Air France flight to New York. She snatched the first available departure to see her newly married sister, having canceled a trip in March 2020 when the U.S. shut its doors to most European travelers.

“I am so excited to go,” she said from behind her mask, passport and vaccine and Covid certificates in hand.

What united travelers was a sense of exhilaration, coupled with the arduous process of getting through long lines and having all the paperwork at hand as passengers tested flying from Paris to London, Milan and Frankfurt under the new rules. 

Deep Crisis

The upbeat mood can’t mask the fact that the aviation industry remains deep in crisis. Losses from the coronavirus pandemic are set to surpass $200 billion this year, carriers like Deutsche Lufthansa AG have required state-backed bailouts, and hundreds of thousands of airline employees have lost their jobs. 

Business travel, typically a major component of carriers’ profitability, remains anemic at best as companies urge employees to connect via video call. And the U.S. is reopening just as infection rates surge again across Europe.

At London Heathrow, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. set aside a four-decade rivalry to coordinate takeoffs.

The airport was filled with British and American flags, and passengers on BA001 were greeted at their seats with a doughnut decked out with red, white and blue icing, the colors of both countries. Stars-and-stripes banners were fashioned into bunting running the length of the Airbus SE A350’s cabin. 

“This is a real moment of celebration for us after campaigning for so long to restore this crucial transatlantic link,” Sean Doyle, chief executive officer of IAG SA’s flagship British airline, told passengers aboard the flight.

U.S. Reopening Hands British Airways a $1 Billion Lifeline

Long Lines

The restart wasn’t without its hiccups. Long check-in lines were evident at London Heathrow, Paris-CDG and Frankfurt. At Milan Malpensa, a United Airlines Holdings Inc. flight to Newark Liberty International was delayed by more than one hour because not all check-in gates were open. 

Heathrow suffered traffic jams getting into the terminal and long lines at security, in part because one of the two X-ray machines in the fast-track lane had broken down.

Francesca, a 26-year-old Italian traveling to New York for a one-month U.S. stay with friends, said that with the queue packed at Malpensa, social distancing wasn’t being strictly respected. She said she was wary whether measures would be followed through onboard.

Visa Glitch

In Paris, a visa snafu caught a number of passengers unawares. With the reopening of its borders, the U.S. canceled automated visas previously issued through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.   

Recent French retirees Yves and Denise Josseaume were among the Air France customers waiting anxiously to obtain new ones.

They missed their 11 a.m. Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta. Two men sitting nearby — one an Airbus employee trying to get to Cape Canaveral, the other traveling on business to Lexington, Kentucky — were in the same situation.

All had to apply for new visas under a process that was usually quick. On Monday, the system appeared backed up.

Meeting Up

Andrea, 34, and Christoph, 39, from the German city of Aachen were headed to Las Vegas on a 10:45 a.m. Lufthansa flight out of Frankfurt. 

The couple, who didn’t give their last names, hasn’t been on a vacation for three years. They are looking forward to spending some of the money they’ve saved during lockdown.

“We’re definitely going to visit the casinos,” Christoph said.

Many travelers said they were yearning to re-establish face-to-face connections. 

“We’re reuniting loved ones, we hear stories of grandchildren that have not seen their grandparents, families reuniting and businesses converging,” said Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic. “For us it’s a really big day, a tipping point from survival into the next 37 years.”

Pino Michieletto, a military and civilian helicopter salesman for Leonardo SpA, flew from Milan to Frankfurt on Sunday evening in order to catch the first Lufthansa flight to Dallas-Fort Worth, departing 9:55 a.m. local time. He was a regular on the route before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but hasn’t been for two years.

“It’s important to have direct contact with customers,” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to this for some time.”

Berthemy, the French business student, missed her sister’s wedding in New York six months ago along with the rest of their family. She’ll be the first to see her in person.

“We had to attend the wedding on Zoom,” Berthemy said. “She’s going to take me to see the place where they got married and to see her in-laws. It’s going to be so great.” 

The new U.S. rules:

Fully vaccinated people with a negative Covid-19 test result in the prior 72 hours can board a flight and enter the country so long as they share contact-tracing information. Unvaccinated foreigners will be generally barred, while unvaccinated Americans need a negative test. The U.S. will consider people arriving by plane vaccinated if they’ve had shots authorized by the Food and Drug Administration or that have an Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization.

The Josseaumes, both 62, sported U.S. flag-themed scarves, luggage, jackets and a cap as they described more than a year and a half of frustration at not being able to go to their beloved second home in Port Orange, Florida.

Yves, motorcycle and vintage car aficionado, has been hanging out at Daytona International Speedway in Florida for decades. 

Their plans to spend more time living their passion were cut short in March 2020 when the pandemic shut the border. Since then, a neighbor had been taking care of the house and they’ve tried to keep in touch with friends.

“This is so unlucky,” Yves said. “We’re not leaving the airport though.” 

They were able to board a later flight.