Airport officials used to advise travelers to arrive at least 2 hours at the airport before all international flights.
But with looming post-COVID-19 mandates like vaccine passports, multiple negative test results, and a lack of a cohesive strategy by government agencies to deal with the influx of travelers – the wait time is expected to get longer… A LOT longer.
And once you hear about the airport chaos behind the scenes that WILL impact your next trip – you’re bound to be outraged.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns if countries don’t get their act together and develop some kind of universal screening policy, travelers will be the ones to suffer… and wait.
And we aren’t talking about just adding on an extra 30 minutes to your arrival time at the airport to play it safe.
Oh no… IATA warns travelers could be delayed an extra EIGHT HOURS at the airport while going through new COVID-19 screening procedures…
…which effectively there are none.
Essentially, every country has their own rules… and it even varies by airport.
And while some government officials are pushing hard for a digital vaccine passport, the massive backlash against handing over personal information to bureaucrats to store in a large database has slowed down the implementation of the project.
At least on a universal scale.
As a result, airports are scrambling to try and screen passengers flying in from different countries all with different protocols.
And now the delay to get through airport security and onto the plane has expanded to unacceptable levels.
Pushing for a digital screening process, IATA General Director Willie Walsh warns about the future of travel if nothing changes:
“Without an automated solution for COVID-19 checks, we can see the potential for significant airport disruptions on the horizon.
Already, average passenger processing and waiting times have doubled from what they were pre-crisis during peak time—reaching an unacceptable three hours. And that is with many airports deploying pre-crisis level staffing for a small fraction of pre-crisis volumes.
Nobody will tolerate waiting hours at check-in or for border formalities.
We must automate the checking of vaccine and test certificates before traffic ramps up. The technical solutions exist. But governments must agree digital certificate standards and align processes to accept them. And they must act fast.”
Three hours sounds bad, right?
Yeah… that’s where we currently are.
But the press release goes on to say: “…modeling suggests that, without process improvements, the time spent in airport processes could reach 5.5 hours per trip at 75% pre-COVID-19 traffic levels, and 8.0 hours per trip at 100% pre-COVID-19 traffic level.”
So basically, our present reality is since government bureaucrats like Biden don’t have their act together (shocking), now we have to pay the price.
Nothing new under the sun.
But what traveler has the time and luxury to essentially take an entire extra day of their vacation to spend 8 hours going through even more invasive measures at the airport just to get on a plane?
Ridiculous.
Especially since the TSA can’t even figure out their own rules with something as simple as a bottle of sunscreen…
…and now they are expected to implement a complex screening process.
Ha – what a disaster.
So if you’re planning on taking a trip this summer – get ready!
Make sure you know the COVID rules of the country you’re flying to – and make sure your phone is fully charged… you’ll need something to pass the time while you wait for your flight.
To stay current on the latest Proud American Traveler stories, follow us on Facebook and be sure to like and share our posts!
