npei

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNelson113

We all make our own risk/reward calculations regarding covid. To me the risk of being on a very empty flight, while wearing a mask, is quite low. Plus I suspect that I've already had it and am a younger healthy person with no risk factors, so I would go. Others might decide differently and that's great too.

Status run 3mm for lifetime 1k if you are close to achieving is worth effort in my mind (I crossed 4mm last Dec with quite a few LAX-HKG, LAX-SIN, LAX-PVG, and EWR/YYZ-SIN flights), but please try to maximize Covid-19 safety precautions to enjoy your hard earned status. I would even encourage people to get N95 or FDA-approved KN95 mask to go one level higher than surgery masks, if you are going to be mixed with people in relatively full transpacific flights at airports and on planes.




This 14 day quarantine is non-starter for all passengers except those with critical /urgent need to fly. HKG and SIN and NRT are hurting very bad since they are major transit hubs. This also impact UA transpacific flights and profits. I hope UA can work with respective airports & governments to reduce pain point for people to fly, by adopting Covid-19 testing procedure for passengers upon arrival, and within 7hr receive negative result, allowed to enter city or go on to next transit flight (as long as contact tracing info is maintained) .
(UK propose LHR arriving passengers for Covid-19 test, if they are not from travel corridor with UK, via nearby airport lab able to process ~7hr turnaround, and allow entry if negative result)
https://www.travelandleisure.com/air...-covid-testing

STS-134

My friends already make fun of me for doing mileage runs when there's not a pandemic, calling such trips useless/a waste of time. If I were to actually get SARS-CoV-2 on one of these trips, I would never hear the end of it (unless it actually kills me). Risk of death is low for me, statistically, although it seems like the risk of long term complications might be many times the risk of death. Ultimately, it comes down to whether I'm willing to risk complications over saving a little bit of money, and for me, the answer is no.

But wouldn't this be just as do-able after the pandemic is over as it is now? I fail to see what advantage you get from doing this now, since there are no bonuses on lifetime mileage, and if you're like most people, you're probably not flying much right now anyway.

JNelson113

Sure, and like I said, everyone has to make their own risk-reward analysis. About your second comment and question, there are some amazing deals right now. They may or may not be available after the pandemic. In addition, because of the pandemic all my work is online, which gives me more flexibility to take trips. So for me at least, the time is now. Again, that may be different for others, and that's fine.

STS-134

That's a good point. However, from a practical standpoint, in the past, I may have been able to convince my boss that I was actually working from the plane, but what I actually end up doing is fighting to maintain a VPN connection because of the constant momentary WiFi outages and extremely slow speeds. I would hope it's better right now due to much lower passenger volume.

travelinmanS

This thread is funny. The reality is there is nowhere a passenger holding only an American passport can fly on UA transpacific that will accept them.

JNelson113

True! But we can dream of better days 🙂

COSPILOT

Maybe not for long. Japan is thinking of opening to some select countries but also Hawaii.😄

moondog

I suppose that might be useful for Hawaii residents, but others would presumably need to quarantine in Hawaii on their way to Japan.

bluedemon211

The proposal as l understand it would only be for Hawaii residents based on the low infection rate in the state (although our numbers are climbing). Other state residents would not be eligible even after a 14 day quarantine, which doesn't make sense to me.

STS-134

Unless Hawaii prohibits all transfers at HNL unless you go through a 14 day quarantine between transfers, then Japan should treat anyone coming from Hawaii as if they're coming from the US Mainland. Of course, Japan could easily make a prohibition of direct transfers a condition of allowing people on flights from Hawaii to bypass quarantine. Although, they'd better also require a PCR test 3 days before departure, a rapid test at departure, a rapid test on arrival, and a PCR test on arrival, at minimum, otherwise they're probably going to have cases slip through the cracks.

Lori_Q

Ireland and Turkey are open to American travelers. https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions

The border is open between Ireland and Northern Ireland. If one really needs to get to Europe in a hurry, it's possible to fly to Ireland and drive to Belfast, then get a flight to the continent from there.

travelinmanS

Unfortunately this thread is about transpacific flights. Your deft maneuvering may work via transatlantic to Europe via the Emerald Isle (which I doubt) but there ain’t nowhere Americans are welcome in Asia.

GUM_elite

Sure there is: GUM via NRT

travelinmanS

2 weeks quarantine I believe, but you’re right. I should say nowhere outside the US and it’s territories.

moondog

I thought "Trans Pacific" implied crossing the Pacific, as opposed to making it 3/4 of the way?