US winter storm: Travel plans unchanged for UAE residents

“All flights to the United States are operating as normal,” a spokesman for the airline said. Likewise, Etihad Airways has confirmed that all of its flights to the US are on time. The Abu Dhabi airline operates 25 weekly flights to the US.

Thousands of U.S. domestic flights and some international flights were canceled during the holiday season as a harsh winter storm dumped feet of snow across much of the country. At least 10,000 flights were canceled or delayed during that period, according to flight tracker FlightAware. However, by Monday, air travel was back to normal. Passengers on Southwest Airlines were the hardest hit, with the airline canceling 2,571 flights, or 63% of its schedule.

Travel agents say bookings are limited this time of year because most vacationers have departed for the U.S. at least a few weeks in advance. “There are very few new bookings at this time of year. As for last-minute travelers, they will continue to travel as planned,” said Raheesh Babu, COO, Musafir.com.

We are not seeing any unusual cancellations at this time

– Raheesh Babu, Musafir.com

Ahmed M Soliman, chief executive of TCA Group of Companies, said: “Unlike other holiday destinations, there is not much demand for travel to the US during the holiday season. Most holiday travelers will be heading to Europe, a few to the Far East and some to the Indian Ocean. That being said Said, planned vacations are proceeding as planned. Travelers, including luxury travelers, are moving forward with their trips as planned.”

While there have been some disruptions and changes to pre-Christmas plans, most last-minute vacationers, with the exception of a handful of college students, are headed to the United States. However, Husain Iqbal, general manager of GSA at Sharaf Travel, said some families, especially those with children in college, were in a state of uncertainty. “Some families and college students are avoiding travel to the US right now. They have canceled their immediate travel plans and are not planning to rebook their flights for the next 48 to 72 hours. Instead, they are taking a wait-and-see approach. If they want to, They may travel sometime in early January.”

These trends are common among families traveling to hardest-hit states such as Chicago, New York, Washington, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, Iqbal said.

Cold weather conditions are another deterrent for families. Also, the airline’s date change options are flexible.They offer a free date change option that gives families the option to postpone their trip

– Husain Iqbal of Sharaf Travel

The UAE embassy in Washington has advised citizens in areas affected by the winter snowstorm that crippled the US over the Christmas weekend. The embassy has urged UAE citizens to abide by the safety regulations issued by the authorities and to contact the embassy in case of emergency.

Having said that, most people also prefer direct flights to the US, as connecting passengers tend to get derailed when connecting flights are missed or delayed. “People would rather delay or cancel their flight than be stranded in an airport, especially during the holidays,” Iqbal added.

Babu added, “Many transit flights to the US, for example, have a stopover in the UK. Given the current delays at Heathrow due to the border force strike, passengers prefer direct flights.” U.S. flights have been stubbornly high.

A return ticket from Dubai to Chicago departing on 30 December and returning on 8 January 2023 costs AED 6,385 (Emirates).

A similar flight to New York on the same date costs Dh7,129. “Leisure travelers don’t book flights to the U.S. at the last minute. These trips are usually planned in advance,” Babu said.

Also, while the interview waiver for certain nonimmigrant visa holders has been extended, most new travelers will still have to wait for new tourist and business visas, which could still take a year.