COVID Clouds Travel Plans For Presidents' Day, Lunar New Year Holidays
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Another warning from health officials for people to avoid traveling this holiday weekend - and the travel forecast doesn't look much better for the summer when new restrictions may be put in place.
People usually would be getting out of town for Presidents' Day and for the Lunar New Year celebrations, but Los Angeles County health officials are pleading with people not to.
And travel won't necessarily be any easier this summer.
Allison Smith is getting married this summer after delaying her wedding for a year because of the pandemic and hopes she can still have the honeymoon of her dreams.
"Originally our honeymoon was planned all-inclusive, beautiful, in the Caribbean, but we're not certain if that is going to really happen this year," she said.
Smith is planning to book the trip last-minute because she doesn't know what the restrictions will be. Travel experts say more people are booking flights right now for spring and summer.
JetBlue is enticing people with $54 each-way pricing, but you can't book past the first week of September. Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, won't let you buy a ticket past Aug. 16.
CBS News travel expert Peter Greenberg says people are willing to roll the dice — because there are no expensive change fees.
"People can have more security, take the risk, book a future flight, change it without losing their money," said Greenberg.
Travel experts say they think most people will be traveling domestically this summer.
In an interview with "Axios on HBO," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg even suggested COVID-19 testing may become a requirement for those traveling in the U.S.
"The airlines are fighting against it," said Greenberg. "Not a bad idea but how to enforce, manage and track it?"
Summer destinations like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will see an uptick in visitors because they are within the U.S.
