Transatlantic Flights Affected by Coronavirus

The growing number of reported cases of Coronavirus in the UK and US has seen airlines issue guidance on how the spread of the virus is affecting Transatlantic flights between the US and the UK.

Yesterday, March 5, Norwegian Air, which flies routes between Europe and the United States, confirmed that due to "reduced demand ... The company has decided to cancel 22 long-haul flights between Europe and the US from March 28 to May 5". The affected routes include London to New York, where the normal three daily departures will be reduced to two on some days. Other routes affected include flights from Italy, where travel between Rome and Los Angeles, Boston and New York will be reduced on selected weeks. Norwegian Air advise that "Affected customers will be contacted by Norwegian and offered a new itinerary."

In light of the developments, we also reached out to British Airways, which flies a number of routes between the UK and the US. A press officer from BA said that "This is a fast moving situation. We are following the advice from the relevant authorities. We will contact customers if flights are cancelled to discuss their options, including rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel. Customers can also find the latest information and options on BA.com".

With the spread of Coronavirus fast moving and unpredictable, Virgin Atlantic have announced a 'Flexible Booking Policy'. The policy is aimed at providing "greater flexibility" for passengers, where flight change fees will be waived for bookings made between March 4 and March 31, 2020. According to the Virgin Atlantic website, "The policy applies to all routes in Virgin Atlantic’s international network, including services from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast airports, and tickets booked on Virgin Atlantic codeshare flights on transatlantic routes with its expanded joint venture partners; Delta, Air France and KLM."

Delta have also confirmed they'll be waiving fee changes for all international flights during March, and have gone further to waive fee changes through April 30 for travel plans which include Shanghai and Beijing in China, Seoul in South Korea, and all locations in Italy, including Bologna, Milan, Rome, Turin and Venice.

If you have booked or are planning flights to or from the US during March, check with your airline if they are waiving fees for flight changes, and keep in contact with your airline to check that the flight is taking place. Also, keep an eye on your departure and arrival airports for any urgent messages or updates they may have on procedures, health and safety advice and important information.

For further updates on how the spread of Coronavirus is affecting overseas Americans, keep an eye on our news page: www.theamerican.co.uk/pr/ne-Coronavirus-Update-Overseas-Americans

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