Will an airline vaccine mandate resurrect the US travel industry?


The travel industry in the United States right now is hurting. Will an airline vaccine mandate help?


vaccination mandate

Vaccination: vaccination makes it much easier to travel internationally.

Business travel is still a fraction of what it was. Some hotels and restaurants have closed and others are open with a fraction of services. Since much travel begins with airlines, will an airline vaccine mandate solve the drop in travel? Is there a corporate workaround?

As a travel agent, there’s a question I now have to ask hotels all the time: “Do you have an open restaurant? Are you serving breakfast?” Often, the answer even in nice hotels is, “No.” And, I hear stories repeatedly that hiring is a major issue for airlines and hotels.

I can imagine why industry jobs might seem less appealing right now, especially in-person jobs. Dealing with the public has never been stress-free. Now the issues both of COVID-19 and dealing with disgruntled travelers abound. Antsy travelers, not certain whether seatmates might be contagious, worry. Plus, they are likely to be argumentative, even belligerent, on the subject.

It may be the time for an airline vaccine mandate.

I don’t know for sure whether abusive passengers are more likely than average to be unvaccinated. Ditto for those not wearing masks on planes. And, even when unvaccinated travelers behave badly, other passengers fear close contact with them on planes. But, I know that both flight attendants and passengers suffer.

An airline vaccine mandate can be enforced by TSA prior to boarding

If an airline vaccine mandate were done for all US airlines, it could be handled not by airline employees at the gate, but by TSA. The organization that ensures security is already in the business of checking people’s identification, pockets, and bags. Having them check vaccination certificates would not add much to their jobs. Plus, for those passengers who have PreCheck and Global Entry, these checks can be completed long before anyone gets to the security lines.

Is a national vaccine mandate unconstitutional? Or, will an airline mandate work? The technology exists.

Get refunds in cash when airlines cancel your flightIf a national government vaccine mandate is deemed unconstitutional, another option might be an individual airline instituting their own vaccine mandates. Of course, that may put any airline that institutes such a program at a competitive disadvantage. Many restaurants and theaters, for example, require proof of vaccination, or recovery from COVID. The technology is already in place. It must be uploaded for international travel and for travel to Hawaii.

I have to think, based on what my clients are telling me (admittedly not a scientific sample size), they are concerned with safety.  The knowledge that they would be flying only with others who are fully vaccinated (or recovered) would make them a lot more likely to be willing to fly. It would also cause many to fly rather than drive or stay home.

Now, of course, some travelers faced with a mandate might decide not to fly. Or, if this were done on an individual airline basis, they could choose an airline that didn’t have a mandate. However, practically speaking, since more educated and wealthier Americans are more likely to be vaccinated, it seems like the higher-revenue travelers would be preferable to airlines and the upscale flying public anyway.Join Us

COVID has put a new fear factor into travel for many travelers and employees. Can private corporations provide protection with limited mandates?

All airlines make these announcements: “Our primary focus is your safety.” Maybe an airline, such as United Airlines, could offer “vaccinated only” flights. That airline leads in vaccination mandates for its own employees. They may be the first to offer “vaccinated traveler flights.”

For that matter, a hotel or hotel chain could try the same experiment. Cruise lines, today, test exactly these kinds of programs.

Americans are learning it is unconstitutional to accept government mandates. We are not supportive of other countries imposing mandates on their citizens or us when we travel. But private businesses are another story. Anti-vaxxers who disagree could either stay home or find airlines or hotels that are willing to accept unvaccinated guests.

Should we let the market decide?

What do you think?


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