>> HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, JUST DIDN’T HAPPEN FOR COUNTLESS TRAVELERS STRANDED BY FLIGHT
CANCELLATIONS THESE LAST FEW
DAYS, AIRLINES CANCELLED,
HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS NATIONWIDE
BLAMING COVID AND CREWS
SHORTAGES, ANALYST HENRY IS MUCH
WHATTING THIS CLOSELY AND HERE
LIVE WITH US, HENRY, GREAT TO
SEE YOU.
>> HELLO, GLENNA.
>> THANKS FOR BEING WITH US THIS
MORNING.
2 THOUSAND, UPWARDS OF 2
THOUSAND WAS THE LAST COUNT THAT
I SAW THIS WEEKEND, OF FLIGHTS
CANCELLED.
THAT IS STRAGGERRING ON
CHRISTMAS WEEKEND.
SO IS THIS ALL RELATED TO CRUISE
ABSENCES.
>> NO, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT AIRLINE CANCELLED FLIGHTS
FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS EVERY
DAY, MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, BAD
WEATHER, AIR TRAFFIC, AND OTHER
FACTORS.
BUT COVID CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTED
IT TO A NUMBER, A CRITICAL
NUMBER OF THESE CANCELLATIONS.
IN SOME CASES FOR SOME AIRLINES
MOST OF THE CANCELLATIONS.
>> AND DIDN’T THE AIRLINES
THOUGH SEE THIS COMING?
HOW COULD THEY GET CAUGHT.
I DON’T MEAN TO SOUND CRITICAL
BUT HOW COULD THEY GET CAUGHT SO
SHORT ON SUCH A WEEKEND OF
TRAVEL.
>> GLENNA, THAT IS A VERY FAIR
QUESTION TO ASK.
YOU KNOW, THE AIRLINES ARE RUN
BY VERY SMART PEOPLE AND MANY OF
THE LARGEST AIRLINES HAVE
ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS WITH
HOSPITALS, CLINICS AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS.
DELTA EVEN AS A CHIEF HEALTH
OFFICER.
AIRLINES READ THE NEWS, MUCH
WHAT THE NEWS JUST LIKE WE ALL
DO.
SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, WHETHER IT
IS AT THE AIRLINE’S MEDICAL
PARTNER OR AT THE AIRLINES
SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACTING AT HOW
OM CRON STRED-- OMICRONNED
SPREADS, EVEN TO VACCINATED
INDIVIDUALS AND SAID OH WOW,
THIS IS HAPPENING.
WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY DO TO US,
AND IT ST DISAPPOINTING THAT IT
APPEARS AIRLINES DIDN’T CAN DO
ANY SCENARIO PLANNING TO SAY
WHAT HAPPENS IF OMICRON WIPES
OUT X PERCENT OF OUR PIE THE
LOTS, FLIGHT ATTEND ANTS OR
OTHER CRITICAL WORKERS.
>> SO I GUESS THE NATURAL NEXT
QUESTION IS ARE THEY NOW DOING
THAT FOR JANUARY 12nd AND
THIRD WHICH IS PROBABLY THE
BUSIEST WEEKEND THAT’S COMING UP
NEXT?
>> AIRLINES ARE CONSTANTLY
MAKING A JUSTMENTS TO THEIR
SCHEDULES BASED ON DEMAND AND IT
IS POSSIBLE SOME AIRLINES MAY
TAKE A LOOK AND SAY OKAY, ONCE
WE GET THROUGH THE NEW YEAR’S
PERIOD, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT
POSSIBLY CANCELING SOME OF THE
FLIGHTS THAT HAVE THE LOWEST
LEVEL OF BOOKINGS OR WHERE WE
HAVE A LOT OF FLIGHTS ON A GIVEN
ROUTE AND WHERE WE CAN CANCEL A
FEW FLIGHTS WITHOUT INVEENSZING
A LOT OF PEOPLE.
DOING SO GIVES THEM MORE BUFFER
ROOM, WHETHER TO HANDLE A
WEATHER PROBLEM OR CREW WHO GETS
SICK.
AND WHETHER THAT IS BECAUSE OF
COVID OR SIMPLY A COLD OR FLU.
>> INCONVENIENCING A LARGE
AMOUNT OF PEOPLE BUT THAT
DOESN’T MATTER TO THE ONE
PERCENT OR ONE FAMILY WHO
SUDDENLY FIND THEM EF WAS A
FLIGHT.
>> YOU KNOW T DOESN’T MATTER IF
AN AIRLINE CANCELS ONE FLIGHT OR
A THOUSAND HE FLIGHT F IT IS
YOUR FLIGHT IT IS THE END OF THE
WORLD.
AND HAVING WORKED IN VARIOUS
AIRLINES EARLIER IN MY CAREER AS
WELL AS AN ANALYST, WE ALL
UNDERSTAND THIS.
NO AIRLINE WANTS TO CANCEL YOUR
FLIGHT, THEY DO THAT AS A LAST
RESORT.
>> OF COURSE.
>> ALL RIGHT SO LET ME RUN THIS
BY YOU.
SOME LAWMAKERS WANT THE CDC TO
REQUIRE EITHER A VACCINATION,
PROOF OF VACCINATION OR A
NEGATIVE TEST RIGHT AWAY FOR
DOMESTIC TRAVELERS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT IDEA?
>> WELL, I UNDERSTAND LOGIC FOR
IT, BUT LET’S UNDERSTAND
SOMETHING ELSE, AIRLINE
TRAVELERS ARE MORE LIKELY IT TO
BE VACCINATED THAN THE GENERAL
POPULATION.
MY COMPANY RESEARCH AMONG
TRAVELERS KNOW THAT AT LEAST 86
PERCENT OF OUR AIRLINE
PASSENGERS ARE FULLY VACCINATED.
SO THAT’S CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN
THE GENERAL POPULATION IN THE
UNITED STATES.
>> LET ME STOP YOU RIT THERE FOR
A SECOND.
WHERE, I DON’T MEAN TO INTERRUPT
YOU BUT WHERE DOES THAT NUMBER
COME FROM?
WHOSE NUMBER IS THAT?
>> THAT COMES FROM A STUDY WE
DID IN EARLY NEV, MORE THAN
5,000 TRAVELERS AND WE’RE
LOOKING JUST AT THE AIRLINE
PASSENGERS WHICH ARE MORE THAN
3,000 PEOPLE SO IT IS A
STATISTICICALLY MEANINGFUL STUDY
AND I WILL JUST GO ON TO SAY,
MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES FOR SOME
AIRLINES, 90 PERCENT OR MORE OF
THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE FULLY
VACCINATED AND MANY MAY BE
BOOSTED AS WELL.
WE DON’T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS
FROM ALL THE AIRLINES.
SO IT IS NOT LIKE AIRLINES ARE
IGNORING THIS.
WE KNOW AND YOUR PREVIOUS GUEST
WHO WORKED AT JACKSON HOSPITAL
SHARED THAT OMICRON IS AFFECTING
EVERYONE, INCLUDING HEALTH CARE
WORKERS, IT IS INDISCRIMINATE
AND AFFECTING PEOPLE WHO ARE
VACCINATED.
SO THE AIRLINE CERTAINLY CAN
TAKE STEPS BUT IT IS NOT LIKE
THEY CAN BUILD A STEEL WALL
AROUND ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES TO
PROVIDE 100 PERCENT PROTECTION.
>> YEAH, OF COURSE.
>> SO YOU MENTIONED MARTHA
BAKER, SHE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE
CDC RECOMMENDATION THAT THE
QUARANTINE PERIOD BE HALVEDDED
FROM TEN DAYS TO FIVE DAYS FOR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO TEST
POSITIVE AFTER THE ONSET OF
SYMPTOMS.
SO WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE FOR
THE CREW MEMBERS, FOR THE
AIRLINE EMPLOYEES WHO NOW ARE
UNDERSTAND T THAT SAME TEN DAY
QUARANTINE MANDATE AFTER THE
ONSET OF SYMPTOMS.
WOULD YOU ADVOCATE ALSO THAT
BEING CUT IN HALF SO THAT THESE
CREW MEMBERS CAN GET BACK IT TO
WORK?
>> I WOULD SIGH THAT IF THE
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AT THE CDC
HAVE DETERMINED IT IS SAFE
ENOUGH FOR A HEALTH CARE WORKER
TO RETURN TO WORK AFTER FIVE
DAYS, THAT THE SAME STANDARD
COULD APPLY TO AIRLINE
EMPLOYEES.
>> OKAY.
THAT IS PRETTY CUT AND DRY.
IN THE SHORT TIME THAT WE HAVE
LEFT TOGETHER I DON’T WANT IT TO
LET YOU GO WITHOUT GETTING YOUR
PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
COVERING MORE AND MORE UNDER THE
UMBRELLA OF PEOPLE JUST
BEHAVINGED BADLY, AND IN
WORST-CASE SCENARIO PEOPLE
GETTING HURT, FIGHTING WITH
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, WHAT’S GOING
ON THERE?
>> THERE IS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT
THIS VIRUS AND THE PANDEMIC.
AND LOOK, AIR TRAVEL IS NOT
ALWAYS THE MOST PLEASANT
EXPERIENCE.
WE KNOW THAT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, SHOW PEOPLE
FEEL THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING WRONG WITH TAKING OUT
THEIR AGGRESSION, PHYSICALLY,
AND VERBALLY AGAINST AIRLINE
EMPLOYEES.
THAT IS 100% WRONG.
I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE FAA
IS GOING TO START PROSECUTING
PEOPLE, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO
PURSUE JAIL TIME AND AIRLINES OF
COURSE HAVE SAID THAT NOT ONLY
WILL WE BAN YOU, THERE IS
CONSIDERATION OF AIRLINES
SHARING INFORMATION SO THAT
SOMEONE WHO IS VIOLENT IS BANNED
BY ALL AIRLINES.
YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS THIS.
WHEN WE TRAVEL BY AIRLINE OR
ANYWAY, WE JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT
THE FACT SOME THINGS ARE OUT OF
OUR CONTROL, THERE ARE LOTS SUCH
AS YOU MUST WEAR A MASK ON THE
PLANE JUST LIKE YOU HAVE TO WEAR
A SEATBELT AT TAKEOFF AND
LANDING, YOU DON’T LIKE IT, THEN
PLEASE DON’T FLY.
IF ARE YOU OKAY WITH IT, OR IF
IT IS AN INCONVENIENCE, JUST PUT
UP WITH IT.
YOUR FLIGHT WILL BE OVER IN A
COUPLE OF HOURS AND YOU CAN GET
ON WITH WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO
AT YOUR DESTINATION BUT THERE IS
NO EXCUSE.
>> SUCH AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE.
WE’LL JUST END RIGHT THERE AND
HOPE THAT HAMMERS IT HOME FOR
EVERYONE, FLY SAFELY, AND FLY