On a global level, countless conflicts have made headlines. There is an overwhelming amount of things happening in politics, socio-economics, and travel right now. One of the foremost concerns is the ongoing situation in the Middle East. Due to this conflict, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have recently announced a change in their flight offerings as travel advisories are being updated. This change follows the escalated tensions that are happening. The changes have been made for security reasons and the situation is being assessed. Here is what we know about the situation.
Flight Cancellations To The Middle East
Two major United States airlines have announced that flights to Tel Aviv, Israel have been canceled. This decision was effective immediately and seemingly in response to the U.S. government’s travel advisory. On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department warned against travel to northern Israel and the Syrian and Lebanese borders. Its travel advisory for Lebanon was upgraded from a level three (reconsider travel) to a level four (do not travel). The assassination of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh also plays a part in the decisions.
The United States is not the only country that has announced something of this nature. The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are a few other countries that have warned against travel to parts of Lebanon and Israel. Three of Germany’s airlines have even suspended flights to and from Beirut.
Both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have canceled their flights to Israel. United Airlines has canceled daily flights there for security reasons. This began with a 3:30 p.m. flight on Wednesday from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Since then, the airline has continued to monitor the situation and plans to make decisions on resuming service. In the case of Delta, the airline has canceled flights from New York to Tel Aviv which were supposed to depart on Wednesday as well. Canceled flights will continue at least until Friday, August 2 as the airline assesses the situation.
What Does This Mean for Travelers?
Delta fliers can expect to receive travel waivers, similar to the ones offered during the Microsoft global outage. All customers who booked travel to and from Tel Aviv that were supposed to depart before August 14 are eligible for the waivers. Fliers booked with British Airways will need to stay alert since the airline has yet to cancel flights. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that if a flight is canceled or significantly delayed travelers should expect refunds. All impacted travelers should hear news from their airline soon.
