Subject: US Travel ban

From: Phillip Hallam-Baker <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2020 22:17:10 -0400

The US has just announced a travel ban from the EU. Travel from the UK is
not banned yet but expect that to change in the next few days as the
results come in from the expanded testing regime that was brought in a few
days back.

This will almost certainly mean a lot of IETF-ers are now entitled to
refunds as their US connections are cancelled. And most likely the airlines
will be getting some sort of government financial support like they did in
the wake of 9/11.

Canada has not yet followed suit but it is surely only a matter of days
before they do. For planning purposes I would assume that there is a
significant probability international travel is suspended entirely sometime
next week. So we can probably expect further refund opportunities.

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From: Toerless Eckert <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2020 04:13:15 +0100

Thanks for the info

And travellers can probably get double whammy:

Last november? (i think) i had something like 5 flights cancelled on me,
one being a United FRA-SFO because probably of broken machine. This
was a return leg, but even though it as non-refundable, my company
get a refund for that return leg because United cancelled it.

I am not 100% sure though if airlines can try to escape this refund
if the airline doesn't want to and offer a rebooking. I think it may
be a matter of rules of the ticket, aka: not sure what my company got
is a MUST.

The other refund would be due to european passenger rights. United
offered me either the cash EUR 600 or 900 USD in United travel value.
That money according to european law is the right of the
traveller not the entity that has paid for the flight.

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[email-masked]

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From: Fred Baker <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2020 23:43:14 -0700

You might try canceling it. When I cancelled mine, United told me that they had a fee waiver in place for flights right now, and refunded the entire fee.

> On Mar 11, 2020, at 8:13 PM, Toerless Eckert <[email-masked]> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the info
>

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From: Toerless Eckert <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2020 08:45:33 +0100

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-nonimmigrants-certain-additional-persons-pose-risk-transmitting-2019-novel-coronavirus/

There are several hundred thousand people living in the USA
on VISAs (H1 for example). If i read the proclamation correctly,
most of those on travel to Europe now, will not be allowed
back to where they live directly (except few visa categories).

Guess they will have to try to get back to the USA via LHR
or other "still safe" countries waiting for 14 days. At
least the airlines will have full flights Thu/Fri.

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[email-masked]