Air Canada anticipates return of worldwide travel by Christmas

Well, that's good news. But I suspect, like everyone else, they are guessing. Lets hope! My June flight to Budapest uses Air Canada to Toronto then changes to Turkish Air. I am not holding my breath; but its been fun watching the Google Flights price change advisories (never booked it), Today its $1300, a few days ago it was $2300.....

An airline predicts business by the Christmas travel season (which happens to be one of their peak travel periods and highest fares)? That sounds pretty convenient (and mighty ambitious since they're covering the whole world)...LOL. I'll take travel industry predictions with a few grains of salt, they would have people back on the planes right now if they could. Of course I hope that I can see my family at Christmas, but I am not counting on it as a given or even high likelihood.

I heard report on the radio last night about Lufthansa pilots agreeing to a major pay cut to help it stay in business. Part of the discussion was that Lufthansa was estimating four years for air traffic to get back to pre-virus levels.

The pressure to reopen tourism is mounting. It varies by location, but thats the beauty of the world being so large. I'm watching a few countries where there is no socialist safety net, or where it is near the breaking point; those I suspect will be the first to open. "Watching," not predicting. If things dont change in the next 60 days, Air Canada may not be flying anywhere ... ever... or at best just the prime flights and at higher prices.

Support services are cratering all over the world and it will take years and years for them to come back to the old levels. Look at the post from the museum in Vienna looking for donations to stay open. Towns like Budapest, now beautiful thanks in great part to tourism, that were dark and blackened just 10 years ago from decades of poverty until just recently will likely begin to take on some of their old patina again.

I have to admire his confidence, as a leader it's part of the deal. But there is no way, imho.
Two years for travel for pleasure, business travel will be different, certainly.

The article doesn't say that there will be a large volume of travelers, it doesn't state the travelers will be tourists, and it does say this depends on countries around the world opening their borders. It is more of Air Canada hoping for a return to flying places they have stopped due to current restrictions.

But no one knows for sure about anything right now.

I do hope that at least the planes will be flying by then to give those who really need to fly somewhere the possibility of doing so. Getting there right now, wherever "there" might be, is the hardest part. Once you find a way, the quarantines are doable if your reason for getting there is important enough.

Don't believe the hype.

Thank you all for your replies. It seems doubtful, I agree, but I am trying to remain hopeful.

Really? The time of year when viruses hit their peak and the CDC expects a resurgence? I've never been a big fan of travelling during peak cold and flu season, but now it's a different ballgame.

Andrea, nothing wrong with hope. Who would have thought two weeks ago that tonight I would be eating in my favorite steakhouse. Good things do happen.

Fondest wish is that the whole Air BNB business disappears and residents will once again have access to affordable housing and apts. in the city centers. Housing that was available only to tourists or to those with big wallets.

I agree Mrs. Jo!!!

Wizzair starts flying again this week and here is an interesting article about a few countries working on bringing back tourism. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/countries-that-kept-a-lid-on-coronavirus-look-to-each-other-to-revive-their-economies-11588424855

Those who were using AirBNB as a way to run a hotel without all the regular investment in facilities (and avoiding all of the business taxes they would have to pay) will probably be selling their properties as soon as they can simply because they have mortgages to pay and sitting there empty don't pay the mortgage. I never liked those properties anyway.

Dos this mean there will be more affordable housing in city centers? I have no way of knowing. It would be nice for those needing to live there, but from what I have seen of AirBNB properties, they are not at the affordable end of the price range in the neighborhoods they occupy. Not that they are all luxury properties, but they start in the mid priced range for the neighborhoods they occupy that is out of reach for most of us.

It wouldn’t be a Rick Steves forum if somebody didn’t bring up Air BNB. Next up, Uber.