American Airlines Suspends Hong Kong Flights

In a not so surprising move, American Airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong today as a continued prophylactic against the spread of the dreaded coronavirus into the U.S. American was the first U.S. carrier to suspend flights to and from Hong Kong and, at press time, that moratorium is set to last only until February 20. Last week the carrier stopped its mainland China flights through March 27 but remained active with flights to Hong Kong. Delta and United also suspended flights into mainland China last week.

CNBC reports that United also announced late Tuesday its intention of suspending service to Hong Kong due to “continued drop in demand.”

As a result of the presidential proclamation which did not include Hong Kong, the United States government has imposed the following entry requirements that take effect on Feb. 2, 2020 after 5 p.m. ET.

 Any U.S. citizen or lawful U.S. permanent resident returning to the United States returning to the United States who has traveled to mainland China within the previous 14 days must enter the United States through an approved airport. American Airlines customers will be rebooked, if necessary, to one of those airports by our Reservations and Airport teams.

 Foreign nationals who have traveled to mainland China within the last 14 days will be denied permission to travel to the United States.

American posted a list of top Q & As on its website:

When do these orders go into effect?

These orders apply to all flights departing for the United States after 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 2, 2020.

What can customers expect when flying American?

Prior to boarding an American Airlines flight departing to the United States, all customers will be asked if they have visited mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the last 14 days. If a customer traveled to mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the previous 14 days and is authorized to travel, they must enter the United States through an approved airport.

Foreign nationals who have traveled to mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the last 14 days will be denied permission to travel to the United States.

What airports are approved entry points for customers entering the United States if the customer has visited mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the last 14 days?

 Atlanta: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

 Dallas/Fort Worth: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

 Detroit: Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)

 Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

 Honolulu: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

 New York City: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

 Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

 Chicago: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

 Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

 San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

 Washington, D.C.: Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)

What if a customer is authorized to travel, but is scheduled to arrive at a nonapproved airport?

If a customer traveled to mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the previous 14 days and is authorized to travel, but is scheduled to arrive at a nonapproved airport, American will help reroute the customer to one of the approved airports or offer a refund.

Should customers arrive at international airports early?

We encourage customers departing for the United States to arrive at the airport three hours early as we expect this additional screening will lengthen the normal check-in process.