Low air fares, better hygiene, and cancelled routes – what to expect when you book a flight in 2021
- A revival in air travel is a certainty, but there will be changes: preflight Covid-19 tests, the retention of enhanced hygiene measures, and easier check-in
- Low fares will tempt travellers, but airline route networks will shrink. For the adventurous with deep pockets, commercial space travel is set to begin
A nightmare 2020 brought the airline industry’s first decade of sustained profitability to a shuddering halt. The coronavirus pandemic tore through in a tumultuous, unprecedented way, leaving carriers in a deep hole, along with a constellation of aerospace manufacturers, airports and leasing firms.
2021 is shaping up to be a transition year for an enterprise that takes passengers on the equivalent of 208 million annual trips around the globe. At best, the path ahead will be bumpy, with progress towards a return to travel dependent on the pace of vaccine roll-outs, access to capital, government policies and the unpredictability of a virus that’s not yet fully understood.
Still, there will be leaps, including the first commercial flights to near-space.
Here are some developments to look for over the next 12 months.
Fare wars
Airline traffic won’t see a major boost until vaccines start to bring down infection rates. Even then, it may take effort to get some people back on planes. In Europe, that will mean fares as low as €9.99 (US$12.33), according to Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. Other ideas include free hotel stays, two-for-one deals and complimentary travel insurance.