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Chinese students in US scramble to get flights home amid travel chaos
- US flight cancellations because of staff shortages and bad weather have left some stranded
- Some are racing to get back home in time for Lunar New Year and risk overstaying their visas
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Chinese students in the United States are struggling to get flights back to China, as US airlines cancel services because of staffing issues caused by a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant and bad weather.
The clock is ticking to get back to China in time for Lunar New Year family celebrations on February 1, given that if they can get on a flight, they will have to quarantine for an extended period when they arrive.
For some frantically trying to rebook cancelled flights – sometimes at exorbitant prices – the more pressing concern is the risk of overstaying their US visa or potentially missing out on a job lined up back home.
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US flight cancellations began before Christmas because of crew members becoming infected with Omicron or being exposed to cases. The situation worsened over the weekend, when thousands of flights into and out of the US were cancelled because of surging Covid-19 infections and severe weather. Airlines have warned that flight cancellations and delays could continue into January.
One graduate, who gave her name as Lisa, said she had missed the start of an internship in China because her flight to Shanghai last week returned to the US six hours into the journey.
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“I sublet my house in Pennsylvania and sold all my furniture before I flew to Seattle [to get the flight to Shanghai],” Lisa said. “Right now, I have no fixed abode and my I-20 [student] visa has expired because I’ve already graduated.”
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