Okay, so Trump is actually following through on his crazy ideas and turning them into actual policy, and they’ve already majorly disrupted the travel industry.
It’s only been a week since Trump gained the keys to the White House, and in that short time he’s already fundamentally changed American foreign policy – especially in regards to the movement of people around the world.
He’s banned funding to developing countries that allow women to take control of reproductive fate, started planning a southern wall between the US and Mexico to keep out the “murderers, gang members and rapists”, and continues to make anti-Chinese remarks that may lead the world into a new World War.
But perhaps the most significant – and discriminatory – decision Trump’s made in his short time as President of the United States was signed in ink last Friday, when he imposed a three-month ban on travel to the US for citizens of seven Muslim majority countries (Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya and Sudan) for at least 90 days as it seeks to reexamine its vetting process.
The shameful decision applies to temporary visitors, migrants and even refugees.
The regressive decision was made by Trump to supposedly keep the US safe against terrorism, even though the recent attacks against the US, even going as far back as 9/11, weren’t perpetrated by citizens of any of these blacklisted countries.
In the case of 9/11, specifically, the hijackers were from Egypt and Saudi Arabia – two nations which aren’t on the ban list…
Within just hours of making the executive order on Friday, Trump’s new policy was being enforced in airports all around the world.
Passengers that held one of the banned passports were bared from boarding the plane and put on flights back home, whilst those that were flying when the executive order was signed and sealed into American policy were detained upon touching down on US soil.
Amongst the affected passengers being turned away at airports across the US were thousands of protesters, voicing their opposition to what is effectively a ban on Muslims.
Already the travel industry is having to make serious last-minute changes to conform to these new American policies.
For example, Emirates has had to make off-the-cuff changes to its crew rosters on services to the US as some of the airline’s pilots and flight attendants are citizens of blacklisted countries. Other airlines are also rushing to comply with Trump’s travel ban.
Back home in Australia, Qantas has responded to the ban by offering full refunds or new tickets to alternative destinations to affected passengers.
Delta has also stated on its website that the airline will be contacting affected passengers and offering them flexible rebooking options, including refunds.
The ramifications of Friday’s executive order are still being felt across the industry, and many airports and airlines are still confused on the specifics of the ban.
Stay tuned to KarryOn as we keep you up-to-date on how this regrettable US decision plays out for the travel industry in the coming days and weeks.