President Joe Biden announced in his State of the Union address Tuesday that the U.S. would join the European Union and Canada in banning Russian flights from their airspace. Russia is expected to retaliate in kind, and it could affect your travel plans.
Willis Orlando, a senior flight expert at Scott’s Cheap Flights, an online low airfare finder, told WTOP that most nonstop flights from the U.S. to parts of Asia and India cross Russian airspace.
“I would not count on a nonstop flight in particular to South Asia or Southeast Asia anytime in the near future,” Orlando said. Instead, he said, direct flights to those destinations would likely now include a connecting stopover in the Middle East or Hawaii.
Orlando also warned travelers to expect ticket prices to go up as oil prices continue to rise.
“Jet fuel is generally one of the top two expenses for almost all airlines,” Orlando said. “When there’s a conflict involving a country that is a major oil producer like Russia, they’re just going to go up and stay up.”
Orlando also advised leisure travelers against booking a trip to Eastern Europe. “If you want to go visit friends and family right now, there’s no indication that they are dangerous to go to. But if you’re looking to have a worry-free vacation, I would stick to Western Europe.”
He said in the days since the conflict broke out, international flight search demand plummeted by about 10% to 12%.
