(Live from NY ...)
US postpones new security screenings
Jul 10 2004
By The Journal
Operators hope that fears of lengthy delays for British travellers entering the States because of security measures will be eased by the US Government's decision to push back the starting date for biometric identifiers in passports by a year - from October 2004 to October 2005.
Matt Bates, chair of the UK branch of the Visit USA Association, says: "This is great news. It has been clear for some time that it would not be possible for any of the national governments involved to meet the original 2004 deadline for the introduction of biometric passports, and that this was going to have a significant, negative impact on the US inbound travel market." [Ed.- Clear? Evidently, Bates hasn't read the Identix threads here and over at Yahoo!.]
With UK visitors to the States in the first quarter of the year already running 15pc ahead of 2003, and April figures 19pc up on April 2003, operators believe 2004 could set new records - driven largely by the purchasing power of the strong pound against a weak dollar.
To make arrivals smoother, the US Department of Homeland Security is trialling a Registered Traveller Project at selected US airports for the rest of the year - enabling frequent fliers to pay a fee for a one-off special screening which enables them to use a fast-track security system every time they pass through a US airport.
Says Alberto Boeri at Jetsave: "Passengers may well be under the impression that it is getting harder and harder to get into the States. The perception is not accurate, but it could well have had an impact on demand."
Mr Boeri doesn't expect many discounted holiday deals, at least on the East Coast and Florida this summer, because, he says, airline capacity is still lower than it was before the 9/11 terror attacks.
But deals are still there for the taking this summer. Here's a taste of what's on offer:....
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