International Inbound Air Arrivals to the US in the 3rd of 2025

 As expected, tourism to the States continues to decline.  Are we that unlikable? 

From the report (bold mine):

The number of international visitors arriving into the United States decreased 5.7 percent from the third quarter of 2024: arrivals from Mexico increased 1.9 percent, arrivals from overseas decreased 4.4 percent, and arrivals from Canada decreased 15.5 percent. 

Source: National Travel and Tourism Office Publishes 2025 Q3 Results of the Survey of International Air Travelers.  see Visual Data Center.

Canada to US Tourism continues to drop, drop drop

 As tensions flame, Canadians are seeking other Snowbird destinations this Spring as flights and car rental fall as much as 30% in April 2025.  The Guardian even reports a 70% drop!

No matter what percentage, things are changing as more and more citizens from around the world, decide it might be better to travel elsewhere?

Why spend your money in the States when other places are more welcoming and warmer than even Florida?

Oh yeah, you need Real ID soon.

Arrivals to US down

As the US becomes less welcoming, the data shows:

Originating Non-Stop Air Travel in February 2025

Non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals to the United States from foreign countries totaled:

4.116 million in February 2025, down 4.8 percent compared to February 2024.

This represents 88.2 percent of pre-pandemic February 2019 volume.

Source: I-94 Arrivals Program

A friend from the UK reported to me:

"All the news that we get on this side of the pond paints the U.S. as a dystopian, fascist regime that's not even safe to visit — which definitely gives me pause for whether this is the right decision (to return home)."

Happy Face

 Speaking of air photos, try this one from Canada.

This is why I like the window seat.

Air Passenger Travel Between the U.S. and Europe up 783%

 Data recently released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show that in May 2022:

U.S.-International air traffic passenger enplanements (APIS/ “I-92” arrivals + departures) totaled 16.764 million in May 2022, up 129% compared to May 2021, however, enplanements reached 76% of pre-pandemic May 2019 volume.

Whew.

Oh yeah, after my AT hike I started a job at Camp Straus as a canoe guide.

Lehigh Gap, PA, 30 March 1975

 Here are a couple shots of the human caused destruction of the mountain gap.

The wool plaid jacket was the one I bought in Maine the previous September.

Here is an air photo from 1976:

Things have improved in the area and one needs to thank the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, among others.

Lastly I saw this plane wreck right on the Trail somewhere east of the gap.

And the approximate location 3 miles east of Little Gap.

Name this airport

 Slap happy fun today.  Since we haven't travelled for quite some time (you know, Covid), I have set up my computer to cycle through pictures as a slide show.  Fun stuff.

So first question, where is this airport?

Hint, FDF.

Helicopter on Mars

 Isn't this just great!

https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/#Watch-Online

and on YouTube

Frequent Flyer Miles

 If, like you, I had declined to fly for a significant time due to the pandemic, but my miles still grow.

I read this morning an article by Jamie Lauren Keiles in the The New York Times Magazine and then took Bubba-Doo for a short hike.  Yes it was short since the road to get to Shatterack Mountain Trail was closed for the winter so I redirected to the Army Corps of Engineers Knightville Dam but that place was crowded (sunny and cool today).

So returning, I stoked up the woodstove and started this piece.

I started flying on a regular basis in the Eighties.  At that time it might have been a trip a year, but not knowing any difference I signed up for airline frequent flyer programs in anticipation.  After moving the New England, my flights continued for work and when it was personal travel, we tended to fly TWA since St. Louis was a hub.  About the same time I signed up for a credit card tied to the airline.

Early use of miles was mainly used to offset expenses for a vacation.  If I could knock off a couple of thousand dollars for a weeklong vacation in the Caribbean, why not.  Then I used the miles to upgrade to first class tickets.  During those times coach may have been $600 each while first was $900-1000 so not really a big difference, but recall this is for two people.  

Flying more frequent for work and fun meant I became a loyal flyer with a particular airline and even would pay a bit more to rack up the miles over lesser priced competing airlines.  I could then get free first class tickets and travel in style.  I knew for example to get a good free ticket, you might need to schedule that vacation 11 months out, but with a school schedule that was not too hard.

So I got a couple of tickets in limbo right now due to Covid, and a bunch of miles, so I am looking at January 2022 for a vacation at a distant and safe location.

Am I too optimistic?

Big Bertha Rocket Launch

 Typically every Sunday, I go up to campus and shoot some model rockets with friends.  We are getting some spectators now and every one is wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

I also do some video taping and here is one I did, (but downgraded from MP4 to MPG due to Blogspot's file limitation).

Baby Bertha has been flying since the spring but is in need of repair. So I build Big Bertha last week and am testing it.  Two flights in the video including one with an on-board camera.

It is a lot of fun.

International arrivals to US decline

well.....duh.

For some recent (May 2020) stats, see the National Travel and Tourism Office website.

There have been no news releases from this office since October last year.

But you can access the disaster page at this point.

International Air Transport Association Annual Report 2018

Want to read about air travel?  Check out the annual report from IATA.

Highlights include the environment, safety, security, cargo and "passenger experience."

Domestic travel in China is the largest market.

Wow Went?

Low cost carrier Wow, is leaving Iceland.  Believed to be a major contributor to Iceland's incredible growth in international tourism, the question remains to see how much low cost travel is important to tourism for Iceland.

Wow's unexpected departure has left tourists stranded.

I mean, Iceland is not a cheap place to visit.  It is not cheap like SE Asia or the Dominican Republic.

But the old saying "you get what you pay for" may be prudent here.

Goodbye Airbus Superjumbo A380

800 seats in a plane?  well not much of a demand it seems.  The production of the huge Airbus in France is being halted by 2021 with the final 17 jets.

Seems most of the buyers (airlines) prefer smaller planes, even for the long haul flights.

For a news report and a great photo, visit WSJ.

ORD is the busiest airport in the US

ORD of course stands for Chicago O'Hare International Airport.  It surpasses Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport  (ATL).  ORD had 903,000 arrivals and departures in 2018.

POP for Gregorio Luperón International Airport.

Want to learn more about these 3 digit airport codes?  Visit https://www.world-airport-codes.com/.

Airport security screener absences

Traveled this past holiday weekend.  Was it slower to get through security, I mean slower than the normal slow?

"The TSA said unscheduled absences on Saturday reached 10 percent of its 51,000 officers, compared with 3 percent a year ago."  CNBC.

Can you blame 'em sine they are not getting paid?

Oh yeah, this is not a vacation!

Planning to fly soon, don't read this.

On one of the 3000 cable channels there is a show called air disasters.  That is not something you want to watch if you fly.  I guess the public's eye for this kind of stuff is daily reflected when we slow down on the highway to gawk at a car wreck.

For flights don't look at this.

Airport delays

JFK, Atlanta, Waco?  Yep most airports have experienced some significant delay or closure.  Most are related to weather conditions, but occasionally there are other problems (Atlanta).  Sometimes the delay is felt at other airports, several legs down your trip. One time we were flying to San Juan Puerto Rico, had to wait to get there and after arrival, were told Hartford was closed.  Spent the night in the airport hotel.  And how many times have I spent a night in Miami since Hartford was closed due to bad weather.

The most harrowing experience in airports for me was in 1989.  I was flying from College Station, Texas to St Louis.  Severe thunderstorms closed College Station, but I got a ride on a plane flying to Waco where I had a chance to catch a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth and then St. Louis.  That flight was crazy.  We flew over and around a cumulonimbus cloud to get to Waco; like riding in a roller coaster. Since it was an unscheduled flight, had we crashed, they would have to check my dental records to id me!

Long story short, we made it to Waco, only to have that airport closed due to the same storm.  I caught a ride with a fellow traveler to Dallas where he had important business, I caught my flight to St. Louis that had been delayed 9 hours, drove back to Carbondale and went to work on time.  No sleep mind you!

Whew.

To see the current air traffic, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish you and yours a happy thanksgiving.  If you are one of the 50 million travellers this weekend, I hope your trip is going well and that you remember the folks that served you during the trip.  Remember the gas station employees, the wait staff, toll plaza people, airport people and of course the other travellers.

Be polite please and give something back to your neighbors.

Caribbean Flights disrupted?

Check out what is in the air in the Caribbean or anywhere else for that matter using this really cool site   Currently 89% of flights have been canceled at Miami (MIA).