In the wake of new policies being implemented by the Donald Trump administration, officials within the airline industry have been taking a wait and see approach on the possible impact on the sector.
According to Kaye Chong, the South Florida representative of the Trinidad and Tobago based Caribbean Airlines (CAL), the carrier is still monitoring the situation and compiling the relevant data.
“I think people are waiting to see how the new immigration policies unfold before deciding to fly to America from the Caribbean, while some people are weary of leaving the US.”
Chong added that some travel agencies have stated that reservations with CAL have declined, while an agent in Jamaica indicated that February could be one of the worst months for reservations.
Linda Sasso, a Miami travel broker, said the negative impact of immigration concerns are a ”two way thing” adding that since the start of February , several bookings have been cancelled.
“Most of the cancellations are by green-card holders, who fear being unable to reenter the country from trips overseas.” She made reference to a man who booked a family cruise to the Caribbean but cancelled the reservation as he was arrested last week for a serious traffic violation, and fears being denied entry on his returns.
In addition to CAL, representatives of Jet Blue and American Airlines are also monitoring the situation, however they too believe that it is too early to determine if there has been a significant decline in reservations.
“If these immigration policies are as tough as speculated, they’ll have a negative impact on airline and cruise travel to and from the Caribbean. Nobody wants to be denied entry on arriving at a US port,” Sasso noted.
Travelers are also concerned about their encounter with immigration officials at the airport. This was highlighted by Mycal Trott of West Kendall, who in an interview with the National Weekly said a relative coming in from Trinidad and Tobago was “detained and grilled for almost an hour at the Fort Lauderdale Airport. “He is an Indo-Trinidadian businessman who has been traveling back and forth between Trinidad and the USA for several years, but was never detained for questioning before. Now he is sceptical of traveling to the US. This will affect the business he operates in Trinidad,” he said.
However, a Miami a customs officer, Phillip Solage, says visitors should not be concerned once their visas are legitimate. He said all visitors are “copiously vetted” at the port of entry but certai red flags will result in some being questioned more intensely than others.
He listed the red flags as those having legal issues; making frequent visits to the US over short time spans; those who previously overstayed their allotted time; green-card holders who living outside the US for extending periods and not meeting their obligations as residents.
