RELATED: The CDC Just Banned You From Bringing This on Flights. Although the latest, Delta variant-driven wave of the pandemic is receding around the country, the disease is far from eliminated and remains a threat to travelers for the second consecutive season. The issue isn’t simply the matter of catching the dangerous disease, but also the possibility of getting stuck at your destination if you do test positive, CNN reports.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Americans traveling abroad will need to show proof of a negative COVID test (or documentation of recovery) as a requirement for reentry to the U.S., per guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And if you can’t produce that documentation, you can’t fly. That’s why it “is certainly a potential hazard any time you leave the country right now because of the U.S. requirement to be tested and be negative before you come back into the country,” Dave Hershberger, owner of Prestige Travel in Cincinnati, Ohio, told CNN. RELATED: Never Do This on a Plane, Infectious Disease Doctor Warns. Consider how much time you have away from work or other responsibilities, travel experts advise. If you absolutely must be back in town on a certain date, you might not want to take the risk that quarantine will extend your trip. “If you’ve got two weeks and you can only be gone two weeks, period, that may not be a chance that I would take,” Hershberger told CNN. He added that a positive test remains an unlikely result for a traveler who is both fully vaccinated against COVID and takes precautions while away. RELATED: For more travel news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Although you run the risk of getting stranded during an international trip, note that there’s a major upside to the testing requirement: Just as you’ll be required to produce negative test results or documentation of recovery, so will everyone else on your flight, CNN notes. And that can serve as a serious measure of comfort during a challenging travel time. In addition to the possibility of an unexpected quarantine, travelers have plenty to worry about this holiday season—and should expect to pack their patience. Widespread flight cancellations due to staffing shortages have affected major airline carriers across the country. Last month, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 2,000 flights. Then, over the four-day period spanning Halloween weekend, American Airlines canceled another 2,000 flights. Industry insiders say the problem could get worse before it gets better. RELATED: Never Do This When Your Flight Is Canceled, Travel Expert Warns.
