Q&A: New travel ban shakes up airlines, passengers

Airlines and travelers are still sorting out the new travel ban that President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday that bars most foreign visitors coming to the U.S. from continental Europe for 30 days.

The ban will affect 7,300 flights – and more than 2 million airline seats -- scheduled from 26 European nations to the U.S., according to travel data firm Cirium.

Airlines are reeling from a drop in travel caused by the new coronavirus, and the ban will add to pressure on carriers, said Alexandre de Juniac, CEO of the International Air Transport Association trade group.

“We have already seen Flybe go under,” he said, referring to a British airline that shut down last week. “And this latest blow could push others in the same direction.”

Meanwhile, travelers are scrambling to figure out how the ban, which starts at midnight Friday, will affect them.

Here are some frequent questions about the travel ban and its repercussions:

WHO IS COVERED BY THE NEW TRAVEL BAN?

Most foreign citizens who have been in continental Europe in the 14 days before their scheduled U.S. arrival would be barred. The United Kingdom is not part of the 26-country Schengen Area and will be exempted from the ban, along with Ireland, Romania, Croatia, Ukraine and several other European states.

Neither Trump nor the Homeland Security Department explained the reason for leaving out the U.K. A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said the U.S. sees the biggest threat coming from the European continent, not the U.K. — although the U.K. has at least 459 confirmed coronavirus cases and eight deaths.

The ban doesn’t apply to American citizens returning from abroad, at least for now. It also doesn't cover foreigners who are lawful permanent...