A passenger walks through Reagan National airport as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to keep airline travel at minimal levels and the U.S. economy contracts in the first quarter at its sharpest pace since the Great Recession, in Washington, April 29, 2020.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Direction requests
Data from navigation tool Apple maps tells a different story depending on the mode of transportation. While requests for driving and walking directions have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, transit directions continue to recover much more slowly. Though that may change as more employees return to work in urban centers like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, requests for transit directions are still at half of what they were in early March.
Restaurant bookings
Restaurant bookings through reservation service OpenTable dropped to zero in late March and throughout April before picking back up in May once states eased restrictions on in-person dining. While bookings have risen to a level of being down 60% compared to last year, the upward trend has the potential to stall out as states like Texas and Florida pause their reopening plans amid coronavirus outbreaks.
Hotel occupancy
Hotels’ occupancy rates have continued their upward trend and now measure at 44%, according to data from global hospitality research company STR. The new figures mark the tenth consecutive week occupancy rates have increased. Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia as well as Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida were both top travel markets that saw occupancy rates of 54% and 49% respectively. However, New York City had an occupancy rate of 44%, down from 46% the week prior.
Air travel
The number of passengers traveling each day through airport security checkpoints is down more than 70% compared to last year, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. The numbers represent continued improvement for the troubled air travel industry. American Airlines announced Friday that it will resume flying full planes on July 1 after having a 70% capacity limit for flights.
Home purchases
Though mortgage applications for purchasing a single-family home are 18% higher compared to the same week last year, they did see a slight decrease from last week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Even with continued high unemployment and economic uncertainty stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the MBA said the home purchase market is still strong.
