Travelers from China and the United States were yet again forced to cancel their holiday travel plans during the Chinese New Year, after many flights were suspended between the two countries, leaving families and loved ones separated, workers in jeopardy of losing their jobs, and would-be revelers feeling burned yet again.

Spring Festival, known as the Chinese New Year, is one of the most solemn traditional festivals in Chinese culture. It symbolizes beliefs and culture that have been practiced in China’s agrarian society since ancient times. During the Spring Festival, people worship gods and their ancestors, pray for good fortune, and reunite with their family.

According to Chinese rules, any foreign airline will be suspended for two weeks when five or more Covid cases are found on any of the airline’s flights. Otherwise, the airline needs to decrease the number of its passengers below 40%. When 10 or more cases are found, the airline will be suspended for four weeks. When 10 or more cases are found in two continuous flights, the airline will be suspended for eight weeks.

Also, during the Winter Olympics, foreign airplanes in China are required to spend hours sanitizing their aircraft in response to the Omicron virus.

Dozens of flights were canceled by both the U.S. and China, halting and disrupting travel for many during the new year holiday.

I spoke to one person from China, who lives in the U.S., about these rules.

“I have reached retirement age,” said the person, who goes by the name Chen. “If I don’t go back to China now, I will not only lose my pension, but I will also have to pay extra social insurance every month.”

Another person I spoke with also had concerns.

“I had planned to fly to America before the Chinese New Year to reunite with my family. But now my plan is ruined,” said Liu, who is currently living in Shanghai. “If I had gone there, I would not have been able to return to China.”

Travelers to the United States are risking losing their jobs because they cannot return to China. Other green card holders are also unable to return to the United States to reunite with their families because of flight suspensions.

All of this is turning yet another favored holiday into a traveler’s nightmare.

SAMPAN, published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, is the only bilingual Chinese-English newspaper in New England, acting as a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area. It is published biweekly and distributed free-of-charge throughout metro Boston; it is also delivered to as far away as Hawaii.