Since the onset of COVID-19, air travel has either been limited, or, in some cases, cut off completely. 

This premise doesn't help frequent travelers. It also doesn't help travel agencies, who need airlines to be open to make money.

And it seems to be hurting one local agency in particular. Cappabianca Travel, owned by Lisa Cappabianca, has been in business for 93 years, but has never seen a more devastating financial year than in 2020.

While most businesses are struggling to stay open, Cappabianca says her location is essentially already shut down. 

Right now, there are no new customers. The current customers are limited in their travel plans overseas.

"We basically are at a standstill. We basically are shut down", she said. "Our office is not open, because there's not demand and there's no new business."

During the pandemic, the business is down 95% of it's normal revenue, according to Cappabianca, who has been doing everything necessary to stay afloat and keep her customers taken care of. 

'What I have been able to do is just cut as many expenses as possible", said Cappabianca. "That includes cutting down some phone lines, cutting down some subscriptions, and not taking payroll."

A payroll that includes her employees and herself. In fact, at some points this year, Cappabianca and other have worked without a paycheck. "Everything we did from March on was without a paycheck without getting reimbursed from our customers", she said.

"So we continue to help them knowing it was the right thing to do, and not to leave them stranded, and work to get their money back."

Cappabianca hopes that soon, travel will be able to return to a normal, everyday occurrence. She is also hoping to keep her travel business intact for at least 100 years, which would be in 2027. 

But that would require an end to the year different from the beginning. 

"You just have to, as a business owner, do whatever it takes to stay above water", Cappabianca said. "Of course you can only do so much, and if you hit a brick wall, then sometimes you might say it's time to walk away and start all over."

This story was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project