[Misc] When airlines start flying again

[Icy Gull]

Airlines will start flying next month.

Its going to get messy soon, even more so if the FCO advice changes.

If the flight goes and the hotel is open, you wont get a refund.

You work for Virgin don’t you? When the feck are they going to start refunding flights (not packages, just flights)? I am no fan of BA but they have been refunding quickly, yet to receive a refund from Branson’s crew for a single cancelled flight!

Luckily we cover all flights we book with airline failure insurance, I am starting to wonder if this is how I will get the refunds due!

Having said that the list of airlines no longer covered is getting very long.

 

[dwayne]

I'm happy to take the risk and may go to France late August / early September. I suspect there will never be a vaccine. So just got to get on with things taking necessary precautions where possible.

Fairly happy to take a tube in a month or so as well as long as infection and death rates are well down by then !!

Sent from my SM-G977N using Tapatalk

 

[Sussexscots]

Think I'll be waiting to see how much longer the airport 'experience' is going to take before I fly again.

I quite often use easyjet between Gatwick and Edinburgh, only fly with a carry on bag and as the security process had become (in my experience) much more efficient at Gatwick, rarely needed to arrive much more than an hour beforehand.

If it's now going to be a four hour process, then it's not for me. Also need to see what happens to fight prices. If BA pull out of Gatwick, easyjet won't have any competition on the route to Edinburgh. Might think about the night sleeper train again.

 

[Palacefinder General]

Just heard Simon Calder talking about the decision to fly (on Ryanair) as though it was a personal choice as to whether you want to take the risk.

But Simon Calder is not any kind of journalist in my book - he's a marketing stooge for the aviation industry

Sadly even the BBC has become a ‘clickbait’ website to stay relevant, a lot of vacuous content and unnecessary Coronavirus fluff on there, in between bigging up their own radio and TV output.

 

[Mellotron]

Depends on so many other parameters. I think some are thinking far too "all or nothing" based on a vaccine. There may never be an effective vaccine, or it may take a long time.

We will still beat COVID-19 though, via 1,000 other methods all utilised at once.

My answer would depend on perception of current risk at the time. Not even just risk of infection/spreading, as there is a fair chance that drug treatment will become more effective and available in the coming months. If the level of risk (to myself and others) is almost negligible, then absolutely.

Also yes, as the above post suggests, depends how much of an arse-ache international travelling will be with the extra precautions etc in place. If a bit of a pain, will probably stay UK-based for next year or two, or find other ways - have enjoyed a couple of drives across Europe (to Denmark and back via numerous countries, and to Croatia and back) before, if safe to do so I'd more than happily drive across Europe again, with same caveat on the pain of border crossings hopefully not being too bad (on way back from Croatia I got stuck at the Croatia-Slovenia border for 7 hours, absolute shambles).

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

You work for Virgin don’t you? When the feck are they going to start refunding flights (not packages, just flights)? I am no fan of BA but they have been refunding quickly, yet to receive a refund from Branson’s crew for a single cancelled flight!

Luckily we cover all flights we book with airline failure insurance, I am starting to wonder if this is how I will get the refunds due!

Having said that the list of airlines no longer covered is getting very long.

Vhols not Atlantic so no idea

As with Tui, I doubt more than 30% will get money before they go under.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Airlines will start flying next month.

Its going to get messy soon, even more so if the FCO advice changes.

If the flight goes and the hotel is open, you wont get a refund.

Yes, that's what I fear.

We cancelled a trip to Italy in the first week f March, pre-lockdown, but because the FCO advice NOT to travel was not yet in place, we lost our money.

We have more flights (all booked pre virus) booked for end July, Mid September and NYE.

Not sure whether we'll be going on any/all of those trips.

As you say, I think flights will be going, so they're would be no refund we we decided not to go.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yes, that's what I fear.

We cancelled a trip to Italy in the first week f March, pre-lockdown, but because the FCO advice NOT to travel was not yet in place, we lost our money.

We have more flights (all booked pre virus) booked for end July, Mid September and NYE.

Not sure whether we'll be going on any/all of those trips.

As you say, I think flights will be going, so they're would be no refund we we decided not to go.

BA have told staff if they have to refund June/July they will be going into administration - so thats what buyers are facing.

could be 2 + 2 = 5 - but why have the gov brought in the 14 days if they are not going to change advice?

Its a way of bailing out the airlines without spending a penny.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Best man at a Wedding in Perth, WA on NYE, so not much choice other than fly without a vaccine.

There would be if you left now

 

[LamieRobertson]

Doing a BA Baracus/Dennis Bergkamp is the way to go. People are too quick to hop on planes with no thought for the planet.

Holidaying in North Wales is the way forward.

I share his fear of flying (or the tube for that matter) hence I’ll only do it if I’m the pilot ...a distraction works wonders)

 

[The Wizard]

I will be - a vaccine may never be found, plus I’m fit, healthy and in my twenties so I’m not in a vulnerable group, if I was I would definitely understand a reluctance to fly.

 

[Driver8]

Holidaying in North Wales is the way forward.

Not at the moment it’s not. Keep Out, we’re closed!!

 

[studio150]

I posted on another thread that I had written off 2021 for overseas holidays. I will make a decision for 2022 much nearer the time, until then I'm staying home (and alert)

 

[studio150]

Not at the moment it’s not. Keep Out, we’re closed!!

Correct, we are even banned from driving into Wales by Johnson

 

[Driver8]

Correct, we are even banned from driving into Wales by Johnson

Welsh Parliament not UK.

 

[The Maharajah of Sydney]

Emirates kick-starting some of their scheduled services from next Thursday.


Emirates resumes passenger flights to 9 destinations, including connections between UK and Australia

Dubai, UAE: 13 May 2020 – Emirates has announced its plan to operate scheduled flight services from 21 May to nine destinations: London Heathrow Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne.
The airline will also offer connections in Dubai for customers traveling between the UK and Australia.
Travelers will only be accepted on these flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements of their destination countries.

https://www.emirates.com/media-cent...cluding-connections-between-uk-and-australia/

 

[blue-shifted]

No need to make long term decisions. I definitely won't go this year. I probably won't go next year. A couple of years without leaving the country won't do me any harm.

By 2022, I may have either had it or had a vaccine, and if not, I can decide then based on the facts which exist then.

 

[dazzer6666]

Don't know........depends.......on :

-where (if I can safely travel, to a largely covid-free holiday destination that looks and feels like a holiday destination, then I might)
-why (I'm not planning on any business travel but may do some personal stuff - visiting daughter in Scotland, late summer holiday and golf trip to Portugal in the Autumn perhaps, again, if safe to do so)
-insurance arrangements are adequate (not so much cost of travel, but medical if I get ill abroad)
-the airport and flight experience is not too much more of a ballache than usual
-generally what covid infections look like nearer the time (both incidence and seriousness - both may be vastly different to now)

We've got a holiday booked for late August (potential next air travel other than potentially going to Scotland - where I can drive if necessary) - fully expecting to have to cancel at this stage but we'll see. Flight and hotel both fully refundable (in theory, anyway) up to 3 weeks before departure so not rushing into any decision.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Have you ever been on a ferry?

Crowded onto the car deck. Queuing up the stairs. And if everyone went on deck (as opposed to the 95% of passengers that seem to spend the whole time in the bar, the arcade, or eating chips) it would be pretty packed...

Just heard Simon Calder talking about the decision to fly (on Ryanair) as though it was a personal choice as to whether you want to take the risk.

Some people have STILL not understood the principle that keeping the R number down is a collective effort for the common good. It doesn't work if we each make individual choices based on what risk we see for ourselves. On that logic, anyone under 45 in good health can just get on with life, let the virus rip and screw the old and vulnerable.

But Simon Calder is not any kind of journalist in my book - he's a marketing stooge for the aviation industry

Agree on Simon Calder. I used to hugely respect him as a travel journo, but even when it was becoming clear that this was a serious pandemic he was on TV saying that you had more chance of being run-over by a car when on holiday abroad. Statistically true: but cars don't infect other cars.

 

[boik]

Haven't flown anywhere since 2013 and won't be starting now.