To ask whether you foresee your summer travel plans proceeding?

@notimagain thanks x post there !
This is what I can't understand either like you said buying the fuel is one thing but where it's it.

What do you think of petrol and diesel shortages here ? Are the gov correct that we don't need to worry and we have a varied and diverse source of fuel ?

@Userjal please tell us more.
So easy jet has the season covered but what happens if it's brought but where is it ?
Where is the fuel ie what good is having it paid for when it's stuck in the straight of houz ?

DD is going to Disneyland Paris and going by train (relieved to have it already booked).

Otherwise a couple of weekends in the UK.

Unlikely to be affected

Well I'm ex-industry (long long time in it) and I seem to recall it's more complex than that.

Sure, an airline might effectively buy ahead as part of the hedging process, as in x million barrels/tonnes at $xxx unit price for delivery for the next y months, but that doesn't mean the vendor then goes out, buys all that fuel on day one and then locks away that physical quantity of fuel in tanks somewhere...

All that happens throughout the season is in effect the seller has to get the fuel off the open market as and when it's needed by the airline....if the open market goes low or nil stock the vendor and the airline have a problem.

TBF I think there were stories of one US airline (?Delta) had or has it's own refinery and there may be the odd airline that works as you describe and hold months worthd of their own fuel in tank farms somewhere but it hasn't been the norm at many places.

What's in the media is not all scaremongering.

We have a UK trip planned so think that’s likely to go ahead!

It does involve a lot of driving but I’m thinking the petrol isn’t going to all be gone by August.

We are off to Florida in 4 weeks and it hasn’t been cancelled yet!

I am a travel insurer by trade. I would point out that flights being cancelled does create the potential for some issues. If your holiday has been purchased as part of a package, then the situation is quite simple, you are entitled to a full refund. There is no insurance claim here. Irritating, but straight forward. If you have booked separate flights (Ryanair or Easyjet) and then a Villa, Campsite etc, then it becomes more complicated. If Ryanair cancels flights, but BA and others do not, then your insurer might expect you to rebook with them and carry the cost. Which at short notice for four or five of you might make the holiday unaffordable. I would have a look at your individual policy wording. If you have not purchased insurance, it is worth checking if this scenario is covered.

Come on folks, this has been addressed. Move on, please. ➡️

I work in the industry and most airlines, including the one I work for, pre buys all their fuel to the end of the season. This 6 weeks is blown out of context and scare mongering

We were planning to drive through the Netherlands, Germany, France. We panicked about fuel availability and price, so switched our car to an EV (it was due to change anyway - PCP) so provided the ferry can run we should be ok. 🤞

We travel on the West Coast main line....

Uh oh!!!

We are going to the Netherlands on the Eurostar - assuming it'll all go ahead as planned. We have just amended our trip however to be in one country, as with the suspension of the Schengen area it could be a faff to travel around (although it was fjne when we did France / Germany / Switzerland at Easter, just an extra 10 minutes or so on each train for guards to come and do some passport spot checks)

I feel sorry for anyone planning on booking something last minute. Prices are going to be sky high.
I hope it resolves soon, thanks Trump!!! We’re meant to be off to Turkey in August.

We have a trip to Italy planned for the end of May and a couple of European driving trips for later on. I’m not holding my breath for any of them.

We're due to come back to UK in 2 weeks, but still waiting on my passport renewal - it seems to be taking forever! Then flights booked to Seville at end of May - accommodation can still be cancelled if there are any flight issues. Have a weekend in Lisbon planned for October but haven't booked the flight yet. As we've just bought a house in UK, our summer plans mainly revolve around that and moving house etc, so I haven't planned anything else.

Me!!!

Eurostar is electric, as are the high speed trains in mainland Europe which we're travelling on after that. The trains I'll travel on to London to get to reh Eurostar are also electric.

Very much mirrors my experience of Cornwall. Went years ago for a wee in the year when there were floods there. All I remember is walking around the place with a rain mac on day after day of incessant rain and fog, and my dh ended up in hospital there with an asthma attack. Never been back since, which is a shame, as I know it’s a beautiful place, but I think ive got PTSD from that trip and still have flashbacks!

I am feeling smug that we’ve booked interrailing in Europe this summer so hopefully we’ll be unaffected. But it’s of course pretty worrying, both because of the impact on travel, but also on the transport of goods.

@notimagain yes it's pretty obvious otherwise they would be reassuring us saying don't worry 90.% of jet fuel comes from blah...

@Livelovebehappy inremeber a may holiday to Cornwall sheltering under a walkway in pouring rain whilst DC tried to do crabbing with DD.
I was negotiating a runny nose and a wet tissue being dripped on by water

@Rainbowdottie

I think the fear of it running out is a bit of a media storm

There's no way round the fact that ATM there's a serious supply chain issue with regard to oil, and at some point if not resolved fairly promptly that will begin to bight in the shape of flight consolidations and/or cancellations...I wouldn't like to guess when.

I suspect the industry leaders (such as Walsh at IATA) are starting to make noise about this because they know there might need to
be some national planning over stocks but they also know some politicians have to be dragged kicking and screaming into making decisions of an operational nature (cf. UK airspace opening post the Icelandic volcano event)..

Some of what is in the media is down to that lobbying but it's not just that, there is quite possibly/ probably a genuine problem on the way for airlines.

It wont be a huge deal for us depending when they cancel because it's a dominos effect with hotels etc booked you pay various penalties depending on the date you cancel

It was a big bday trip.
I'm fine to postpone it's just the stress even if we get out can we get back ? We could drive .

Tbh, who would want to leave the UK in the current climate? Things are still too volatile and unpredictable. Anything could kick off anywhere and you could find yourself stranded thousands of miles away from home. It would be a nightmarish situation to potentially put yourself in just for a week or two’s sunshine. I’ve planned mini breaks away in the UK. Wouldn’t do a full week or two weeks as the UK struggles to string together more than a couple of days sunshine, and it’s no fun walking around even in the most beautiful places with rain dripping off your nose.