to think DS' school knows something the rest of us don't about Brexit?

[Satsumaeater]

This isn't a trip for his year group but they are organising a language trip to an EU country by air, leaving on, guess what, 29 March!

I think they come back on 3rd April or thereabouts.

I am a bit surprised to say the least. Do they have inside information that there will be a deal? They've also got a EU trip planned later in April but that was organised months before all this latest no-deal furore, and another one in July, but I'd probably expect things to have been sorted out (to an extent) by then, although they might have to get visas for the British passport holders at shortish notice.

Leaving on 29th seems like playing chicken to me; the kids (and teachers!) might not be able to get back.

Exactly the same at my DS's school (possibly the same one!) Bonkers

Well that’s ridiculously poor planning

As much as I wouldn’t find getting stranded abroad for an extra few days, getting stranded with a bunch of hormonal teens sounds like a nightmare. I’d take my chances and steal a pedallo to get back across the Channel.

It's bizarre isn't it? I mean, it's not being fatalistic to suggest that it might be better to be cautious in this case, surely!

DH doesn't know why I am getting my knickers in a twist about it, he says it's up to parents to make their own minds up. But it's really difficult isn't it? My son went on the same trip a few years ago and he really really really wanted to go. It would have been really hard to say no but I think I would have done.

I agree there is some uncertainty but doubt that the kids won't be able to come back. What is the host country going to do? Hold them hostage? If travel requirements change, the school will only have to get a visa according to the rules of the host country. That's IF they change. Getting a visa shouldn't take long and there is plenty of time to do that in time for the 29th of March. I am sure we will all know long before if travel requirements for EU will change at all.

I imagine they’ll be only too happy to put the children on a plane, back to the uk. I reckon it’s the ones that will be trying to get into Europe, that will have a bigger problem.

@tiggerkid the worry is the EU-US Open Skies agreement. Once the uk is no longer in Europe open skies will no longer apply. UK airlines will have no rights to land in European countries and individual argreements will need to be arranged. Similarly European airlines won’t be able to land in the UK.

It’s not that the country will hold them hostage. It’s that the airlines literally will not have the legal right to fly that route.

Yes, it's not even so much about visas. Planes, ferries etc will literally not be running in the event of no deal.

Why do you think planes will not be running .?

Ds is going on a European trip on 6th April by coach. Planned ages ago and still going ahead. Good luck to them if they want to keep a coachload of teenagers. I'll take my chances that it'll all be ok, brexit has been a shambles so far, I'm not holding my breath that anything will actually happen on the 29th.

I think Gemmefatale has answered that above.

If the open skies agreement breaks down then there could be problems with planes being allowed to land and take off

Sorry, til the 6th that should read (Going on the 26th)

I’m a remainer and loathe Brexit with a passion but even I don’t believe that all the planes will be grounded on the 30.03.

Maybe I’m being naive but I’d book it!

I wish I had a magic wand so every time I see a Brexit thread in AIBU I could wave it and say "Off you pop to Brexit land." 🧚‍♀️

Bonkers? what do you think is going to happen? At most their passports will look a bit more interesting with a stamp from border control when they come back.

Same with my dc school.
Dc2 is going on a trip beginning of April in the EU.
I’ve said yes to him, paid for the trip, knowing that we might well loose it all and see no trip.
And yes coach trip too....

The thing is its a balancing act between sayinb ‘we’ll be alright’ and still have all the trips the teens are looking forward too and be ever so careful about the risk of No Deal.
When these trips have been organised, most people thought there wouod be a deal. Now that most people have paid (or paid most of it), they might as well wait and see what happens tbh.

The suspicious side of me would speculate that the airfares are somewhat cheaper than, say, the week before.

Here we go... another 'the world will implode on 29th March'

The school probably won’t have realised it’s a date of any significance.

In the event of a deal not being reached, visas will be the least of our problems. There will be no legal basis for planes to operate.

Its nothing to do with visas. Its about the fact that there is likely to be transportation chaos with planes not legally allowed to take off, insurance not valid etc etc. Personally I've said DS2 can't go. I'm not having the stress of him stranded in a different country.

There will be a transition period- nothing will change overnight on the 29th March. Airline companies will have made provision for this otherwise they will go bust!

You can't "rely on WTO rules" for air travel, even. They do not apply.

Simply put they'll either be a deal or alternative arrangement in place at least a few weeks before the 29th or it'll be obvious by mid March that people shouldn't head abroad and the trip could then be cancelled so there is absolutely no reason to cancel trips at this point. Its not as though it'll suddenly be announced at 23:59 that as of now the UK has left with no deal and all planes are grounded.