Do airlines know something we don't?

[chickentikka2020]

Easyjet are planning to resume flight to 75% of its network by August and have jut launched their Summer 2020 sale.

I wonder what makes them so confident everything will be ok travel-wise by that point? Is this a sign that International/European travel will be resuming very shortly?

I suppose for a one week holiday, I might think well if I caught the virus say even on the flight out I still wouldn’t be getting ill until the journey home? So unlikely to need medical treatment abroad. Not that I’m blase about catching it or contributing to its spread in countries that have managed to evade it. I really don’t know what we will do about our booked holiday at all for all those reasons but if we tested negative for the virus just before departure then for one week abroad, even if we do catch it and develop complications, we wouldn’t be ill on holiday - that would happen to us when we were back home again.

Also if you booked flights but then happen to be traced & told you need to self isolate 5 days before you are due to fly Im assuming you then can't travel & the airline don't need to refund you?

That’s true, bubble.

Holidays abroad aren't happening...

Not confident. They are desperate!

We are currently in a tricky position. Flights to Greece booked for July 10th. Tui have not cancelled the flights so far, they say they are running flights from July 1st, but Greece has made it quite clear UK tourists are not allowed in due to our high death rates. Can Tui run a flight to a Country where we are not allowed in?

Also our hotel say if we are going to cancel we need to do it before 19th June or we won't get our deposit back. I'm worried we are going to lose the money we've paid on the flights.

i didnt know greece had banned us-although i dont blame them

im meant to go away in november still a way to go but if the flight goes ahead idont getg a refund and i dont know if the credit company will issue a chargeback

missyB1, I would cancel the accommodation. There will be no shortage of last minute availability if the flight goes/ you are allowed to go.

@missyB1

We are currently in a tricky position. Flights to Greece booked for July 10th. Tui have not cancelled the flights so far, they say they are running flights from July 1st, but Greece has made it quite clear UK tourists are not allowed in due to our high death rates. Can Tui run a flight to a Country where we are not allowed in?

Also our hotel say if we are going to cancel we need to do it before 19th June or we won't get our deposit back. I'm worried we are going to lose the money we've paid on the flights.

I'm on the same position. I've cancelled the hotel but the flights are in limbo. I'm flying easyjet, they are all grounded but I'm still getting emails to check in online. And to make it worse I booked through expedia not easyjet themselves. Both companies are telling me to speak to the other one...

Headline today says Portugal will welcome U.K. tourists back!

I for one would jet off anywhere to escape this monotonous hellhole. As soon as Trump lifts the travel ban I shall be on the next flight to Florida.

Go outside of the traditional holiday destinations and it will be a lot more sensible...

If a decision is made by a business, it's nearly always about more money

@Ghostlyglow

Where do you work *@loadypoady* ? We've been told we can work through the quarantine period (those of us WFH obviously) when we get back - if anyone actually managed to go on holiday that is.

I work in the NHS and we have clearly been told that even those of us who are currently WFH have to take annual leave should we go on holiday and have to quarantine on our return.

I would love a holiday - and feel seriously in need of one, too. But I value my health and the health of those around me, and don't wish to take risks. So I have no plans to jet off somewhere any time soon. My intention is to stay low-key over the summer and see where everything's at in the autumn.

I'm NHS too @loadypoady so it's interesting that you have been told different. It was a Microsoft teams Q and A thing with our directors last week and the one who took the question about potential quarantine was quite definite that you could WFH through it and wouldn't have to use extra annual leave.

bubblev said:

"I think they are desperate, if they declare they are open etc people may feel confident to book & they have some cash flow.

I won't be flying for a while. I don't trust the airline companies to put my individual safety over profits plus I can't be bothered with social distancing, queuing in airports."

@bubblev I feel exactly the same. They have reduced seat sizes over the years, in order to pack in more passengers, despite knowing that being confined in small spaces is a contributory factor in causing blood clots. Also, they pump less fresh air/oxygen into the economy section than the first class section, as it uses fuel to keep the air supply fresh. So, people flying economy have a higher risk of catching the virus and developing a blood clot.

Whenever I fly I feel so claustrophobic I think of those poor veal calves that get exported to Europe, and start to identify with them. Which is why I rarely fly anywhere and won't miss it. Airlines would have to massively up their game to tempt me back onto a flight, because it's become such an endurance test over the past few years that Covid is the last straw for me. UK holidays or maybe a ferry trip or cruise (depending on how they adapt their air con systems and/or vaccine availability) would be my preferred options now.

I hate flying, literally all the glamour has been ripped out of it & theres just so much waiting around/hanging about.

Obvs if I flew first or by private jet I may feel differently!

Easyjet and Ryanair don't just fly from the UK to Europe - they fly numerous routes internally within Europe, so when they say that they are re-opening X% of the network, most of these will be within Europe - e.g. Berlin to Vienna. Countries in Europe are beginning to open the borders to their neighbours - e.g. Austria is now open to all neighbouring countries with the exception of Italy. Although the UK government is floating the idea of air bridges, not all countries are interested in accepting British guests while the UK has a higher daily death rate than the entire EU has.

When they say that they are re-opening the routes, there are a few reasons for this:

• If/When the borders re-open, they want to be able to fly immediately, so they are taking bookings now in the expectation that they will be able to fly rather than having a time-lag between the borders opening and the flights being booked;
• They need to keep their landing slots - at many airports, they will have applied for the slots far in advance and at the busy airports there is a limit on the slots available. If they don't confirm their slots (even if they cannot subsequently fly on a particular day) they risk these being unavailable when the next round of slot sales open;
• They need the cash, as does every business. If they can attract bookings and take payments, it is far cheaper than having to go to the banks to borrow money, even if they have to refund the majority bookings later on.

They are hoping to force Johnson to abandon the idea of quarantine and reduce social distancing.

I expect Dom will tell him what to do, and that's to abandon health for wealth.

A large part of EasyJet & Ryanair’s operations, possibly the majority In EZY’s case and definitely the majority in FR’s, is to & from airports outside the U.K.

Yep, due to their "intra European" network Easyjet and Ryanair are potentially in a somewhat better situation with regards to issues such as the Uk quarantine than those airlines who almost exclusively operate to/from the UK.

ive just read virgin are starting their orlando flights in july-didnt even know the states was letting us in again

I think the US always exempted the U.K.? Could be wrong.

Wouldn’t go if you paid me though!

@Ghostlyglow

I'm NHS too *@loadypoady* so it's interesting that you have been told different. It was a Microsoft teams Q and A thing with our directors last week and the one who took the question about potential quarantine was quite definite that you could WFH through it and wouldn't have to use extra annual leave.

Different Trusts have varying policies. Ours is standing firm at present on the annual leave for quarantine. My sister works for a neighbouring Trust and their frontline staff have been informed they have to take annual leave whereas the staff wfh have been told they don’t have to use their leave. There is uproar about that as you can imagine.

ive just read virgin are starting their orlando flights in july-didnt even know the states was letting us in again

Worth checking the US sites and the UK FCO info:

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

The advice, updated today was "Since 16 March, it is not possible for many British nationals to enter the USA if they have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran or China within the previous 14 days."

Also worth bearing in mind that AFAIK Orlando is not one of the few "gateway" airports allowed to accept international flights into the US (Miami is)..

I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but it is a fast changing situation so anything could happen...perhaps..

yes it all very confusing maybe theyre just hegding their bets in the hope we're alowed in by then