Would you go abroad by plane over the summer?

[Sundiamond]

Assuming that the government will do yet another U-turn over travel quarantine on return to the UK, would you get a flight to say, Portugal for a holiday over the summer? I'm just curious how many would etc.

No way we have cancelled our holiday for this summer and I love my holidays. For starters I wouldn’t want to be so close to all those people at the airport and no way would I want to subject myself and my family to sit on a plane with all that recycled air 🤮 air hostesses forever breezing past, cramped toilet and passengers reaching up to get to the overhead lockers.
Then when you get there would you actually be welcome, what would the atmosphere be like etc etc.

Anybody know anything about air bridges to Croatia ?

No, I’ve cancelled our holiday that was booked for end of August. There are too many unknowns for me.

We're supposed to be going to Majorca in late August, which is starting to look like it may be possible. I would like to go if still practically possible. My biggest anxiety is how much in Majorca is likely to be open and operating, and trying to get the kids (5&3) to wear facemasks in the airport and on the plane.

@pigeon999 you wish you had european healthcare. How narrow minded of you.

Under 5's are not required to wear a facemask

Definitely not. I want my holidays to be relaxing and I don't want to have to SD abroad with possibly different rules and customs, it's bad enough here. Have postponed our holiday and have another year to look forward to it.

According to the Guardian article, air bridges are being considered with France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Australia, and UK overseas territories like Bermuda, Montserrat and the Falkland Islands. No Italy? No business destinations like Germany or Switzerland? I can understand us not wanting an air bridge with the USA, since their response to the pandemic has been even more of a shit show than ours, but the Falkland Islands? There aren't even commercial flights there - you have to go on a military plane!

As for people wanting to head off to Turkey - how would you feel about you or one of your loved ones ending up in a Turkish hospital or being stranded in Turkey if there's a virus outbreak either here or there? I'd want to be an easy-ish journey from home and I wouldn't go anywhere without a decent health care system.

you wish you had european healthcare. How narrow minded of you

Your post makes no sense at all once I am talking about the differences between state and private hospitals in southern Europe, so if you are uninsured it is important to know there are differences, and in some cases big differences in the kind of care you will receive. An E111 card does not allow you to use the private hospitals, and the two are wildly different. It is not helpful to find this out in an emergency (which has happened to many visitors)

No. Look at that Chicken factory outbreak. Hundreds have caught it.

Just all seems way too soon for me so next year it is.

There will be loads of cancellations/flight changes anyway as no way will planes fly 1/3 full.

No. As well as the risks, it wouldn’t be a ‘proper’ holiday anyway.

zaff yes I was surprised about the countries that did not make the air bridge list, rather than the ones that did. We have obligations to the Falklands etc, but as you say Switzerland, Sweden and Holland to name a few are all missing.

There is no point in organising an air bridge to the US if they are not interested in having one just yet, I understand the US want to wait a few more months before opening up their routes to Europe. But Italy was not on the list for some reason, and others that you would expect to see.

Not a chance. Yesterday was the worst day in the world so far for new cases of covid. This isn't over. I'm relaxing about matters at home in the UK, but not a chance would I go abroad. Support your local economy in the U.K. this summer.

Portugal has seen cases rise recently so not sure why that one is being given the green light. The summer on the algarve is hammered with Portuguese people from Lisbon and the North. If they all go away, I’m not sure what people will do for beach space, eating etc. There is always a queue in the evenings for restaurants in normal times in the busiest resorts. It surely won’t be a normal holiday if you do risk it.

I would imagine the air bridge concept is evolving slowly, but after seeing the R number head well over 2 in Germany again, I am beginning to wonder if all of this is just too premature.
We are yet to even open the most basic services here, millions are still waiting for hospital appointments to open up, shops to open and really basic things like education is non existent to most children in the UK and yet here we are talking about holidays. It feels like certain sectors are being rushed through, and yet the most important aspects of our lives and those of our children (like schools and health care) remain closed....I understand why people are desperate to get away, I totally get why some are seeing it as a lifeline in some cases - after all that has happened. I don't blame people that want to go but I don't know if it is safe, and I am not sure I completely trust the countries that rely so heavily on tourism to keep their countries afloat to be honest and transparent about second spikes and infections, because their economy is tanking so badly as it is.

Case in point was the infection spike in Italy that was buried pretty bloody quickly before anyone could read it.

I'm usually very gung-ho and keen to get a trip away in but I wouldn't for a while , several reasons , recycled air in cabin, getting stuck abroad, insurance invalid, I think it's better to wait and let things calm down first

As well as the risks, it wouldn’t be a ‘proper’ holiday anyway.

I can't see it making much difference to what we have planned.

We are yet to even open the most basic services here, millions are still waiting for hospital appointments to open up, shops to open and really basic things like education is non existent to most children in the UK and yet here we are talking about holidays. It feels like certain sectors are being rushed through, and yet the most important aspects of our lives and those of our children (like schools and health care) remain closed

I agree. It sickens me when people are whinging about pubs & restaurants, holidays, zoos, etc., but we are nowhere near providing any kind of useful health or education service. We need to be concentrating on getting hospitals, GP surgeries and schools back to providing essential services before we start thinking about leisure etc.

@MrsCollinssettled

I suspect the people who will go will be the same people who went to beauty spots/shops at the first opportunity and were photographed ignoring social distancing whilst queuing. These are not the people I want to be travelling alongside.

In my case you couldn't be more wrong.

@pigeon999

I don't think we would be keen on seeing anyone that has been overseas afterwards with so much exposure to possible covid.

This thread has made me realise some people are ready to a big risk with their health, and that of their children.
I am going to be checking going forward before agreeing to meet up with friends and family to see if they have travelled/planning to travel. As my children and I could be exposed if we see them after a trip, and whilst it is fine if they want to put themselves at risk by travelling during a pandemic, but it is not okay to make that decision for us as well.
So I am going to be very careful who we see this summer after reading this thread.

So you're going to be asking these questions at your child's school?

Due to go to crete in Sept , if that plane is flying we'll be on it!

Have to laugh at the people saying we should holiday in the UK to help our economy.

Over on that Wales thread they are wetting themselves at the thought that they will be inundated with people who, because they can't go abroad, will be coming and holidaying near them!

@CarlaH

Have to laugh at the people saying we should holiday in the UK to help our economy.

Over on that Wales thread they are wetting themselves at the thought that they will be inundated with people who, because they can't go abroad, will be coming and holidaying near them!

Yes, as much as I want to help the economy here the attitude of people living in tourist areas isn’t exactly welcoming at the moment!

We are booked for Greece mid-July. If it goes ahead then I am still unsure about going.

Getting Covid abroad and needing healthcare - it’s a one week holiday. If we catch it in the airport on the flight out then we probably won’t even feel ill until we’re on the way home. So I’m not worried about that.
HOWEVER....
We are low risk but I have read enough about ‘moderate’ cases in healthy people to give me pause when it comes to exposing my family though - we might not need the hospital whilst still abroad but I don’t want this virus wherever I am.

If there is limited access to the beach and pool, there is no point in this particular holiday for me. This is one we’ve booked purely to lie around in the sun by the water for a week!

I can’t get my head around the fact that I can’t send my children into school but could potentially take them abroad - it doesn’t make sense to me and makes me think the decision to allow travel is not really rooted in safety.

But I am utterly miserable after so many weeks of this and the idea of a holiday is such a beautiful prospect. I am strongly tempted at the same time as being worried.

Yes. I haven't seen my parents since January and I would go now if I could.