To be a bit jealous of over 50 holiday bookings

[Toomuch2019]

I probably am but here goes

I was reading an article about surges in over 50s holiday bookings driven by the fact that they are anticipating getting vaccinated soon.

And I'm finding myself incredibly envious that there is a subset of the population that will be able to go about living normally and going abroad while the rest of us are locked away waiting for a vaccine.

I don't feel like I can plan anything holiday wise at least abroad right now as there is no timeline on vaccines for under 50s and I don't want to risk getting ill in another country. Particularly if insurances will only cover vaccinated people (which isn't the case yet but can see it moving in that direction).

I know there is no answer and obviously I'm not arguing vaccines aren't in right order but does anyone else feel wound up with articles like this rubbing it in?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-55654127

That is not what this post is about @kirinm - it is about over 50s booking holidays not people flouting rules - if holidays are permissible if people have had vaccines then there is no rule breaking so you're point is not relevant to the actual post

your not you're

I think pensioners need to help pay off the debt mountain

Pensioners paid off the debt incurred in fighting World War 2. Debt gets passed down the generations, that's how it works. The 50-something generation will be paying income tax for a good 15-20 years yet and no, the vast majority will not have final salary pensions.

The NHS covid wards are mostly full of older people. Cancer patients including those that are young are having their surgery cancelled to make way for more covid patients. It is misleading to suggest the under 30s are currently filling the hospitals, because they are not.

The elderly can not be blamed for the situation, of course it is not their fault but that is what is happening. Fact. And we need to pay for it - all of us and not just the young.

So many people led by the media and social media. I wonder whether we'll have generations unable to form opinions outside of what they are being fed on an hourly basis by their devices.

I’m 61 and am NOT ‘elderly’ or ‘old’. So you can all fuck off (well, most of you anyway).

I am in my late 50s, thank fuck that with age comes wisdom, something sadly lacking in a great many of the previous posts on this thread from our 'younger generation'

Just off to home school my grandson while his parents earn enough to pay for my part in this pandemic

I am not sure why anyone, over 50 or not, is planning holidays for this year. Especially if they are travelling by plane, could not think of anything worse than sitting on a flight in a mask. I am going to wait until I can book a holiday and know I will be able to go and enjoy it, even if that is a couple more years away.

Some of us have checked that we'd get the money back and accept it may be cancelled - doesn't mean you can't plan for best case scenario. Also some of us have had to wear masks for long periods in work and aren't phased by the thought of travelling in one.

@HauntedPencil

Vaccinated people will still have to live by the same rules as the rest of us as far as we know?!

This. Are you sure that's why they're booking. Retired people or people with grown up children are more flexible with when they can go. The over 50s will not be vaccinated for quite some time anyway. I'm 65 and only in group 5. I haven't booked anything but dd, in her 40s, has.

There is a growing feeling in the country well before covid that the elderly have had all the benefits of rising house prices, jobs for life and tripe locked pensions and the young have been left out in the cold - paying huge university bills that were free for previous generations, they are finding that owning a house is a pipe dream and the cost of living is crippling. In real life many young people feel aggrieved at the injustice, and I don't blame them.

Dh is over 50. I shall have to tell him you’ve been shielding for him lol! Obviously we have screwed something up in our family because he is the only one, who leaves the house daily to go to work. Dd is 12....

We would like to go to visit his father this year. He lives abroad as dh is from there.

@Icanseegreenshoots

The eyewatering cost of treating the mostly old covid patients combined with the massive costs to the economy is not something any member of society should leave to others. End of.

The young have shown incredible levels of compassion, sacrifice and care - their extraordinary sacrifice should not be ignored. They themselves are at no risk whatsoever, but they willingly, without complaint given up an entire year of their young lives to keep older generations safe. Do we thank them with the multi trillion debt to pay off?

Of course not.

@Icanseegreenshoots just how do you propose the young people go about getting reparations from the elderly?

I'm 33 and just booked a holiday... (for early 2022 🤣) I just need something to look forward to, and am well aware of the fact I might lose the money but I'm happy to take that risk.

And to be honest if the world isn't moving in another 18 months I think there will be bigger problems than cancelling a holiday x

This is my parents. They're over 70 and expect to be vaccinated by end of Feb (that's what they believe anyway) and have just booked 3 weeks abroad for early summer. They reckon once they've had the vaccine they'll be back to living their normal lives again. I can't be bothered getting annoyed about it tbh, I'm already too bummed out about life right now.

@Icanseegreenshoots

The NHS covid wards are mostly full of older people. Cancer patients including those that are young are having their surgery cancelled to make way for more covid patients. It is misleading to suggest the under 30s are currently filling the hospitals, because they are not.

The elderly can not be blamed for the situation, of course it is not their fault but that is what is happening. Fact. And we need to pay for it - all of us and not just the young.

People in their 30s, 40s, and 50s make up a significant percentage of covid patients, and you'd struggle to convince anyone that they are elderly.

No one is suggesting only the young pay for it. There is no plan to introduce a special covid tax that only applies to the under-30s. All tax payers will be footing the bill, just as they did for WW2.

This will piss off younger people if its true, which I doubt

@hennybeans

I agree with you, op. I'm in my 40s but a member of a craft group with women mostly 55 and up. They have all started talking ( online) about their summer holidays and I'll be honest I'm saying that I'm jealous. No way I'll be having the vaccine in time for that.

I can fully anticipate a long period of time when the over 50s are protected and can enjoy their lives. Even living within the rules, they will feel happy to go to restaurants and holiday, meet other people, etc. I'm not comfortable doing any of that until dh and I have been vaccinated. I don't think the risk of long covid or a severe illness is worth it. But it's going to be a long wait for me.

That was exactly how I was feeling hennybeans glad that's not just me!

@tinselearedcow

Interesting about multi generation booking.

When we went to Turkey last year we could obviously dine in a restaurant together etc, whereas in the UK we wouldn't have been allowed to spend time together indoors (we went away just as a married couple but there were family groups there).

There were signs advocating only socialising with your room, but not policing of it obviously.

And once again for those in the back...

This is a respiratory virus that thrives in the countries and seasons when res. viruses thrive.

I'll eat my hat if there aren't travel corridors for the unvaccinated during warmer months at the very minimum.

Pensioners paid off the debt incurred in fighting World War 2. Debt gets passed down the generations, that's how it works. The 50-something generation will be paying income tax for a good 15-20 years yet and no, the vast majority will not have final salary pensions

@SanFairyElla thank you! I’m 50 and I don’t know anyone with a final salary pension

No they don't saskia look at the average age of hospital admission!!!

Your post is completely inaccurate, here is handy graph on the BBC website:

The over 85s are the biggest group that are in hospital with covid, followed by the 75-84 age bracket and work your way down.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55586994

@YouokHun

Coach and tour operators have seen an unexpected growth in bookings in the last fortnight. I think the article is a bit of a puff piece from a beleaguered industry. Unexpected growth in booking could be 20 pensioners getting ahead of themselves and booking a coach trip to Bognor and not indicative of most people over 50.

Who are all these over 50s on the brink of getting the vaccine? My elderly 85 year old CEV father hasn’t heard a word about getting it yet and the best case for an “elderly” 53 year old like me is July. I don’t know anyone of any age who plans to jet off somewhere on that basis.

it’s the over 50s we’ve been in lockdown for not quite right 🙄.

I think rationally that this could be right, that it is a puff piece. I just don't think it's helpful for the media to be playing along with this is this is the case.

Especially as it’s the over 50’s that we’ve been in lockdown for

Actually we've been in lockdown for everyone, as if the NHS is overwhelmed, then everyone is vulnerable, and not just to Covid, but to anything for which we might need urgent medical treatment.

I think it is foolish of anyone, over 50 or not, to book a holiday abroad right now. We still have to find out whether and to what extent vaccination prevents transmission, before rules are really relaxed, and they would have to be relaxed on both sides - ours and the destination country's - before travel becomes easy. Not to mention the possible problems in getting travel/ health insurance - and we won't have EHIC any more. Besides, people in their 50s, who are not healthcare workers or carers or clinically vulnerable. would be bands 8 and 9 (if the classification hasn't changed) and not top priority for a vaccine; any delay in the rollout of the vaccines could easily result in their having to cancel their bookings, especially as you may need both jabs to be able to travel.

Still, if someone wants to take the risk of last-minute disappointment and likely associated expense, it's up to them.

And 35% of the UK population is over 50. Add to that, that children would presumably come under their parents' bookings, rather than booking themselves. and the '50% over-50s' figure doesn't seem that high.

The ageism on here just never bloody stops does it? I'm 58 , I've worked all through this as I'm a support worker, so nobody has had to stay at home on my behalf. I've put myself at risk every time I've gone to work. As for paying my share of tax, believe me I've paid my share and then some!! Oh and I'm getting my jab this Saturday thank you very much, but I fully intend to carry on following all the guidelines . As soon as I'm able to go on holiday you bet your fucking life I will be.

And for the final time, the over 50s are not considered pensioners!

Well one group will be first and one group will be last. If you are in a group that will be vacinnated last, be grateful. You have youth and health on your side. If you feel resentment and animosity towards others because you feel they are getting something you are not, and in this situation, a vaccine to protect their life, you really need to take a look at yourself. Bit ugly really.