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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder why people are booking holidays abroad...

184 replies

MrsMillhouse · 17/07/2021 00:18

... when the rules seem to change every 5 minutes?

I understand those desperate to see family. But otherwise I don’t get why you would take the risk of getting your holiday canceled or have to spend £000s on quarantine as the bloody rules seem to change from day to day

OP posts:
pegboardsu · 17/07/2021 04:13

I booked a holiday for August 2022.

Let's see

PostmanPatandhiscat · 17/07/2021 04:17

I keep thinking this ! Someone I work with was nearly in tears the other day coz they found out with only days to go that their hotel was shut and the holiday company were being so not helpful and dragging their feet .
They were moaning about it but in the back of my mind I was thinking “but why book a holiday right now !” The whole lot can be all set to go one minute and the next all gone to pot including whilst people are out the country .

I do think some people don’t help themselves in life . Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD !

Winwins · 17/07/2021 04:17

No, we’ll wait, it’s it worth the hassle/risk of being out of pocket/holiday ruined/unable to work on return etc

Somerandomshittyname · 17/07/2021 06:09

We haven’t been to my husbands home country, or seen his family, since August 2019. His dad died in Feb 2021 and his mum has cancer. Flight booked for August 5th, looking ok at the moment. We’re both double vaccinated so the faff is minimal and the reasons to go more than outweigh those to not.

Panicmode1 · 17/07/2021 06:15

In 2017, we booked an amazing place in Spain for 2020 for my mother's 70th birthday. Obviously we cancelled that last summer and immediately rebooked for an equally stunning place in France for this summer and we're due to go next week. Last night, we had to cancel it. That's why I had a holiday booked, and I was SO excited to go....it's much safer in acres of French countryside than here and it's been a shitty 18 months.

IsabellesMissingSock · 17/07/2021 06:19

@avamiah

I don’t know why but I have a friend who has booked 2 weeks away for her and OH and 3 kids in August to Portugal. She told me that she only pays for hotel when she arrives and they have only paid for flights which are fully refundable 🙄

I was actually lost for words when she told me but Que Sera,Sera .

Why were you lost for words?
IsabellesMissingSock · 17/07/2021 06:20

@lurker101

We booked (and went on) a holiday recently. We had annual leave to take and had originally planned to travel to family abroad which we couldn’t do, so booked a trip to a green list country. Prices were reasonable and we figured that it was highly unlikely to turn “red” while we were away, so worst case would turn amber. We wfh currently so 5 days isolation wouldn’t be an issue and the cost of day 5&8 tests is around £200 on top of green costs, so it was worth it to us to go away. Before booking anything I read our insurance ts&cs carefully and knew if either of us tested +ive before leaving the uk or in destination we were covered, so I was quite happy to go.
Same here to pretty much all this. Got back a week ago. It was brilliant.
jihhy · 17/07/2021 06:21

All my family are abroad so I get that aspect however just for holiday I don't see the point especially as it was very predictable.

jihhy · 17/07/2021 06:23

Tbf If I didn't have young dc I might chance it.

Shapesorted · 17/07/2021 06:23

I don't mind as long as they just do it.

But the constant moaning about rule changing, buy and doing tests, queues at airports etc is boring. You know what you've signed up for, if you think it's worth it then do it, but do it quietly.

IsabellesMissingSock · 17/07/2021 06:24

@jihhy

All my family are abroad so I get that aspect however just for holiday I don't see the point especially as it was very predictable.
But as long as people have adequate insurance and manage their expectations, what's the issue?

I had many a holiday buggered up last year. Am so glad I got to go away the other week as god knows when it's gonna be able to happen again now.

SimonJT · 17/07/2021 06:29

We’re off to Iceland today, we’ll be in the air in about 40 minutes. My husbands parents and little brother are on holiday there, so by going he’ll be able to see them.

Iceland is green and not on the green watch list, so there is less chance of it going amber, the last data collected showed just over 40 cases of covid, much lower than the UK. Me and my husband are both double vaccinated, we’re also not doing many indoor/busy things on holiday, which further reduces our risk of catching covid, we also had covid in February.

If we have to isolate on our return we’re doing it at a little barn we’ve bought, we were heading there anyway as we’re doing it up as a little holiday home, so we’ll be kept busy. It also has a decent amount of ground, so scope for nice walks, playing in the woods for my son etc.

jihhy · 17/07/2021 06:31

But as long as people have adequate insurance and manage their expectations, what's the issue?

The issue is managing their expectations, if they do that then zero issue. I meant the ones on TV or in the newspaper or my colleagues who are surprised & frustrated. My BIL is in France & is super annoyed by the recent news as he assumed he would avoid having to isolate.

jihhy · 17/07/2021 06:31

I also have a holiday from 2020 that has been moved so many bloody times, fingers x for Easter 2022!

BatShitBitchChops · 17/07/2021 06:34

We were supposed to be taking the kids to Disneyland Paris this year, currently moved to next summer when hopefully life will be slightly more normal! Am so glad we hadnt told them about it before. If I didn't have kids me and DH are double vacc'd and I would absolutely go to a green country for holiday, this last year has been crap!

VashtaNerada · 17/07/2021 06:38

We’ve booked flights but are very open to the possibility it won’t happen and have warned the DC. We paid a little extra so we can move the flights to next year if necessary. It is a little bonkers but I’d be gutted to miss out if it does turn out to be possible. Also, I think because both DH and I work in frontline services and use public transport to get to work, it’s easy to forget we’re in a pandemic because we’re around people all the time. I think I would be different if we were wfh.

Squirrelblanket · 17/07/2021 06:43

I'm sick of hearing criticism about people 'booking' holidays abroad this year. We booked a holiday in 2019 for 2020 before all this happened which has been moved to September this year. We would never have chosen to book a holiday this year but this is the situation we are in and it's very stressful. We just want our money back. Many people who have holidays 'booked' for this year are in the same position through no fault of their own.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/07/2021 06:44

I agree. I just don't want to risk it. We have something booked for May 2022 so fingers crossed but it's UK this year.

MaintainingPositivity · 17/07/2021 06:45

We are now booked for July 2022, originally booked for Julie 2020, moved to July 2021 and now July 2022.

I just couldn't go anywhere now as I'd worry about the ever changing rules, availability of covid tests and all the ever evolving rules and guidance.

We aren't even going anywhere in this country, staycation for us. I'm an essential working and am knackered, looking forward to some down time.

Looking at the forecast this weekend we are topping 28/29 degrees so I'll pretend I'm in Greece and not my back garden Grin

TheBuggerlugs · 17/07/2021 06:47

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

kindlekeeper · 17/07/2021 06:49

I’m on holiday and it’s great. Very relaxed, more so than the uk. Paperwork not too onerous and have self administered antigen tests for our return journey. If the rules change we will stay longer or make a roundabout journey home. Has definitely been worth it so far. I’m dreading returning to the uk but so feel replenished and better able to cope with the next stage of this.

Melitza · 17/07/2021 06:53

I'm flying France to Uk today to visit my elderly parents.
I've never been so stressed with so many different forms and tests so no I don't know why anyone would book a holiday if returning to the UK involves such rigmarole.
And if I get on that flight with no problems I'll be amazed and I certainly won't be kissing the ground of plague Island when I arrive.
It's ridiculous that France is on the amber list covid cases are so low here.

rantymcrantface66 · 17/07/2021 07:16

I wouldn’t be overly worried about catching Covid abroad as I could just as easily catch it at home

The problem there is that you then can't fly home. This is when it becomes complicated and expensive.

I'm on a holiday page on Facebook and it's full of people having last minute panics about test results not coming back, last minute flight cancellations, sudden colour changes of countries. Very very few stories of successful holidays. We have now not seen family and friends in my old home and the country dc were born for over 2 years but it's just not practical just now, upsetting as it is. It's Mediterranean weather here in Scotland at the moment which is softening the blow considerably. Every time I I see an article about yet another holiday disappointment I think - what did you expect?!

Greenwateringcan · 17/07/2021 07:19

I have a holiday booked for a week at the end of august.

I live alone and I did lockdown with a teenager all by myself. I work from home. I saw no one but said teen for months as I wasn’t even out the door.

My best friend is abroad and I’ve booked a holiday to see them and relax. I’m double jabbed and if I have to self isolate I work from home and can get groceries delivered. I need the break. I haven’t had a holiday in 13 years and I’m taking this one.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 17/07/2021 07:26

People aren't booking holidays right now, the majority have been moved from last year .
You won't " lose your money" if you book with a reputable firm .
I'm going to corfu in 2 weeks and this was moved from July 2020 ,it has been a bit of a hassle with paperwork but I'm looking forward to it .
I know plenty of people professionally and personally who have travelled successfully this year