Question about quarantine

[pointycow]

I don’t understand why the travel industry is kicking off so much about the quarantine when the FCO advice about non-essential travel is still in place. Am I missing something here?

Because the advice won't stay the same forever and they would like people to book flights to the UK.

Because residents of most of the mainland countries are allowed to travel (or will be very soon), but they are unlikely to want to go to the UK with the current quarantine regulations.

My husband would love to book a flight to go and visit his Mum who is in her 90s and lives alone in the UK. In normal circumstances he visits her every couple of months.

The current quarantine rules make this impossible.

He would usually visit for 4 days maximum. This isn't possible if he has to be in quarantine for 14 days.

Even if he could stay there for 2 weeks it would be pretty pointless if he couldn't leave her house - for shopping, getting DIY stuff, doing other small errands.

Most of the European mainland borders will be fully open soon so that we can travel. I can go and visit my daughter and grand-children and I fully intend to. But if they lived in the UK then it would be pointless with the current quarantine regulations. Hey kids, Grandma is coming to stay and help to take care of you... but she can't leave the flat for 2 weeks.

Well for one they’re not policing who is going in and out, at least they weren’t at the beginning of lockdown. It’s also ridiculous. There will also be people wanting to travel for essential reasons who will struggle to do so if there is a quarantine in place.

Yes of course, I understand the impact the quarantine may have on individuals. But surely for the vast majority of people using travel companies and airlines over summer- tourists- the introduction of the quarantine doesn’t make a great deal of difference if the FCO advice still stands. I’m not saying I agree with the quarantine- the timing of it is bizarre and the enforcement of it seems impossible.

Assuming that the advice changes before too long, the airlines need bums on seats.

People will not be willing to book a trip to the UK if they have to quarantine when they get there. If they are travelling for a holiday then they are going to choose somewhere else with no quarantine.

If, like us, they want to visit family then they just won't.

Our family could, theoretically, come here instead. But they aren't going to do that as they need to work and can't take 2 weeks off to quarantine when they get home.

If the airlines don't get enough bums on seats then they may not be able to continue to offer flights, then everyone who needs/chooses to fly is affected.

Totally agree with you that the timing is utterly bizarre.