No sympathy for people who booked a recent holiday

[fairparie]

Headlines this morning have got me cross. People who are 'devastated' that their holiday to Spain that they booked last week won't go ahead as they can't quarantine on return and lost all their money.
How stupid to book a holiday when you know it is a risk. We were going to go away and had not booked anything as was leaving it till the last minute. . We still could but I would not expect my work to pay for me in quarantine on top of two weeks away. It is understandable if I had booked before the pandemic but why should a firm pay for quarantine for those who knowingly knew it may be a risk.
I have full sympathy for those that booked before the pandemic and at least they will be insured. But c'mon how can you be upset that you have lost your money for a holiday you booked last week and now can't go on due to quarantine?

I’m sympathetic to anyone who has a holiday booked, whether they booked it ages ago or more recently. People have been through a very tough time and it’s not very nice to gloat at their misfortune. Whether it was wise or not, to book something so recently, they were just trying to salvage something of this summer and many of them will have disappointed children. 🙁

I see what you’re saying, but I wouldn’t take delight in this. Maybe those people are nurses etc, and this was their one chance at a holiday.

Quarantine isn't necessarily an issue for everyone- it certainly wouldn't for me as my job is home based now.

I feel bad for those that had their holidays cancelled.

That's a bit mean. People were desperate for a break. Not nice gloat others misfortune

I am not gloating. I am saying they knew the risk so can't be surprised when they have lost their money.

Of course they can be upset. They have lost money, I would be devastated. Yes it was always a risk but isn’t everything in life.

I disagree, some people have literally worked every hour of the day through lockdown - exhausted themselves mentally and physically. Worrying about bringing the virus home.

Restrictions lifted, a small window of opportunity to book a week in the sun and just relax, leaving as you’ve just mentioned, to the last minute.

And bam, overnight it’s gone

Please don’t delight in people’s misfortune and stop being so bloody smug and judgy

We booked in September and took out insurance with the post office. They exclude epidemics and pandemics so we aren't covered. We don't want to go. Tried to cancel but LastMinute cancellation policy is that you must pay the FULL AMOUNT - this applies from the date you booked. So even if we decided before the pandemic that we wanted to cancel we would still hand to pay for the entire holiday. We have lost £2.4k. Never, ever booking with Lastminute again 😡🤬

This basically affects key workers as they can’t go back to their home office to isolate, so all those Shop workers and delivery people have been shafted again. Honestly OP, you sound like a right Daily Mail sort.

I feel bad for anyone who has lost money they can ill afford. However I have zero sympathy for those going on holiday because they need it so much more than anyone else and then complaining when it doesn’t quite work out.

It’s a global pandemic folks, your 2 weeks in the sun isn’t a priority

What an unpleasant, smug post. There will be a lot of disappointed families today, for many of whom a holiday is the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

As a nurse the last thing I will be doing in the next 6 months is taking a holiday abroad. You know why? Because there is still a world wide pandemic out there but so many people have such an inflated sense of entitlement these days that it is selfish and self centred. Yes I know people have had a hard time over the last 6 months and need something to look forward to but come on, people really need to step up now for the good of the many and stop whining ffs.
The next person who tells me they need a holiday I’ll happy swing my 7 hours a day PPE at them.

Well you're just brimming with the milk of human kindness, aren't you!

People have had a tough year and got excited about having a break from the tedium and stress of lockdown. They are naturally disappointed now that can't happen. You being smug and self righteous isn't doing anyone any good, least of all yourself. What a sour topic for a thread.

And no, I haven't booked a holiday to Spain. I just have compassion for those who have.

I have every sympathy for people who might lose money.

What an unpleasant post OP.

I disagree, some people have literally worked every hour of the day through lockdown - exhausted themselves mentally and physically. Worrying about bringing the virus home

Exactly. Not all of us have been furloughed watching Netflix on the sofa for the last 3 months. Some of us have been working 10 hours a day non stop. But yes, God forbid we should need a break or a holiday and good that it’s been ruined for those people eh? You are coming across as a mean spirited gloating bitter Scrooge OP. I pity you.

My holiday was booked before the pandemic. My insurance does not cover us. We will lose over £2000.

I'm with you OP. I find it quite ridiculous that people continue to take such risks. Every country that has handled this well still has a blanket quarantine in place. It seems like the US and Europe have just given up.

"a holiday is the light at the end of a very dark tunnel."

All of us have been through a bad time. I understand people are fed up - I am too. But if we want this to be over, we have to be sensible.

People could've chosen to have their well earned holiday in the UK, a much safer option. Those that booked abroad would've known the risk they were taking and must've been happy with that level of risk.

So tough shit really. No one forced them to book abroad.

Oh FFS! Wind yer neck in, you miserable eyeore.

Yeesh, what an unpleasant person you are, OP. The restrictions were lifted and countries were happy to have holiday makers therefore there was nothing wrong with people taking advantage of this. Of course I have sympathy for anyone who would have booked it. For many it's a last chance of enjoying the summer after what's been a very difficult few months and then overnight it's been taken away

@Undervaluedandsad your situation however is absolutely heart breaking. Is there any way you could isolate on your return and still go?

I have been working every weekday through the pandemic and I have cancelled my holiday to Denmark. I took the BA voucher and forfeited my deposit for accommodation. Precisely because I know there is a risk to quarantine. DH and I can work from home, but we booked for end of August. The children can’t be at home for two weeks if we were to work. They have been at school as I’m a key worker.

I have no sympathy for those saying they didn’t plan and must return to work and can’t afford to quarantine. It is a well known risk. They just gambled and lost.

Undervaluedandsad You've got my sympathy. We're in the same position. Hoping the FCO extend the travel ban beyond the mainland so we can get our money back.

Not all of us have been furloughed watching Netflix on the sofa for the last 3 months

Nice bit of furlough bashing there, guess you couldn't resist eh?

This might actually be the new normal.

We've not been 100% successful with a flu vaccine and have got nowhere with the common cold.

We may be 'in the middle of a global pandemic' for a very long time.

At what stage do we accept this and live again?