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?

We live in a very crowded city and are going somewhere very remote. Not intending to eat out or do anything other than cycling, walking and swimming in a huge lake. Shopping in a supermarket will be the most risky activity.

It's not just about the risk of catching the virus. As long as you also accept the risks of local lockdowns or quarantine on your return then great.

www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/mallorca/deia/belmond-la-residencia/user-gallery

My inlaws are going here end Aug/Sep. I bloody am jealous!

We are currently away in France. We are half way through our holiday. No airport, no flights but we have used trains.
So far everything feels Covid safe and mostly the areas we have visited are low risk.

My annual travel insurance chances it's rules for Covid days before we came away - and it is now covering Covid related issues once more.

The FCO advise said travel here was fine too. Infact the travel secretary himself is currently holidaying abroad.

I'm clinically vulnerable but started to get out more in the 2-3 weeks before coming away.

We have both worked full time hours and more since March lockdown, albeit from home. My hours have been significantly more than before including working through unpaid holidays and weekends. Dh's work levels went through the roof too due to his job.

We have lost three close family members since April (4 in the last 10 months) - it's been awful times especially during Covid where visiting hasn't been possible really and funerals involve ten people. Impossible for bigger families really. Dd has had her exams scrapped and her start to university is uncertain and difficult. She's turned 18 without being able to celebrate as normal. She's had no end of school as everything was scrapped and she was isolating for the schools final week as it was.

So yes - we decided we could do with the break. We could have stayed in England but the issues many people have with being abroad (basically being out and about using restaurants etc) would have still applied. Whilst we had nice weather in April and May it's been pretty constant rain in recent weeks and was cold. We left England when it was 13c and rain to come to 30c and sun.

And we are very much enjoying our time away, whilst doing our best to keep Covid safe - masks, anti bac and washing hands, social distancing, etc.

If the rules change and we have to quarantine then we can do it if need be. I'm not back at work til September, DD's not at university for ages and Dh can wfh (his work already only has then in 50% time anyway.) it'll be a pain but it's possible.

The OP's words are smug and somewhat nasty. There's no doubting that.

We told you so.

Many of us have been warning for months that a second wave was always inevitable, and now it’s here. Booking a foreign holiday this summer to a country which was hit hard by covid in the first wave was always risky. People took a punt that they would dodge the second wave, and they have lost. That was the chance they took, and they really can’t claim they weren’t warned.

Many of us have been warning for months that a second wave was always inevitable, and now it’s here

Now it’s where?

As long as you also accept the risks of local lockdowns or quarantine on your return then great.

Quarantine when we return will be no different than our last few months. We work from home and are very careful.

Holidays abroad are non essential trips.

A holiday within England is non essential.
A trip to the shops is non essential.
A visit to a shop to buy non basics is non essential.
A visit to the beach is non essential.
A visit to a cafe is non essential.

We do lots of things at home in England that is non essential.

We aren't being told to only do essential activities right now.
Infact we are being encouraged to enjoy summer, but with some added safety precautions.

Lots of people have no issues with a non essential English holiday. I'm not convinced a non essential trip to Cornwall is really any better than a non essential trip to France.

Now it’s where?
😀

Many of us have been warning for months that a second wave was always inevitable, and now it’s here

No it isn't. I bet you're chuffed to pieces though that you can proudly proclaim you saw this coming, how sad.

Such unpleasant people on mumsnet now. If the tourist industry isn’t able to get going, it might not ever come back fully. They practically encouraged people to get away this summer.

The thing is, you may be required to quarantine when you get there. I was intending a trip this summer which at the time I would have gone would have required 4 separate quarantines, three of them in a hotel /f I could have found a hotel that would let me. So I didn't go because the arrangements were constantly changing and it as obvious they will still for some time, iIt is very irresponsible to gave booked anytime after the first lockdown in Europe.
If you fly out to Spain tomorrow, thinking did your employer, you'll just not work for two weeks on your return, don't be surprised if Spain quarantines you /I heard today that may be on the cards.

OP do you have any sympathy for people that will lose out on a holiday they booked BEFORE the pandemic? Like the one we wont have in October. For my daughter thats not been able to go to school since March, hasnt been able to finish year 6, didnt go on a residential, have a leavers disco, do the end of school show. Any sympathy for us at all?

Many of us have been warning for months that a second wave was always inevitable, and now it’s here.

where's here? Also how sad do you have to be to get pleasure from We told you so.

Like the one we wont have in October.
How do you know? It's months away.

The statement was about sympathy. not wishing anyone ill. As someone who has actually worked more during lockdown. It is quite reasonable to not feel sympathy for someone who has taken a risk I wouldn't have taken (I want a holiday too). It's exactly the same as buying a house now with a huge recession looming. Everyone is a consenting adult who looks at the world and makes the appropriate decisions. Sometimes the decisions work out sometimes they don't bit they own their decisions and the consequences. Travelling to a foreign country is a risk I wouldn't take just like travelling to a city like Leicester or Blackburn with a high proportion of intergenerational houses and specific communities where covid seems to be rapidly spreading. Yes a trip to the Norfolk Broads or the Cotswolds may be a good idea thousands piling up Snowdon or foreign holidays probably not.

@CountessFrog but opening up airbridges surely encouraged people to book as soon as it was open , not just the regular people but also our transport minister is caught up in this. I've been saying this all along, I have a higher risk catching Covid in my local wet market sorry Asda than on holiday. But my local wet market has been open since lockdown operating with the same staff who are exposed to hundreds of shoppers with none who have caught this 🤷🏻‍♀️

Such unpleasant people on mumsnet now. If the tourist industry isn’t able to get going, it might not ever come back fully. They practically encouraged people to get away this summer.

Why is the tourist industry in Spain our responsibility?

By all means, book trip, take a risk, go, but then don't whinge when it doesn't work out. You have been warned about the possibility of qutantiwes.

quarantines

@palacegirl77

OP do you have any sympathy for people that will lose out on a holiday they booked BEFORE the pandemic? Like the one we wont have in October. For my daughter thats not been able to go to school since March, hasnt been able to finish year 6, didnt go on a residential, have a leavers disco, do the end of school show. Any sympathy for us at all?

If they booked prior to Covid, then insurance will cover. If they chose not to take insurance then that’s down to the person making that risky choice.

As for children missing school, most are old enough to understand in simple terms why schools had to close. Its not all about what we personally want or missed but what was best for society, the vulnerable etc. Most people can see the bigger picture and are happy to sacrifice the nice extras in life for others to be safer.

'By all means, book trip, take a risk, go, but then don't whinge when it doesn't work out. You have been warned '

Sir Keith will tell Boris this is his fault and the government have acted TOO QUICKLY!! there should be a pop up on booking sites for people who don't watch the news, reminding them there's a pandemic and only to book if they fully understand the implications of an everchanging situation. He'll be writing a letter as we speak..

I booked our holiday back in December for in 2 weeks time. This whole year so far has left us thinking, we are going, we aren't going, we might be going, we definitely aren't going, (but actually kind of relieved we aren't going) then, we have to go or we'll lose our money, to now, we can't go, and we're still going to lose our money... What a shit storm. And an absolute disgrace that some travel companies seem above the law and can refuse refunds/rescheduled flights and get away with it. Been told if I want to change my flights to December in the hope we might be able to go, it will cost an extra £900, (which we then could lose if Spain doesn't come out of lockdown) on top of all the other money. Just want my sodding money back now, seems ridiculous they can still fly (and charge you) to go to countries that are telling you not to visit unless essential. Families that have booked holidays recently were being told it was safe, things were looking good, there was even talk of issuing vouchers to families to use on travel abroad to boost the economy, so I don't think anyone who booked a holiday "deserves no sympathy". They, and I, are set to lose hundreds/thousands of pounds of money. Very heartless to not feel any sort of sympathy to hard working families who wanted to treat their families after a stressful year.

Wow. Lots of cranky Brits who won’t be getting their egg and chips in Benidorm on this thread.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss The insurance will only cover it if we are sick and cant go for that reason or if the airline cancel the flights. As a family if we are choosing NOT to go (because there is a pandemic happening) we will get nothing (unless it is cancelled by the airling/Gov stops us going).

sympathy for people that will lose out on a holiday they booked BEFORE the pandemic?

sympathy for people who booked

• a hiking trip in nepal before the earthquake?
• a trip to cuba before a devastating hurricane?
• a trip to the countryside before foot and mouth
• a 'holiday of a lifetime' before you break your foot the day before due to travel
• an all inclusive holiday before the travel company goes bust

shit happens, sometime a holiday can't happen. same thing with this pandemic.