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?

Let's be clear, anyone who goes on holiday does so for the benefit of themselves and their family. Of course that does have a knock on benefit to the travel industry. However whether people choose to go abroad is for their own reasons and not for the benefit of the industry. Thats like smokers saying the do it for the benefit of the tobacco pickers of Brazil

Let’s be clear, it’s bloody self-evident that it would be for your own interests if you worked in the sector, @Barrychuckle2...

@Walkaround

Let’s be clear, it’s bloody self-evident that it would be for your own interests if you worked in the sector, *@Barrychuckle2*...

We live in a capitalist economy whether we like it or not, and supply and demand will determine which businesses survive. Many will go and also there will be growth in others.

@Barrychuckle2 - I think you’ll find supply and demand conflicted with Central Government decision-making. Coronavirus does not respect capitalist market economics.

I honestly think someone’s comment pages back that “holidays are not a luxury” is worse than the OP. I mean, what the fuck kind of fantasy land do you live in that a HOLIDAY ABROAD is not a luxury? I have worked full time for years and never been able to afford one. It’s absolutely a luxury and you’re deluded to think otherwise.

Agree 100%, we live in a country where many children are reliant on free school meals in order to have enough food. Where families need to rely on foodbanks. Holidays abroad are absolutely a luxury. Even more so in the middle of a deadly pandemic when they can spread infection around.

Also- for those people not able to go on holiday. Nothing is stopping them donating the cost of their holiday to charities for people whose employment is affected by covid-19.

Or they could help create alternative jobs by supporting the local tourist industry.

@catsandlavender

I honestly think someone’s comment pages back that “holidays are not a luxury” is worse than the OP. I mean, what the fuck kind of fantasy land do you live in that a HOLIDAY ABROAD is not a luxury? I have worked full time for years and never been able to afford one. It’s absolutely a luxury and you’re deluded to think otherwise.

Not at all. Some of us have other priorities.

I am sorry, but if I was working the hours I am working and could barely afford food and rent, I'd go on the dole frankly. It's not worth it. My kids would still have access to medical treatment and an education in this country.

The bitter attitude: you can't afford it so no-one else should is a little bit childish I am afraid.

You might spend your money on something else, and it's your right, but holidays are most certainly not a luxury for us. They are much needed for our mental health.

Foreign tourists bringing currency in this country are not to be looked down at either.

So yes, things are tricky in the middle of a pandemic, but that's stupid argument about luxury or not is ridiculous. And quit that judgmental attitude of yours: I can think of a few kids who are on free school meals and whose parents still take them on (dirt cheap) holidays abroad - because they would struggle to afford a holiday in this country...

First world problem lol. Holiday is not essential. It is a fucking luxury.

If you booked a holiday recently and you're devastated you lost money that's your own fault. This isn't the end of a "dark tunnel" you fecking morons! We're just at the beginning.

why is a vacation a right? Did ppl during ww2 need to pop over to Spain for week of binge drinking with other brits at a resort?

so much bitterness and anger... clearly some of you really do need a holiday!

@SantaClaritaDiet ppl are bitter bc those going on vacation are risking the lives of others

Reading this on the way to the airport, it has made me laugh if nothing else.

I am booked for turkey in Oct.. going over for a dental procedures that are very expensive here private or very long NHS wait.

Gosh, how mean-spirited OP

Foreign tourists bringing currency in this country are not to be looked down at either.

Currency? Are we the DDR?

What a horrible thread. We booked our holiday to France last year - due to go next week - and frankly it is something that DH and I have been clinging onto as a bit of light at the end of tunnel.

He's an intensive care doctor and fucking exhausted, I've been WFH full time on a stressful job for 4 months with 2 children to parent, home school and entertain, also exhausted.

So yes, I will be very disappointed and complain if we can't go.

@IloveJKRowling

Also- for those people not able to go on holiday. Nothing is stopping them donating the cost of their holiday to charities for people whose employment is affected by covid-19.

Or they could help create alternative jobs by supporting the local tourist industry.

Why on earth would they do that? Just because somebody is going on holiday doesn’t mean much. Do you know how the person gathered the money to pay for the holiday. They may even have no job themselves!!! You normally pay package holidays off at least 3 months in advance. There’s a lot of bitter people on here.

What about people who finally had the chance to go and visit elderly parents for the first time this year???

I don't think most posters are actually have an issue with people booking holidays abroad per se, I think it's just those people who book holidays impervious to the risks then complain when things change at short notice.
I think people are mad booking holidays now, most holiday insurances now exclude Covid and the numbers of cases are back on the rise. Why not earmark the date for a holiday so you have something to look forward to. Then book a last minute holiday abroad if you can or alternatively you can holiday in UK if there are issues.
By all means feel free to sit under an elephant but please don't moan if you get sh1t on !

@Barrychuckle2 - we’re all sitting under an elephant waiting to get shat on, one way or the other. Either because unemployment and possible consequent loss of home looms (and the North-South divide is overwhelming evidence the devastation of entire industries is not something communities spring back from); or because the healthcare system will be overwhelmed; or because personal ill health or death is around the corner. Take your pick!

In the meantime, some people will go on holiday and people getting pissed off with them for being annoyed when they have to come home early, or can’t go any more, are extremely boring, disingenuous and aggravating. What sort of human being do you think actually skips around merrily after losing out on something they paid for, saying they don’t mind one tiny bit, because it was always a risk?! To tell them off for being upset is either gloating at their perceived stupidity or self-righteousness from those who feel going abroad is immoral. There is no other explanation I can see for lecturing others on their holiday choices.

An interesting point to note about travel insurance: if you booked pre-pandemic, relying on a travel insurance policy taken out pre-pandemic, you will likely be covered if your trip is cancelled before you go, but if it isn’t cancelled and you go ahead, you are unlikely to be covered if you go away as planned and then get coronavirus or have to come home early because of changes in FCO advice, or stay longer than planned due to covid 19 local lockdown - because your policy taken out pre-covid probably excluded cover for travelling during pandemics, and at the time of going on your holiday, you will have known there is a pandemic going on, even though you didn’t know that when you booked... If you buy a travel insurance policy now, on the other hand, relating to a trip to a destination currently exempted from the essential travel only FCO advice, then you will be able to get a policy that covers you for a subsequent change to the FCO advice and also covers you if you get covid 19 while on the holiday.

That is really interesting Walkaround. Thanks for that. Has cast a new slant on my non-holiday to spain. I will check with my insurer. Lack of insurance cover is the main reason I would not go, so.... however, ex, who is doing the first week of the holiday with the kids has a policy predating the pandemic so this may all be academic.

We got a Post Office annual policy pre pandemic (September) but they exclude pandemics so we can't claim a refund even though the FCO has advised against travel. I wish people would stop saying pre pandemic policies will give you your money back... Not all of them do. We are screwed.

@Freeekedout - you should be able to get a refund if your holiday was booked and paid for pre-pandemic, as there was no pandemic when you committed to the holiday. If you booked and paid post-pandemic, then no, you will not be covered. If you paid a deposit pre-pandemic, you should be able to recover that bit - they cannot not cover you for a pandemic that didn’t exist, yet.

And yes, @Freeekedout - it is annoying that people keep saying you’re screwed unless you got a policy out pre-pandemic, as that’s the opposite of the truth. Get a policy out now that specifically covers you for covid 19 and don’t rely on a policy that most likely did exclude cover for pandemics.