All fights cancelled..starting to feel panicky

[Novousername]

I’m not in the U.K. but am originally from there. Seeing lots of news on the forums here about flights being cancelled to and from the uk up until April and some even as far along as August..am I missing something here but why still cancelling that late in the year?
I haven’t seen my parents for what feels like ages and they’re due to have the vaccines hopefully April/May. They were planning to come out in the summer.
It’s closing in here too, we’re on a partial lockdown and allowed out until 1 pm, it’s looking like a full one is imminent.
Just feeling really down at the thought of being trapped in all the way from my family and trying to entertain my poor toddler, who I feel sad is missing out on life.

I don’t know if I can go through this again for months and months

If airlines don’t use there take-off and landing slots then the airport cancels all of their booking of slots - at least UK airport I know does.

I imagine airlines have cancelled or not booked slots from now until April, so possibly they’ve not been able to book summer season slots yet.

They have grounded fleet and staff, so there will be short supply over the summer, and no one can tell which countries will have vaccines sorted and a relaxed quarantine approach yet.

Air industry must be in utter chaos just now but it doesn’t mean that anyone is experiencing a summer of lockdowns.

@ZoeTurtle, I'm vulnerable, category 6. I've been told that I will have had my first dose of the Oxford vaccine by the end of March. It does seem to be dependent on the GPs and being able to set up other sites.

The thing that I'm bitter about is that my DH's nightmare drinking pals managed trips over in the summer and vice versa but my parents didn't.

On that note, if you are in the UK it definitely depends on where you are re getting the vaccine. DSF is 75 and has recently had the all clear from cancer and hasn't heard from his GP and my 90 year old great aunt has only just got her appointment through.

@Camomila

Yet somehow Boris' 80 year old father is about to have his second dose.

DM goes to a yoga class with lots of much older ladies, her friend in her 80s has heard nothing, another lady in her 80s and her husband are due their second dose next week. They live 2 streets away from each other. We've guessed it's down to gp surgeries?

Or whole areas not getting supplied with the vaccines.

Try not to worry about things months ahead OP - there really is no point upsetting yourself about stuff that hopefully won't be the case. It's currently January, the depths of winter, and all of Europe (particularly the UK), is in the grip of a really bad second wave. No one is going to be going anywhere for 2-3 months, but after that? Well if people would just comply with the bloody lockdown we'd probably all be out of it sooner! But by Easter things could be looking very different and by summer the lockdowns could be over. So take a deep breath and just focus on now. Make the best of it, as much as you can, we are all in the same boat. You may be in Portugal, but those of us in the UK can't see our families either. Hopefully, with the vaccines now being rolled out en masse that will soon change.

I think all flights should be stopped and borders closed, tbh.
Nothing is that urgent during a pandemic.

Hi OP, we're going to move your thread over to the Coronavirus board now.
Thanks.

Last August, flights were in place

And look what happened in September.

@Saz12

If airlines don’t use there take-off and landing slots then the airport cancels all of their booking of slots - at least UK airport I know does.

Because of the absolute turmoil ATM the authorities in any countries/at many airports have dropped the "use it or lose it" slot requirement" for the present time.

Flights being cancelled late on will. Be because by now they will normally be pretty booked up... Currently they are not.. Most will just be condensed into other flights

[quote Ponoka7]@ZoeTurtle, I'm vulnerable, category 6. I've been told that I will have had my first dose of the Oxford vaccine by the end of March. It does seem to be dependent on the GPs and being able to set up other sites.[/quote]
That's good to know! I've had a few texts from the GP asking patients to please not call, and they will be in touch when it's our turn. I assume they've been innundated with people asking.

It would be bloody lovely to go on holiday this summer...

Are you sure all flights are cancelled? Have you checked on the different airlines websites? I have to fly to the UK and back for various reasons, as do some other people I know and while there are fewer flights and it is more complicated to get them than usual due to testing, registration of travel etc, it is still possible to travel. Airports are less busy than usual, but there are still plenty of people travelling.

@GypsyLee

I think all flights should be stopped and borders closed, tbh. Nothing is that urgent during a pandemic.

I've already had some grief over what I'm about to say but I'll repeat it yet again.

A lot, as in hundreds if not thousands of tons of absolutely essential freight - PPE, pharmaceuticals, dressings, etc has been flown into the UK since the start of the epidemic and is still being flown in.

It's being done in either specialist cargo aircraft, passenger aircraft temporarily refitted out to carry cargo in the passenger cabin, and/or as belly hold cargo on the few aircraft that are carrying passengers.

Close that off and you lose a very essential pipeline for essential supplies...you also lose the ability for those who really do need to enter the UK either going to/from essential work related to the logistics cahin and or the UKs infrastructure...

Hermetically sealing off the UK simply is not an option.

Hopefully the testing before getting on a flight inbound (which has taken forever to get the government to agree to) should reduce the risks of anybody bringing the virus in... mind you I think now most countries are more worried about the UK exporting their version/

Don't panic and don't listen to hearsay. Flight companies are desperate to get functioning again and they'll put flights on as soon as they can plausibly avoid blame for any infection risk. Trust capitalism in this case.

Did wonder what your post was about when it said “ All fights cancelled”!

It think things will be better sooner than we think. There was a time when people were talking about lockdown lasting years, no vaccine ever and never being allowed to fly again. It simply wasn’t the case. Full lockdown lasted about 4 months. Summer was lovely, I even got to go on holiday. My boyfriend who lives abroad (much further away than you OP) has been able to come and visit 3 times - we thought we’d never see each other again at one point! My brother successfully emigrated to the UK in September - he was worried about no visa, no flight, border closures etc. I haven’t seen my parents for a year and their home country has now shut its borders to the UK, but I’m confident I’ll find a way. I’ve had 3 flights cancelled last year due to sudden travel restrictions, but there was always a last minute solution. Most recently I was supposed to spend Christmas in Europe with my boyfriends family, but a week before my fly date his country shut its borders to the UK due to this new strain. It looked pretty bleak for a few days but then flights resumed and he just came to the UK instead. You’ll find a way Op, be positive.

I’m hoping to see my brother and nephew next Christmas. They’re in Canada and I think even summer is unlikely. My nephew will be 2.5 years older when I next see him. I used to see them twice a year. That is the hardest thing for me, having family abroad.

Well obviously vital supplies should be let in, but people travelling isn't essential, at all.
Tourism should be banned for a while, including business, visiting F&F, holidays etc.

I know.,.my Mum lives in France and I haven't seen her since late 2019, I was due to go just before the first lockdown. I do worry about when I will be able to see her again :(

I have in a sense on the other foot as I have not been able to visit family who live outside the UK. One of the things about the UKs response that I have not liked is last minute decisions, usually weeks later than they should be. At present I would not blame any airline based in Portugal stopping flights to the UK given the woeful response of the UK government to the pandemic.

Better that flights become available at shortish notice than be cancelled. I hope that some are available for you nearer the time.

Partially to do with Covid. Partly to do with EU stuff I'd guess.

Personally i wish we'd done what NZ did and closed the borders except for essential workers. Ppl do not NEED holidays abroad.
NZ have beaten it twice now.
I wish NZ prime minister was ours.

@GypsyLee

I think all flights should be stopped and borders closed, tbh. Nothing is that urgent during a pandemic.

I agree. The police and government fussing about people taking walks in the countryside during the first lockdown and now this lockdown, while people fly in and out of country for non-essential reasons, facilitating the spread of new variants. My parents are in the UK and I also haven't seen them since last February (or my DB). It is not a situation unique to people with family abroad. For those with family in the UK there has not been a good time to see elderly vulnerable relatives who don't live nearby at any time since the pandemic started. And having the vaccine should not make any difference while it is not available to people who desperately want it but are a long way down the priority list or not on it at all.

No point in getting stressed now over a plane trip in the Summer. Things will get better and they do change quickly.

My advice is not to book anything too much in advance. This is possibly why flights are being cancelled, because people are not booking, or air lines don't want to commit to the flights and then having to refund tickets.

Book when things are better and don't miss the chance.

This is possibly why flights are being cancelled, because people are not booking, or air lines don't want to commit to the flights and then having to refund tickets.

It's both...unless there's a lot of freight to be carried (makes money) or there are continuity of service reasons there's no point in an airline spending time and money provisioning/crewing a service that is only going to be 20-30% full at best.....

So they are consolidating services (e.g. one every day or every other day instead of several a day on some routes) or dropping routes in entirety.

However the minute there's a sniff of an upturn and/or an easing of restrictions flights will go back on PDQ..

As you say don't miss the chance when things get better.

Try not to think too far ahead - we are in France and my 84-year-old mum is on her own in the UK and that's her advice! Just take it day by day, week by week - your toddler will be fine, he/she knows no different. You (your parents) will be able to travel again, but it won't be next week or next month - tell each other you'll book a trip as soon as flights start opening up. No point worrying about when that might be - no-one knows yet. As my mum and I tell each other, it wouldn't make any difference if we were living in the same country at the moment as you wouldn't be able to visit - make the most of phoning/Zooming whatever. It is tough, but it will get better.