Summer holidays abroad?

[TheRedBalloon]

I've just been reading that various Sage members have said international travel is unlikely this Summer.
We booked our holiday for the end of July to the Canaries (booked it last Summer.) Just wondering has anyone else booked for abroad and still expects to go, or is it more likely to be cancelled? DH and I have both had our first jabs and will have had both in May/June. We booked through TUI so I know we'll get a refund but the thought of going away has kept me going through lockdown!

(I know this is trivial compared with the illnesses / deaths due to the pandemic)

So what needs to change going forwards to allow non-essential travel?

Shall I just write off ever seeing my mum again because they dared to move to another country a decade ago?

@Lentillover1900

So in the eventualities that I mention, would you be entitled to a refund? Or voucher/rebooking?

And if for example, one of the kids tested positive, or had a temperature the day before and you couldn’t travel, or god forbid couldn’t get home, what does it provide then? Would the others get a refund too, or put up in a hotel?

Did you book as a package or via a company? We normally book independently with easyJet flights and have received full refunds on our 2 cancelled holiday flights, but have struggled to get the money back for the hotel as they keep wanting us to change dates (now booked for April 2022 having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021), it’s the uncertainty which puts me off.

Full refund of accommodation without an excess (I don’t even need to pay full balance for accommodation until 7 days before departure)

And if no flight, full refund
If flight still going but I can’t go due to covid related - I reschedule or voucher

My insurance covers me in the event of catching the virus or anyone I travel with. Columbus travel insurance

I booked a package
That was only way to get the full cover

Oh and the entire party covered not just the one suffering

@Reachersloveinterest

So what needs to change going forwards to allow non-essential travel?

Shall I just write off ever seeing my mum again because they dared to move to another country a decade ago?

The change needed to be very frank is a cure.

As long as this virus is endemic and as problematic as it is now we will be under forms of rolling restrictions, sometimes harsh sometimes slightly relaxed. Take every chance you get to visit her is my advice.

I am beginning to think it will be to a limited number of places, and you will have had to have been vaccinated first. Not that I am planning a summer holiday abroad.

thewiseoneincognito well if it's 10 days hotel quarantine plus testing at £200+ a pop, a weeks trip will go from £50 on cheap flights, to £3000+ each. Unaffordable. I'd best give up hope now.

@Lentillover1900 Are you covered if restrictions on travel are imposed by the government? For example , if we head back in to tiers or they close the travel corridors from certain countries?

I ask as we are contemplating a holiday but I did read that none of the travel agents or insurers are offering complete cover so if the government impose travel restrictions or stop flights then it’s tough luck. We’re not sure whether to move to next year and we have to decide soon .

For those with lots of children it's going to end up very expensive isn't it if tests are £100+ and you need so many of them? Even for one person that's a big additional expense on a holiday, especially if it was a short city break.

And then the cost of quarantine if they change the rules whilst you are away??!! Is that cost per person or per hotel room?

I will just wait until things have hopefully settled down next year.

@Thewiseoneincognito There doesn't need to be a cure, there may not ever be one and we don't need it as we have the vaccines. It will just be this summer that's difficult for travel as the vaccines haven't been rolled out worldwide yet. Next year When the vaccination programs are more advanced travel will happen a lot easier,

I don't think I'm with Columbus @TickTockTick21 but you can kind of sense which countries will be having the problems i.e. Germany could soon be added to the corridor list (also they're having problems with Kent which has already been in this country) the reasons why other countries are in the list are mainly because they're suffering from other variants which have barely been in this country (Brazil/sa)

[quote Racoonworld]@Thewiseoneincognito There doesn't need to be a cure, there may not ever be one and we don't need it as we have the vaccines. It will just be this summer that's difficult for travel as the vaccines haven't been rolled out worldwide yet. Next year When the vaccination programs are more advanced travel will happen a lot easier,[/quote]
All I can say is don’t put all your hope into the vaccines being a total solution. Yes of course they will help stop people from getting very sick to a degree but once there’s a mutation that evades a particular vaccine you are essentially starting again.

A traffic light system is being considered by ministers for when international travel restarts, which could rate countries green, amber and red depending on the state of vaccine passport agreements.

The Guardian has been told the scheme could come into operation from August, with hotel quarantining continuing until at least 21 June for UK nationals and residents returning to England from countries with high prevalence of coronavirus variants of concern.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/22/uk-considers-covid-traffic-light-system-for-international-travel

The list of countries that you have to stay in a hotel to quarantine after arriving back in UK
Angola
Argentina
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Burundi
Cape Verde
Chile
Colombia
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ecuador
Eswatini
Ethiopia
French Guiana
Guyana
Lesotho
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Qatar
Rwanda
Seychelles
Somalia
South Africa
Suriname
Tanzania
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Uruguay
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Otherwise isolate in your own home. Something I’d be very happy to do to keep my holiday!

me too tho I fear easyJet would cancel the route that I need if that was the case seeing they've not run it for a year now

Oh and according to the article....no quarantine needed at all if a green country

And even the above red list.... only quarantine in your own home

This is so promising!

@Lentillover1900

Oh and according to the article....no quarantine needed at all if a green country

And even the above red list.... only quarantine in your own home

This is so promising!

I want to go to two places this summer, 1 has barely had any covid cases so makes sense for it to be green and dont have any restrictions. The other one is for visiting my family and is the one I see More danger with ..also I wanted to go in July and the article mentions august not sure what would happen before august

[quote TickTockTick21]@Lentillover1900 Are you covered if restrictions on travel are imposed by the government? For example , if we head back in to tiers or they close the travel corridors from certain countries?

I ask as we are contemplating a holiday but I did read that none of the travel agents or insurers are offering complete cover so if the government impose travel restrictions or stop flights then it’s tough luck. We’re not sure whether to move to next year and we have to decide soon .[/quote]
Absolutely covered
In fact if gov says no - there is zero wriggle room whatsoever

@TickTockTick21 however not sure if they’re still offering the level of cover I got

I really thought there might be just a chance. But not now.

EU keep saying that they're going to put a stop on our vaccine supplies, because their programme is not the way they want it, and many people in many countries haven't had their vaccination.

so if you did plan to go to Spain or France or Greece or Slovakia presumably half the people there won't of had it or won't be safe or you'll be paying for to stay in a hotel for two weeks when you get back?

what's the point? just as I was thinking we were doing really well in the UK .....every time I think things are getting better it just ....something just blows it to pot.

Today Radio news this morning says Boris wanted/suggesting another 6 month lockdown. And furlough to Jan 22.

How depressing. I was just starting to feel better, Spring, daffodils, hoping that things would lift , restrictions would lift for June. now this? just knocks everybody's confidence.

Really hoping to get a last minute flight to Canada in august but not holding my breath.

Ohhh @EasterIssland such good news!! I needed that, Mila esker x

Today Radio news this morning says Boris wanted/suggesting another 6 month lockdown. And furlough to Jan 22.

What? Why?

This can’t be right!