AIBU to have no sympathy for people who rushed to book holidays in Portugal...

[ThursdayWeld]

... and are now moaning because Portugal haven't set their travel rules yet?

As soon as the UK announced that Portugal was on the green list, some people booked flights and holidays. Without checking whether Portugal would actually let them in... And now they're whingeing about it in the press!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57107154

I think anybody booking a foreign holiday this year is a bit silly tbh. Just give it a miss for another year, the world won't end

I do have sympathy for them actually. They made a mistake by assuming that if we could go there then we could go there. I’m not so spiteful that I rub my hands in glee at their misfortune.

@Charlieiscool

I do have sympathy for them actually. They made a mistake by assuming that if we could go there then we could go there. I’m not so spiteful that I rub my hands in glee at their misfortune.

I'm not rubbing my hands in glee, I'm shaking my head in disbelief.

Some people have booked flights for the actual 17th. Without checking their status with Portugal

Agree OP. After the fiasco last year, I don't understand how people just can't learn. It's common sense to wait and see what rules exist in other countries before just arrogantly assuming that our rules dictate theirs. But you'll have people jumping on talking about a shit year and how people deserve a holiday (as if people with shit lives who have never holidayed abroad don't exist)

I have sympathy for them. They obviously were desperate to have some normality. Wouldn't have done it myself but can't think badly of others that did.

I do have sympathy, tbh. After the horrible year, nothing wrong in hoping for the best. We don't need mean spirit atm.

It should have been made very clear at the announcement that these ‘green list’ countries will have their own rules and to please check before booking a flight/ hotel.

We looked at Singapore briefly (didn’t book) before MIL text it wasn’t letting us in.

No sympathy at all. Anyone who goes on holiday this year is an utter numpty.

We all want to go on holiday but I too wish some folks would wait until next year...when hopefully lockdowns are totally over...I have a feeling that we’re going to all be locked down again once summer is over...

It was a hell of a risk booking anywhere so soon after the 17th.

The road map was very clear when it was published. 'Not before 17th May' does not mean the same as 'you can go on holiday wherever you like on 17th May'.

There will be many people who might have rebooked from last year. I have more sympathy for them than anyone who booked after the roadmap was published, or after the green list announcement as it is quite obvious that international travel is going to be the last sticking point.

We can be more or less back to normal in our own countries, no masks, social distancing or other restrictions, free to eat in restaurants and hug our friends and family. But until other countries are in the same position, we can't expect to be able to travel freely overseas.

No sympathy here, really.
We've all had the same shit year, none of us have been able to do what we would like to do.
A more settled, level headed approach would be sensible, wait and see how the whole world is getting on - including the countries you wish to visit.

Just because we have decided to open up, doesn't mean the rest of the world has oblige.

Fair play to those countries taking a more measured approach.

No sympathy for anyone travelling abroad this year. In fact I kind of hope it’s a disaster so it puts other people off being so selfish.

I do have sympathy. It seems many people still do not really understand the situation and therefore are struggling to navigate it.

I presume that most people understood that they were taking a risk when booking, no?

@paralysedbyinertia

I presume that most people understood that they were taking a risk when booking, no?

Apparently not! They've been on the BBC Breakfast show this morning complaining about it.

@Londonmummy00 Fri 14-May-21 10:24:44
It should have been made very clear at the announcement that these ‘green list’ countries will have their own rules and to please check before booking a flight/ hotel.

It was in the actual briefing, as I watched it live and noted it was very clear, but it may not have been in all the reportage of the briefing that the people who've booked got their information from.

I don't really have sympathy, I'd imagine most booked to make sure they had something if they could go. I'd marine the articles are highly selective about the quotes they use.

I have no sympathy. I don't really think overseas holidays this year should be a thing at all. One summer without is hardly a huge sacrifice in the scheme of things, particularly if it stops new variants from mutating and bringing further issues to our shores.

We have booked flights for July, but I can't imagine we will be going.
They were booked in hopeful, slightly carried away excitement over Xmas.
Even if we can go, I don't know if we will.
I understand why people book them, but it was a massive risk that should accept.

I love holidays; I love Portugal, but there’s absolutely no way I will be booking a foreign holiday this year, and I think anyone who does is irresponsible, no matter what our joke of a government says is ok.

Yes, YABU

I havent booked a holiday to portugal, although cant say i didnt consider it.
I didnt realise they hadnt said theyd let brits in. It was made clear that Australia wouldnt, but nothing was said about portugal.

It was in the actual briefing, as I watched it live and noted it was very clear, but it may not have been in all the reportage of the briefing that the people who've booked got their information from

This comes up time and time again and it's just astonishing. Are people really making what are potentially very expensive decisions based on the vaguest least reliable information sources available, save for internet forums?

I didn't see the briefing, so read about it on gov.uk. Once you get down to the level of the tabloid headlines, you might get words like 'holidays in the sun are on again' but the underlying story will be so full of vagueries like could, may and expected that it tells you absolutely nothing.

Lots of people are really stupid. Why wouldn’t you check? We’ve all been bored & fed up & want a holiday, but to just assume it’s all fine & book something without checking blows my mind. When they looked at that list, and saw Australia (for example) they MUST have heard at some point over the last few months that Australia hasn’t let anyone in for ages, & therefore weren’t about to suddenly change their rules. If you’re that ignorant about what’s going on then it’s on your head - no sympathy here at all.

Bottom line, if you book a foreign holiday this year, you’ve got to accept you’re taking your chances. If you’re fine with that, by all means book. It’s good for the economy that you do. However, if circumstances rapidly change, don’t complain - just protect yourself as much as you can with insurance, refunds, etc.