Would you travel or lose the deposit?

[thelightishere]

Long story about why we have two deposits in one booking (prebooked two holidays in 2019 for 2020 essentially) but the holiday company are saying the owner will not move the booking to later on this year (we had combined the two and moved to June 2021 so meant to go in 3 weeks and the country has been put on green list). Deposit we stand to lose is £2400.

I'm early 40s and not yet had vaccine, DH has had first, two other family members have but not willing to travel yet (both had two jabs now) and we have a toddler DC.

Had covid 7 months ago, DH has confirmed he no antibodies from that (part of research study).

My WWYD is whether you would travel, or whether you'd be happy to lose the deposit. I know it's our decision etc but am interested in others' perspectives.

Does the country definitely want us in? That's something you should check too. Can't believe the holiday companies are insisting on people to go when the current advise is not to. If you've had covid and will have had one vaccine I think you're chances of contracting it will be extremely low in a green country if you also use other mitigating factors etc

Of course go.
Your logic of why to NOT seems weak.

I cancelled my holiday because I didn't want to go and I got my deposit back from my insurance company . TUI gave me back the money for the rest . I don't think it's safe to travel yet and anyone going is mad but that's my opinion .. i booked a holiday for Cornwall in a house in a remote part instead . A busy Spanish resort , no thanks

The Government are allowing us to go on holiday to some destinations for economic reasons, not necessarily because it is a good idea to go.

I’m going. I’m not going to allow myself to be controlled in this manner any longer.

‪assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882722/25-options-for-increasing-adherence-to-social-distancing-measures-22032020.pdf‬

I think if you are young and healthy, you will still have some antibodies. The vaccine passport being introduced in Europe for people who have recovered from covid is for 9 months. You will have also had your jab which will massively boost that immunity. You will likely be better protected than someone who has had two jabs. I would go.

Two weeks after vaccine you’ll have some immunity. I would be more concerned about awful queues and delays at the airport. Might be better at the regional airports but Heathrow looked appealing this week and I wouldn’t fancy it with young kids.

Presume it is a green list country that is actually letting people in? Just because the UL Gov says we can go doesn’t mean the other country’s gov is allowing entry.

I would go. Make sure your travel insurance is good.

Have a plan for if the country changes to amber when you are there. And what you would do if one of the party tested positive as you were leaving to come home.

I’d go.

Yup it's Portugal so accepting brits.

I'm fuming with the villa specialists (deposits are on a villa, we already have credit vouchers for flights) as we have been using them for 12 years.

Only have one DC and we all had covid late last year. It would be an expensive holiday as DM and Dsis unwilling to travel yet despite being fully vaccinated.

I'm most worried about the flight itself as a covid risk - would probably fly from Luton so no idea how busy things are there (never used that airport).

Appreciate responses, thanks everyone. Food for thought.

Go and enjoy it op! That's a lot of money to lose especially as it's on the green list.

Have a great time x

Flights have filtered air, I believe (stand to be corrected) that the airports are more risky

I honestly can't understand for a second why you are reluctant to go. You will have some immunity from covid and if you are having Pfizer you will have 95% immunity from that first jab anyway. The 2nd jab is only a 3-4% difference. I would honestly be there like a shot.
I had Covid in March and tbh couldn't care less if I got it again the symptoms were so mild. Did you have very severe symptoms to make you not want to travel again?

@Sisisimone

I honestly can't understand for a second why you are reluctant to go. You will have some immunity from covid and if you are having Pfizer you will have 95% immunity from that first jab anyway. The 2nd jab is only a 3-4% difference. I would honestly be there like a shot. I had Covid in March and tbh couldn't care less if I got it again the symptoms were so mild. Did you have very severe symptoms to make you not want to travel again?

Haven't been on a plane since sept 2019!

Holidays have always been my 'thing' – what I saved up for. Yes we all had Covid pretty 'mildly' but the worst symptom (for us) was complete loss of smell – my husband's isn't quite back yet and I know mine is not fully there too. I really don't want that to happen to us again! I also got the worst and most itchy Covid toes (!) a few months after recovering and I'm not convinced my fitness is back to its usual level which is frustrating.

Aware this may make me sound utterly ridiculous

Haven't been on a plane since sept 2019!
Yes I guess it will take a bit of getting used to to get back to normal. I'm sure when you are sat there in the sun with a cocktail or cold beer in your hand and the kids are loving splashing around in the pool you will be so glad you went.

I know what you mean about loss of smell. Mine luckily came back after a couple of days. I've since read that you should take zinc to expedite the loss of smell coming back and I was already taking zinc so wonder if that had anything to do with mine coming back so fast. Might be worth your DH taking a Zinc supplement.

I would actually separate the decision about whether to go from the money.

If you hadn’t paid to go or the holiday was free, would you choose to go at the point you’re booked for? If not, and you won’t feel comfortable being there, don’t go.

As another poster said, the money is gone now. You can either choose to have a holiday you will enjoy, or go because you paid and not enjoy it, or don’t go and just write the money off.

Personally, without fuller vaccine protection I wouldn’t be able to go and enjoy it and with the spreading Indian variant, I’d feel concerned about going.... but not everyone feels the same about these things.

I certainly wouldn’t go just because I’d paid and lost the money. The money is goneregardless.

The chance of catching COVID is tiny so really not worth worrying about.

You're so lucky, you have a booked holiday you can actually go on and you don't even have to isolate on the return. Assuming there's no restrictions in Portugal that would spoil your enjoyment of the holiday, you'd be mad not to go. Most of us would love to be in your position.