Wow - this will spread it about!

[leafygarden42]

It's the busiest weekend since the pandemic began for airlines and airports, as schools close and the summer holidays begin for millions. Heathrow Airport expects 60,000 passengers to depart daily, while Gatwick says it expects 250 flights a day - up from a low of just 15. Spain is the top destination for UK travellers, followed by Greece

This was taken from the BBC News website.

It honestly seems completely nuts that any country is doing this - and yet - here we are.

Amazing how we all 'need' a holiday so desperately.

@Walkaround

Anyone who drives around the UK in a petrol car criticising people for flying overseas has a bit of a cheek, given that the world’s cars contribute massively more to global warming than aeroplanes do. It’s not even as if the energy consumed in creating electric cars and mining the earth for the resources required for their batteries, etc, is particularly environmentally angelic. Aeroplanes are not inherently more evil than other forms of transport - they can be by far the most energy efficient way of transporting a lot of people a long way. So, unless you only ever go anywhere on foot and eschew an awful lot of modern technology (including avoiding wasting time on Mumsnet), you are probably a massive bloody hypocrite.

👏👏👏👏

@Walkaround The point is that many people don't need to fly for holidays. Obviously, it is different if one has family to visit very far away, say Australia. On the occasions when we have taken a holiday in Europe, then we have always taken the train and hired bikes at the other end. We have done this from when the children were tiny. Not only is it better for the environment, but it's a much better way of experiencing different countries.

At the moment we have a hybrid which we rarely use the petrol option. The next car will be fully electric. We have solar panels at home which charge the car, so we are pretty much driving for free. It's a no brainer.

We rarely buy new, make use of the things we have and don't use pesticides on our land. Because of urbanisation, so many people have lost touch with the environment around them and don't see the changes that are happening. It will be the poor agricultural workers in third world countries that will suffer the most, and many people in the west will turn a blind eye (as they have always done) and feel entitled to fly unnecessarily, drive unnecessarily and consume unnecessarily.

The climate crisis is real and pressing and as individuals we can take responsibility for our choices and can force change.

[quote thriftyhen]@Walkaround The point is that many people don't need to fly for holidays. Obviously, it is different if one has family to visit very far away, say Australia. On the occasions when we have taken a holiday in Europe, then we have always taken the train and hired bikes at the other end. We have done this from when the children were tiny. Not only is it better for the environment, but it's a much better way of experiencing different countries.

At the moment we have a hybrid which we rarely use the petrol option. The next car will be fully electric. We have solar panels at home which charge the car, so we are pretty much driving for free. It's a no brainer.

We rarely buy new, make use of the things we have and don't use pesticides on our land. Because of urbanisation, so many people have lost touch with the environment around them and don't see the changes that are happening. It will be the poor agricultural workers in third world countries that will suffer the most, and many people in the west will turn a blind eye (as they have always done) and feel entitled to fly unnecessarily, drive unnecessarily and consume unnecessarily.

The climate crisis is real and pressing and as individuals we can take responsibility for our choices and can force change.[/quote]
Very easy to say if you're middle classed with "land".

@thriftyhen

Walkaround is right in stating that modern aircraft are scarily efficient in terms of energy efficiency per person carried per kilometre, but I’d agree there’s a valid discussion to be had over how much flying it is reasonable for us to do.

You mentioned hybrid vehicles and solar panels….I take it you have actually considered the environmental impact of the production and eventual disposal of things such as batteries and some solar cells?

@TraumatizedFlower I agree with you that it is very easy to say this, as those of us with land are acutely aware of how climate change will affect the ability to produce the food for those without land, to some extent in this country, but to a devastating effect in third world countries.

@notimagain The battery situation is certainly something we considered and DH researched extensively, and while not perfect, at the moment it is a better option than using fossil fuels which emit vast amounts of carbon dioxide.

As for the solar panels, they were on the house when we bought it, but in terms of providing energy for the house, they work really well as we are not on mains gas and the only other option would be to use oil which again is not environmentally friendly.

I think there's rarely a perfect solution, and it's just a case of weighing up which is the better option, with the hope that the technology will improve.

it is a better option than using fossil fuels which emit vast amounts of carbon dioxide.

Staying off topic for a moment how do you charge your battery car… Do your solar panels produce enough electricity to do this or is it plugged into the mains, in which case how much fossil fuel are you still using?

I do see the case for electric cars, but they still pollute. Unfortunately since often the pollution is happening remote from the user (both that caused by production and that caused by running the thing) there’s a danger of thinking there are non-polluting……

It's the busiest week of the year traditionally for travel, with or without covid. It's not really a surprise. I've decided not to go abroad again this year but I'm pleased some people get to see their families again. Hopefully people will try to take all the precautions they can.

I’ve just come back from Malta. Loved it. Everyone’s in ascot this weekend so that’s going to spread it around !

I had to cancel a trip to Italy because my son was told to isolate on the last school day. We have family there so usually combine holiday with seeing relatives. If I hadn't relatives there I wouldn't have bothered to even book as there are so many chances of things getting cancelled and such a pain and cost with tests. But it's been over a year the children don't see their grandparents and we have now given up going this summer ☹

Some people just want to see their families. It’s not about holidays for everyone.

I've been trying to rebook my holiday to next year. I have spent over 9 hours on hold over 2 days which means the deadline has now passed, (was yesterday) so now I am being forced to travel or lose a substantial amount of money.
What would you do?
Before you ask, the only way to get in touch was phone, I have tried everything.

Given that the UK has had the world's third-highest new infection rate over the past seven days, frankly, I am surprised any country lets Brits in at all. We talk about countries being red-listed; surprises me that the UK isn't red-listed by just about every other nation in the world. It certainly deserves to be. DP's country, BTW, locks UK visitors (in fact anyone who has even transited through the UK) up in solitary in disused army camps for 2 weeks and tests the hell out of them before letting them out into the general population. Surprised not every country does this with arrivals from the UK.

We're holidaying at home: day trips to local(ish) stuff. The risk and fandango of going abroad isn't worth it at the moment IMHO. Cagoules may be essential instead of cozzies...

The people I feel sorry for (pp) are those with families or connections overseas - otherwise by all means go somewhere where the "lamba" variant is potentially spreading for holiday - such a good idea. Hasn't anybody read about UK holidaymakers testing positive overseas & how bad the isolation is there? & that was Spain for goodness sake.

@happytoday73

Why are you just picking on those that go on holiday? What about night clubs, concerts and other big events... Why should just holiday travel not be allowed in your view?

I don't believe that the OP every said just holiday travelers should be restricted, OP was simply responding to a specific write-up in the news. There is a difference there.

Just go on holiday, people aren't dropping dead in the streets, too much fear it's so infectious

I am really tired of hearing about how "everyone" is desperately to go abroad, go to the pub, go to a football match - many of us are actually just desperate NOT to get covid -, I find this pathetic

I’m abroad currently, because we haven’t seen my elderly parents for 18 months. I’m double jabbed (as are they) and have paid an obscene amount of money for PCR tests. Not everyone is travelling for a knees-up. The paperwork has been a total hassle but how much longer was I supposed to wait? I couldn’t risk the borders being closed again and not being able to travel for another 6/12/18 months.

I would not like to be stuck inside an aircraft cabin for several hours, with loads of other people, they are not the healthiest places to be in normal times..

Hoping that'll be us in a few weeks, can't wait.

We have to get back to normal at some point. If not now when the majority of adults have been vaccinated, and deaths are low, then when? We can’t put life on pause for a dream of a zero covid world. It will never happen.

Go on holiday folks, go see your family abroad, go clubbing, go to the football. Do whatever it is you need to do to feel alive again after the past 18 months of shite.

Challenging people’s decisions to go on holiday on MN is like lighting a firework!

I’m happy to forego the luxury of overseas holidays, but I’m fully supportive of my friend who has just travelled to Europe to visit her parents she hasn’t seen for over a year and who have poor health. That said, I’m the kind of weirdo who thinks a UK holiday cottage in the rain is a totally reasonable break as long as there are books and good bottles of wine.

I returned from Spain last weekend to Heathrow. All very efficient despite being noticeably busier than when I flew in and out of it around this time last summer.

We’ve got a very successful vaccine program. Many other countries have not. It’s bloody selfish to risk taking other variants from the UK to countries that may not be able to cope with them.