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Brexit
Original poster

International travel March 2019

88 replies

TakeAChanseyOnMe · 07/08/2018 20:15

DH + 2 in laws + I are planning a trip to east Asia next Spring. We originally thought about April but should we have anything to worry about with the March Brexit deadline? I understand there's an extended deadline to Dec 2019.

3 out of 4 have British passports, one has an Irish passport but dual citizenship of GB. It'd be UK city -> Dubai -> Asia so not involving any mainland Europe countries. Am I worrying about nothing? Otherwise we'll just book the dates when it's cheapest!

OP posts:
CraftyGin · 07/08/2018 20:16

Sounds like you are worrying about nothing.

Original poster
TakeAChanseyOnMe · 07/08/2018 20:25

Maybe it'll be cheaper to travel on 29th March? Grin None of the countries we're visiting require a visa for British or Irish passport holders so that's one less thing to worry about.

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/08/2018 20:28

The extended deadline is only if we agree the withdrawal agreement with the EU this may not happen.

If we leave with no deal, then planes may not be able to fly into or out of the UK for a time.

Clairetree1 · 07/08/2018 20:35

You can't realistically book now. Most airlines are saying there is no insurance valid in the case of "no deal"

no planes will be insured to fly into or out of UK

This isn't anyone being malicious, or deciding not to let us, this is just that we are leaving the european aviation safety agreement, and nothing absolutly nothing is in place to maintain and insure aircraft, and realistically, it is likely to take years for the civil aviation authority to set up our own aviation safety agreement, they will need to recruit and train thousands of staff, and persuade approx 20-30 separate governments, independently, to accept us. - its not going to happen.

Heathrow has borrowed enough money to shut down for two months without going bankrupt, but many experts I have heard reckon 2 months is nowhere near enough, and two years maybe closer to the mark.

Kent county council in planning to close their motorway down for two years to control the extra freight attempting to use the tunnel, or the ports, the motorway will become a holding area, for the forseeable future.

If we leave the EU without a deal, you will not be able to fly out, and if you have flown out, you will not be able to get back.

Clairetree1 · 07/08/2018 20:40

It'd be UK city -> Dubai -> Asia so not involving any mainland Europe countries

it is nothing to do with WHERE you fly, it is the fact that Dubai, and any country in Asia, accept planes from the UK because we are part of the EU, and they have an agreement that they accept the EASA covered planes to be safe and well maintained, and therefore insurable.

Until we have something to replace the EASA, then no government will allow planes from the UK onto their soil, because once we have left the EU, then we have left all agreements that make planes from UK airports insurable. That is even if the plane comes from Dubai or Asia, it will not be insured to land in or take off from the UK

missmoon · 07/08/2018 21:00

Nothing to do with visas, if there is no deal there will be no flights taking off at all (to any destination in the world). If you book and there is no deal (now looking increasingly likely) you risk losing the entire cost of the bookings.

FloralCup · 07/08/2018 21:07

What about ferries - how will they be affected? Are they insured through a European agreement? Or are they different as they are registered at various ports?
Will we be stuck on this island? Shock

Clairetree1 · 07/08/2018 21:11

What about ferries - how will they be affected? Are they insured through a European agreement? Or are they different as they are registered at various ports?

as I understand it, ferries will be unaffected, HOWEVER, given the amount of our fresh food, fruit and veg that comes through airfreight, it is likely that all or most ferry capacity will be dedicated to that, and passenger carrying capacity reduced to little or nothing, prices will likely sky rocket, and as I said earlier, Kent CC is preparing for the queues for the ferry to be a quarter of the county long.....

missmoon · 07/08/2018 21:12

I seem to remember reading on the Richard North blog that scheduled ferries won’t be able to sail, nor will car licenses be accepted on the mainland. The only way out is to invest in your own boat, or book a flight out of the U.K. just before Brexit. I can’t remember the details of why ferries wouldn’t run, maybe something to do with ports being clogged with trade traffic not moving?

Clairetree1 · 07/08/2018 21:21

I've heard that too, about Uk driving licenses being invalid in EU, but can't remember the details, I don't drive, so it didn't stick in my head as something I would need to remember

JWIM · 07/08/2018 21:38

In the event of 'no deal' on 29 March 2019 if you were able to travel by car on ferry you would need an international driver's licence and may need EU insurance cover as your UK policy may not be recognised in the EU.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/08/2018 21:38

There is lots of useful information about preparing for Brexit WRT this sort of thing here:

ec.europa.eu/info/brexit/brexit-preparedness/preparedness-notices_en

If you scroll down it lists all the areas that will be impacted.

Clairetree1 · 07/08/2018 21:54

The idea of Heathrow closing for two years is unimaginable. I think that is half the problem. It sounds so ridiculously far fetched.

(of course it wouldn't just be Heathrow, it would be all UK airports)

but at this point there just doesn't seem to be a way for this not to happen.

Will the UK accept being part of the EASA if that means being subject to the European Court? - no

Will the EU allow the UK to remain part of the EASA without being subject to the European court? -no

Are we able to build, staff and run our own ASA within 7 months, and negotiate with all other governments of the world to get acceptance to fly? -no

ONE of these "no"s has to become a yes, or UK airspace closes indefinitely.

but which one, and how?

I keep thinking surely one no will change to a yes, because I cannot imagine UK airspace closing.

But nobody has to do anything for UK airspace to close, we are already, unbelievably, on that track.

Somebody somewhere has to do something to prevent it, surely that somebody exists and knows what they are doing? How can it be otherwise?

OP, but your tickets if you are prepared to lose all your money.

I can't believe we are in this situation, it's just madness

missmoon · 07/08/2018 22:03

Clairetree yes, it’s crazy beyond human comprehension. Which is why most people would rather not think about it at all...

Whatthefoxgoingon · 08/08/2018 00:04

We aren’t booking anything unless and until a deal is reached, simply because the T&Cs of some holiday companies clearly state you will lose your money if brexit disrupts travel. Our usual agents don’t have such clauses yet, but in likelihood may do so in upcoming months. We usually pay in full and spend a lot on holidays, we won’t be risking it this time.

Peregrina · 08/08/2018 00:11

My holiday insurance didn't specifically mention Brexit, but did talk about not paying out if 'Government action' prevented travel. What is Brexit if not Government action?

Mistigri · 08/08/2018 07:31

I'm still in the "a no deal brexit is unlikely" camp, but I think it is sensible to factor the risk into your travel plans bearing in mind that insurance may not cover all your potential losses.

I won't be planning any travel around March 29th (because as a migrant I can't risk not being able to get back to my kids because I don't have the right papers) and my work travel in April will be booked at the last minute.

Buteo · 08/08/2018 07:38

Will the UK accept being part of the EASA if that means being subject to the European Court? - no

Will the EU allow the UK to remain part of the EASA without being subject to the European court? -no

Can the UK remain a member or an associate member of EASA? Pretty sure it comprises EU and EEA/EFTA members only?

Peregrina · 08/08/2018 08:06

I thought that it was EU /EEA/EFTA members only. May didn't seem to think so, but time is running out to persuade the others to make a rule change to allow for Associate membership. I can't see this happening anyway, without an agreement to be subject to the ECJ - there needs to be some sort of dispute resolution mechanism, and I can't see the rest of the EU accepting that the UK courts are the only court acceptable.

glasserator · 08/08/2018 08:17

Project Fear in full swing!

Clairetree1 · 08/08/2018 08:31

Project Fear in full swing!

how do you see this being resolved? What's the way forward? I really hope you are right.

TheElementsSong · 08/08/2018 08:37

Project Fear in full swing!

This is the kind of informative, fact-filled, knowledge-and-experience-based, intelligently argued, detailed and reassuring problem-solving that will be foremost in bringing about the Sunlit Uplands.

I can't tell you all how convinced and relieved I am, that a single 5-word sentence can resolve this incomprehensibly simple issue.

Next up: Eliminating climate change by wiggling one person's toes.

SoloD · 08/08/2018 08:44

@glasserator

Really not. Hard Brexit is the most likely option. In that case the UK crashes out of the EU, the ECJ and EASA. With no competent regulator, the law is clear,

Peregrina · 08/08/2018 08:47

Having had one airline go bankrupt on me, and another one cancelling a conveniently timed flight to put me on one taking off at 11 pm without bothering to get in touch with me, I am not taking any chances. I can't afford to write off hundreds or thousands of ££££. Lucky glasserator who clearly can.

glasserator · 08/08/2018 08:55

We are one of the leading countries/powers in the world. Of course flights are going to land and we are going to have enough bread. How can anyone actually think otherwise??

I really do hope someone is bookmarking all these threads and is going to come back to them next summer to point out how the world hasn't, in fact, tumbled.