Booking flights a long way ahead

[Dancergirl]

So after leaving it very late to book our summer holiday this year, I want to be more organised and start thinking about next summer.

How far in advance can you book flights and how much can you typically save by booking early?

Once booked, is it possible to cancel?

Interesting additional news story... all border staff banned from booking leave in March or April, according to "business insider"

Grounding of flights would cause public uproar so I'm quite certain the govt will capitulate either before the Brexit deadline or pretty soon after to avoid this, but I would hedge my bets and not book anything for April or May and if I were planning a once in a lifetime trip I probably wouldn't book it for next summer

yes, I am sure they would capitulate anything too, but it doesn't seem to be a case of having anything to capitulate.

if we are no longer under the juristriction of the European courts, then UK air space closes, until our own ASA is up and running, but that will take years.

Or we beg to be allowed to remain under the juristriction of the European court, and part of the EASA, which is basically begging to cancel Brexit.

Or is there another way? Do we set a date to leave Europe in 5 or 10 years time, or something, when we have the infrastructure in place?

Its not a case of anyone deciding to ground flights, that's the problem.

Nobody would decide to ground flights.

Its more a case that Brexit leads to naturally to a situation in which flights cannot legally take off from, or land in, the UK

And politicians are (presumably) trying very hard to find a way around that. But have so far been unsuccessful

Just as an add on - I've spoken to 4 leading travel insurance providers this afternoon. None of the sales agents had an answer if their policy would cover us in a no flights from the UK situation come April & only one of them had been asked the question before. All had to go away & ask their managers & all came back with the same answer, policy hasn't been decided on this & they didn't know if we'd be covered or not till the scenario happened. One tried to flog me additional flight cover on the grounds it covered terrorism! Perhaps the travel insurance sector will get its act in gear on this (as potentially there is money to be made) but for the time being they seem as clueless as the rest of us!

Someone on another thread has just linked to the EU technical notices that were published 6 months ago.

Subject to any transitional arrangement that may be contained in a possible withdrawal agreement, as of the withdrawal date, the EU rules in the field of air transport no longer apply to the United Kingdom.This has, in particular, the following consequences in the
different areas of air transport:

As of the withdrawal date, the operating licences granted to airlines by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority will no longer be valid EU operating licences.

Air carriers of the United Kingdom will no longer enjoy traffic rights under any air transport agreement to which the Union is a party, be it to or from the territory of the United Kingdom, be it to or from the territory of any of the EU Member States

Air carriers of the United Kingdom will no longer have access to
designation/traffic rights so far available under the bilateral air transport agreements between EU Member States and a third country on account of the principle of EU designation accepted by the third country concerned.

Air carriers of the EU Member States will no longer enjoy traffic rights to or from the territory of the United Kingdom granted to Union carriers by a third country under any air transport agreement to which the Union is a party.

Air carriers of countries which are not Member States of the EU will no longer benefit from access to traffic rights to or from the territory of the United Kingdom, or any other rights where these have been granted to their country under any air transport agreement to which the Union is a party.

There is more but I think you get the drift

Theres a link to the technical articles that the EU published back last year and early this year on the Brexit thread on technical notices

I've got a feeling the words "technical notices" are going to come to sound depressingly familiar...

I've got flights after March, but booked with a travel agent. I'm hoping that it's then their issue, not mine grasping

Check the small print of the T&Cs
Its very unlikely they will sell tickets on which THEY have a financial risk.

I would be VERY VERY wary of committing to leaving the UK during April or May before I see a signed deal with the EU

all border guard leave has been cancelled, every border guard in the country will be on duty

travel agent T&Cs are normally saying now that you are not entitled to a refund in the event of flights being cancelled due to "government decisions"

We booked a year ago... not sure they predicted this.

not sure they predicted this.
It was predictable from the moment the UK govt invoked article 50

Shit we were going on a big long haul trip to the USA for 5 weeks next summer,wanted to book as soon as flight status are released. We'd be screwed if they were cancelled and not reimbursed. Should we postpone it?

What that aviation might be grounded? Not sure they twigged that quite so quickly. Anyway, will be what it will be!

What that aviation might be grounded? Not sure they twigged that quite so quickly.

I have one friend who is a pilot, and another who was in air traffic control, they were both predicting this before the referendum. I guess it just depends who was listened to

Well to be fair, I imagine the majority of us hadn't really taken this particular aspect much into consideration in the overall maelstrom. I would assume Claire if you're viewing multiple airline terms then this is something to do with your profession & as you say, you know people in aviation. When I booked for April, it really didn't enter my head & I imagine it hasn't for much of Joe Public - it certainly doesn't seem to for the travel insurance sector! Your logic & rationale make perfect sense (especially for those of us who are expecting a complete f#ck up!) so let's see what unfolds! P3onyPenny - maybe look at cancellable options?! We're off in April (hopefully!) but I think I'm going to hold off booking a trip to New York we're planning till an agreement is reached!

I had no idea this is a possibility.
I watch and read the news most days and love planning travel.

Bloody hate Brexit and all the shit that has come with it.

It has to be said that TRavel insurers are WELL aware - that is why many people will find their T&Cs already updated.

And the EU briefing documents made it pretty clear

But any discussion of them is deemed Project Fear by the British tabloids so not covered in the UK press

I find the New York Times website useful for getting clear viewpoints on Brexit progress

yes, I am sure they would capitulate anything too, but it doesn't seem to be a case of having anything to capitulate.

if we are no longer under the juristriction of the European courts, then UK air space closes, until our own ASA is up and running, but that will take years.

Or we beg to be allowed to remain under the juristriction of the European court, and part of the EASA, which is basically begging to cancel Brexit.

Yes, I think we will beg to remain under the jurisdiction of the ECJ for EASA and for many other arrangements too, eg medical regulations. I think this has been quietly mooted in some plans already.

I suspect this will either be agreed just before March, or there'll be another event (GE or decision to hold a vote on the deal) which will allow the transition period to be extended.

If the govt really do push it to the brink and flights are grounded then they will have no choice but to rush very quickly with their begging bowl and ask to be part of EASA because there's no way people with cancelled holidays are not going to be making a huge amount of fuss. The news programmes are full of grumbling passengers when planes are delayed after bad weather.

I really can't see any situation where they would allow us to have no flights to Europe or the US for months. If they leave it until people are rioting in the airports they will probably have to give in to whatever the EU says in order to have access to EASA.

If they had been planning for a no-deal for the start and had immediately started setting up the UK's own international aviation regulations, then I might think leaving EASA was a serious possibility, but they haven't and I think enough MPs know this is the case to avert no-deal.

However, things since the referendum have been handled by the government even more badly than I had thought possible so I guess anything is possible. Luckily, I am planning a ferry holiday that only needs deposit paying until end of June.

Ta1kinpeace, with respect, if the Travel Insurance sector was WELL aware & prepared for a worse case scenario then the middle management in those companies would have an answer on whether their insurance policy would or would not cover you in a no flight situation. That answer would be 'no' not 'there has been no advice on this and we don't know' which was the answer I got yesterday from Colombus Direct, Staysure, insureandgo and esure. The very seemingly genuine confusion and non comprehension of the Agents doesn't fit either to a scenario where Customers in possession of insurance for post brexit trips had received updated Terms. There would have been complaint calls and queries.

Discussed with dh last night. He's of the view that it's all a storm in a teacup and things won't be affected as much as we might think. I'm inclined to agree. Non-EU countries don't have problems with flights do they?

Non-EU countries don't have problems with flights do they?

My understanding of this issue is very limited (happy to be corrected!) but I imagine it's analogous to (say) car insurance or similar. Say you were a named driver on your partner's policy, if you remove your name from their policy you now have no insurance to drive unless you get your own insurance. So your partner can still legally drive, and other people can still legally drive. Just not you, until you sort yourself out.

Panic over. A man has told us it will all be ok. Phew.

Non-EU countries don't have problems with flights do they?
BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF TREATIES

this is not about the EU FFS
its about walking away from all of the treaties that were signed when the UK was part of the EU

once the UK is on its own it has to get back into all of the treaties
that other countries have already signed up for

It is most definitely not just flights to EU countries that are affected.

Flights to the US will certainly be affected as the UK will fall out of the EU-US open skies agreement. Luckily Trump has offered to negotiate an alternative agreement - with inferior terms for UK airlines of course.

The EU has flying agreements with over 70 countries. You can find the list here. After Brexit, we will not be party to any of these agreements unless we have negotiated a deal that allows us to remain part of them.

Published by IATA (International Air Traffic Association), June 2016:
www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/impact_of_brexit.pdf?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=

No formal arrangement
This option would result in Brexit leading to a full divorce and a clean break in aviation terms.