Holidays abroad - anyone booking?

[Soulstirring]

Very tempted to book Turkey for this month. Wondered other people’s thoughts/experiences of travelling abroad?

I live in the SE England and it was 36-37c for ages which is hot by any standard I believe

We had the same temperatures. Very warm by my standards.

Tui will automatically cancel all packages where fco advices against travel

• as will all operators (diff if booked separate)

You’ll get refund but for anyone wanting to go anyway and risk it unfortunately you won’t have a choice

They’re cancelled by default due to abta rules

Er, also live in the SE of England (Kent) - unless Kent has had significantly different weather to Surrey/Sussex etc, there most definitely have been coat days and rainy weeks since March. Last week was foul & overly hot but it’s p*ssed it down in the last couple of days. The ‘why would you want to go away?’ threads annoy me - because every bloody day for months has been like Groundhog Day for starters! If you don’t want to go anywhere, fine but agree with not coming on Travel threads if you’ve absolutely no intention of travelling yourself and have nothing to offer but attitude.

We are due to go to Tenerife in October.
Love it there, we meet up with friends, nice little community but now just darent take the chance on booking a flight.
If there’s any flights to book.
I think jet 2 and easy jet are in trouble.
I was hoping a mnetters might be there now and could update the situation but so far no response to the thread I started in chat

@aragog
Same here. 1/2 the week N Yorks in our caravan other 1/2 home on the ne coast

Still waiting for the heatwave to start.
We had one day...yep just one day..of 32 degrees..next day was 22
If that was summer, we’ve had it!

We have three flights left, France at the end of this month
The Netherlands and Copenhagen booked in October
Canaries booked the week before christmas.

I am expecting none of these to go ahead now realisitically.

France is already finished before it started as there is no way we can quarantine for two weeks.

Netherlands is now a four week quarantine, as we have to do so both ends.

Tenerife, we would obviously love to get some winter sun. Usually we go long haul but booked this because it felt safer (!!) It is booked in the middle of the imperial model for a second wave I am noting. I am also booked with Jet2 - what is everyone doing about winter holidays??

Does anyone know how it is in Copenhagen? It might be our last chance to get away this year now. I feel like I have had more than enough heat and sun for one summer, but would love to get away before the end of the year, but maybe wishful thinking!!

dowser What have you heard re jet2 and easyjet being in trouble?

I was wondering the same about what evidence you’re basing this on @Dowser? EasyJet have significantly reduced their operating costs through redundancies and closing Southend etc so they can continue to operate viably then slowly ramp flights numbers up over the coming years.

What have you heard re jet2 and easyjet being in trouble?

"in trouble" is probably too strong a term but all airlines are struggling to generate revenue at the moment, some more than others...and the problem is across the board, it's not just the large carriers, not just the Flag Carriers, not just the LoCos...and it's regardless of whether their aircraft are painted red, white, blue, yellow, orange or a combination of colours.

The cuts you're seeing coming to fruition now, for example Jet2, BA, Virgin and many have or /are laying off personnel, and/or changing employee T&Cs, are the results of plans made on the basis of predictions made in March/April about the Virus's behaviour...and there's the problem.

If you cast your minds back the hope then was was that by late Summer the Virus would have blown itself out ( summer heat, Vitamin D, mutation etc). That's doesn't really appear to have happened...this is a long term problem.

End result is many airlines are now looking at Covid survival plan 2.0...it's looking even more ugly for employees...

Fundamentally all airlines are struggling, some won't survive.

I know that all airlines are in trouble, it is obvious, the problem is definitely not short term. We are bound to see many go bust, my question is do we have new information that Easyjet or Jet2 are filing for bankruptcy or similar? Do we have reason to think they will? Dowser seemed to allude that she thought they were, not referring generally to the airline industry, but two carriers particularly.

We are bound to see many go bust, my question is do we have new information that Easyjet or Jet2 are filing for bankruptcy or similar?

No we don't, well certainly not that I've heard...

I thinks some of the problem with perception is the way MSM is reporting the job losses and base closures.

Many airlines announced they were planning on restructuring of bases/fleets/T&Cs some time ago ( Covid plan 1.0). That got announced in MSM...

Unions then get involved in long consultations..

Eventually base(s) actually close/jobs actually go and then the MSM headlines it again - the Easyjet base closures were known about some time ago but not in detail..then it suddenly became headline news again a couple of days back, similar has happened with the Jet2 pilot redundancies..

It was in relation to Newcastle airport, where we fly from.
We usually have two weeks before Christmas in Tenerife
I’m pinning my hopes on this going ahead.

Ah that explain it.

The Newcastle Easyjet base closure was flagged up as being a very strong possibility back a couple of months back, and the company went into consultation with the Unions.

Closure confirmed a couple of days ago.

It's not great news but it is part of Easyjet's published strategy to rejig the operation to help them get through the current downturn, rather than a sign that Easyjet was suddenly in trouble.

Here’s a list of where you can go at the moment

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-and-territories-exempt-from-advice-against-all-but-essential-international-travel

There might be a list of places to go, but it is impossible to get direct flights to places such as Portugal. So yes it is now on the bridge list, but no good if there are no actual flights. I think the airline industry is literally grinding to a halt again. Even if you had the confidence to book, there is no guarantees of a flight there and then back. A complete absence of confidence has set in.

I actually think the gov were trying to keep the holidays going, but realised with the infection rates in most holiday destinations increasing by thousands a day, they are slowly strangling the option.

I can't see how it is going to change, that is the thing that depresses me, how is it going to be any better in the autumn? Winter or beyond?

Depends where you are flying from I think @Friendsoftheearth - Tap, EasyJet, Ryan Air and Wizz all have direct flights going right now to Lisbon from Heathrow/Stansted/Luton. I agree though 100% that this ever changing environment doesn’t inspire any confidence to do anything but a very very last minute booking!

it is impossible to get direct flights to places such as Portugal.

[umm] from the UK ..? Last time I looked BA were still doing LHR-LIS as a non-stop.

Other operators such as TAP may also still be available.

@notimagain, as above, they are!

as above, they are!

Thank you for helping put the record straight..

I'm more than slightly aware for all sorts of reasons very close to home that the airline industry is struggling..but it doesn't help when rumours of it's death are being greatly exaggerated..

I just found this (it's LBC but..) I'm checking quarantine risks daily as British friends are coming to stay next week (Italy)

If you want to travel check out Benkersben on twitter

He loads the 7 day cases per 100000 and it shows Italy as safer than us! Turkey is also safer than us but Greece has increased a fair bit

He’s very accurate and his levels haven’t been wrong in predicting quarantine yet

Once cases go above 20/100 000 in 7 days quarantine is brought in

Be careful as most tabloids record the cases per 14 days which is naturally higher so leads to scaremongering

Check him out!

I am in Turkey right now booked through Tui. I am on my own and feel perfectly safe. Masks are obligatory everywhere - even on the streets. The police are checking to ensure this is happening. Tui also have a covid clause including repatriation though I also have separate insurance. And this break had been good for my mental health

• I have worked all through Lockdown and god knows I needed this.

I don't have a pool in my back garden and not do I live in the balmy south, which to be fair is not the reality of most people so shoot me .

Op- if you want to do it then go for it. Ensure you have proper insurance though

I have a friend in Rhodes, a niece in Crete, a work colleague back from Turkey and another colleague booked for Zante next month. They all had a fab time - felt safe on the plane and in the areas.

Probably best to purchase on a credit card though incase anything does go bust.

All these people are lucky though in that they can work from home if quarantine changes so they have that flexibility.

For me personally I'd rather wait until next year as I'll have more money.

Absolutely! Have been on 3 holidays in the past 6 weeks.
Battleface provide great insurance.

Definitely not hot and sunny where I live!

Just been looking at flights to the Algarve from Birmingham, so it is not true to say there are no flights.